Notes:
deviance, violation of social norms
agents of social control, informal and formal groups that control the behavior of members of society
informal social control, individuals and groups that unofficially reinforce social norms
formal social control, groups and organizations whose specific function is to control the behavior of members of societies and reinforce social norms
social stigma, a label associating an individual with a set of unwanted characteristics that form a stereotype
labeling theory, the idea that individuals labeled as deviant are more likely to act on the label
primary deviance, violations of norms that do not result in being labeled as deviant
Secondary deviance, norm violations that result in being publicly labeled as a deviant and outsider
tertiary deviance, normalizing deviant behavior by labeling it as nondeviant
Differential association theory, a process by which individuals learn deviant and criminal behavior from associating with deviants and criminals
crime, an offense in violation of public law
social control theory, which states that individuals who do not have enough strong social bonds are more likely to feel disconnected from society and engage in deviance and crime
- Attachment: The family is the attachment source, as parents provide support and teach children socially acceptable behavior.
- Belief: The level of acceptance of the social values of society.
- Commitment: An individual’s focus on achieving socially accepted goals such as a high school or college degree and a high-status job.
- Involvement: Participation in conventional activities that lead to socially accepted goals.
containment theory, the idea that individuals have various social controls (containments) that provide a protective barrier to help them to resist engaging in deviant and criminal behavior
structural strain theory, the theory that social structures can promote crime and deviance among individuals within a society
white-collar crime, nonviolent and financially motivated crime
| One violent crime occurred every | 26.3 seconds |
| One aggravated assault every | 38.5 seconds |
| One robbery every | 2.0 seconds |
| One rape every | 3.8 minutes |
| One murder every | 32.1 minutes |
| One property crime occurred every | 4.6 seconds |
| One motor vehicle theft every | 43.8 seconds |
| One burglary every | 28.3 seconds |
| One larceny-theft every |
incarceration rate, the number of people in state and federal prisons
criminal justice system, formal institutions designed to enforce, arbitrate, and carry out the laws of society
- police and law enforcement
- courts
- the penal system
Cybercrime, a crime that targets the computer systems of an individual or group
hate crime, criminal behavior directed at individuals or groups based on their race, ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or religion
terrorism, the use of violence or the threat of violence to influence the political process
crime rate, a statistical count of different categories of crime compiled by federal, state, and local agencies
differential justice, differences in how groups are treated in the criminal justice system
plea bargains, agreements in which the accused pleads guilty to the crime in exchange for a lesser sentence
collective conscience, a set of shared attitudes, beliefs, and ideas about how things should be in society
capital punishment, a penalty for criminal behavior that results in the perpetrator’s death
Index crimes, the eight forms of criminal behavior to create the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report
transnational crime, a crime that crosses interstate or international borders
counterfeiting, the manufacturing and selling of illegally copied products
surveillance, it involves the use of technology to monitor the action and behavior of others