Study Guide
Multiple Choice
1. In ancient cultures, the concept of victim was connected to: a. the notion of sacrifice. b. receiving payment for injuries. c. crime. d. natural disasters.
Study Guide Essay Example
2. Which of the following correctly describes the relationship between victimology and criminology? a. Victimology encompasses several sub-disciplines, including criminology. b. Victimology can be considered an area of specialization within criminology. c. Victimologists only study the victims of crimes, and criminologists only study the offenders. d.The two disciplines are similar but there are clearly-defined boundaries between them.
3. In contemporary times, the term victim refers to individuals who experience: a. injury. b. loss. c. hardship. d. any or all of the above
4. People can become victims of which of the following? a. accidents b. natural disasters c. diseases d. all of the above
5. _________________ is a one-sided interpersonal relationship in which one party causes harm or injury to the other. a. Victimization b. Victimism c. Subjectivity d. Stockholm Syndrome
6. The scientific study of the physical, emotional and financial harm people suffer because of illegal activities is known as which of the following? a. criminology b. victimology c. sociology d. psychology
7. Which of the following is the major function of victimologists? a. investigating the victim’s plight b. carrying out research on the public’s reaction to victims’ plight c. studying how victims are handled by officials and agencies in the criminal justice system d. all of the above
8. Those who experience the criminal act and its consequences firsthand are called: a. indirect victims. b. primary victims. c. secondary victims. d. direct impactees.
9. Those who suffer emotionally or financially from a crime but are not immediately involved or physically injured by it are known as: a. direct victims. b. primary victims. c. secondary victims. d. social workers.
l0. Which of the following are victimologists? a. researchers b. therapists c. case workers d. volunteers
l1. Which of the following involves approaching a subject from the standpoint of morality, ethics, philosophy, personalized reactions, and intense emotions? a. objectivity b. subjectivity c. social science research d. observation
12. Which of the following requires the observer to attempt to be fair, open-minded, even-handed, dispassionate, neutral, and unbiased? a. objectivity b. subjectivity c. intelligence d. observation
13. People who routinely engage in lawbreaking are: a. less likely to be victimized than others. b. more likely to be victimized than their law-abiding counterparts. c. seldom on the receiving end of victimization. d. protected because they know how offenders think.
14. Which of the following is a term for the type of media coverage also known as scandal-mongering, pandering, yellow journalism, and tabloidism? a. victimism b. sensationalism c. ideal type d. just deserts
15. The suffix “ology” merely means: a. a set of known facts. b. hard to understand. c. the study of. d. all of these
16. ___________ is a coherent, integrated set of beliefs that shapes interpretations and leads to political action. a. Victimology b. Victimism c. Ideology d. Criminology
17. __________ is a widely held outlook of people who share a sense of common victimhood. a. Victimology b. Victimism c. Ideology d. Criminology
18. People who oppose a victim-centered outlook do so based on their belief that: a. most so-called “victims” deserved the harm they received. b. it impedes progress due to its preoccupation with the past. c. once offenders have paid their debt to society they should be left alone. d. it distorts the interpretation of the law.
19. People who accept a victim-centered outlook believe that: a. insight results from understanding history. b. much of our economy and legal system depend upon the existence of offenders and victims. c. once offenders have paid their debt to society they should be left alone. d. most so-called “victims” deserved the harm they received.
20. Which of the following can undermine the ability of social scientists to achieve objectivity? a. personal experiences b. the discipline itself c. the mood of the times d. all of the above
21. The academic discipline of victimology can be traced back to: a. articles and research conducted in the 1940s and 1950s. b. a series of Supreme Court decisions in the early 20th Century. c. legislation passed by Congress in response to rising crime rates in the 1970s. d. the feminist movement of the 1960s.
22. Embezzlement by employees against their employers is an example of: a. vice. b. white-collar crime. c. street crimes. d. organized crime.
23. Drug smuggling and gun trafficking rackets run by mobsters are examples of: a. vice. b. white-collar crime. c. street crimes. d. organized crime.
24. Hostages often identify with their captors and develop anger toward the law enforcement officers who are trying to rescue them. This phenomenon is known as: a. reverse victimization. b. the Stockholm Syndrome. c. the Heisenberg Principle. d. identity transference.
25. Which of the following is true of street crime? a. it scares the public b. it preoccupies the media c. it keeps police busy d. all of the above
26. The first scholars who considered themselves victimologists studied: a. the resistance put up by rape victims. b. the presumed vulnerabilities of the very young. c. the presumed vulnerabilities of the very old. d. all of the above
27. Victimology is an interdisciplinary field that benefits from the contributions of: a. sociologists. b. criminologists. c. psychologists. d. all of the above
28. Victimology evolved as an area of specialization within: a. social work. b. criminology. c. sociology. d. psychology.
29. _______ embraces the scientific study of crimes, criminals, criminal laws, and the criminal justice system. a. Psychology b. Social work c. Criminology d. Penology
30. Which of the following are most likely to ask why certain individuals become involved in lawbreaking while others do not? a. criminologists b. victimologists c. psychologists d. penologists
31. Which of the following are most likely to ask why some individuals, households, and entities are targeted for crime while others are not? a. social anthropologists b. victimologists c. psychologists d. penologists
32. One similarity between criminologists and victimologists is that they: a. have existed for about the same amount of time. b. share a pro-police viewpoint. c. rely on the same methods used by other social scientists to conduct research. d. all of the above
33. The belief that lawbreakers must be strictly punished, in accordance with the “crime control” model of criminal justice, is known by which of the following labels? a. victimism b. profile c. needs assessment d. just deserts
34. The _________ refers to how often a type of victimization takes place during a given time period. a. incidence rate b. profile c. needs assessment d. just deserts
35. The ____________ refers to the fraction of the population that has ever experienced victimization. a. incidence rate b. profile c. needs assessment d. prevalence rate
36. ______________ refers to the odds that a person or portion of the population will someday suffer victimization if current rates prevail. a. Incidence rate b. Lifetime likelihood c. Needs assessment d. Prevalence rate
37. A ____________ is a kind of statistical portrait. a. profile b. ideal type c. survivor d. victim
38. A __________________ is an attempt to discover what type of help is required for crime victims to resolve problems and return to their life as before the crime. a. plea negotiation b. prevalence rate c. needs assessment d. lifetime likelihood
39. A __________________ is a process by which offenders are offered some concession in return for a guilty plea. a. plea negotiation b. prevalence rate c. needs assessment d. plea exchange
40. In contemporary terms, an individual who experiences injury, loss, or hardship for any reason is known as a: a. profile. b. ideal type. c. survivor. d. victim.
True/False
1. Because of the emotional toll of dealing with injured victims, first responders and rescue workers can be considered secondary victims. a. trueb. false
2. Victimologists include practitioners who directly assist parties to recover from their ordeals or who advocate on their behalf. a. trueb. false
3. People who routinely engage in lawbreaking are more likely to be victimized than their law-abiding counterparts. a. trueb. false
4. It is possible for people engaged in illegal activities to be genuine victims deserving of protection and redress through the courts. a. trueb. false
5. Being harmed at an early age has no impact on the odds of future delinquency and criminality. a. trueb. false
6. Victims of highly publicized crimes are often outraged by the way the news media portrays them. a. trueb. false
7. Victimology has been enhanced by those who equate it with victimism. a. trueb. false
8. Both criminologists and victimologists place a great emphasis on following the proper ways of gathering and interpreting data. a. trueb. false
9. Criminologists and victimologists seldom use the same methods as other social scientists to collect and analyze data. a. trueb. false
10. Both criminologists and victimologists study how the criminal justice system actually works. a. trueb. false
11. In ancient cultures, the concept of victim was connected to the practice of religious sacrifice. a. trueb. false
12. In the original meaning of the term, a victim was a person who had been negatively impacted by crime. a. trueb. false
13. In contemporary times, the term victim refers to individuals who experience injury, loss, or hardship. a. trueb. false
14.Victimization is a one-sided relationship in which one party causes harm to the other. a. trueb. false
15. Criminology is the scientific study of physical, emotional, and financial harm people suffer because of illegal activities. a. trueb. false
16. Victimologists study how victims are handled by officials and agencies in the criminal justice system. a. trueb. false
17. Indirect victims are those who experience the criminal act and its consequences firsthand. a. trueb. false
18. Subjectivity is the approach of victimology from the standpoint of morality, ethics, philosophy, personalized reactions, and intense emotions. a. trueb. false
19. Subjectivity requires that the observer try to be fair, open-minded, even-handed, dispassionate, neutral, and unbiased. a. trueb. false
20. People who routinely engage in lawbreaking are seldom on the receiving end of victimization. a. trueb. false
21. Sensationalism is a kind of media coverage that can be branded as scandal-mongering, pandering, yellow journalism, and tabloidism. a. trueb. false
22. The suffix “ology” merely means hard to understand. a. trueb. false
23. An ideology is a coherent, integrated set of beliefs that shapes interpretations and leads to political action. a. trueb. false
24. Victimism is a widely held outlook of people who share a sense of common victimhood. a. trueb. false
25. People who oppose a victim-centered outlook do so based on the belief that it keeps victims from being able to move on with their lives. a. trueb. false
26. People who accept a victim-centered outlook do so based on the belief that insight results from understanding past events. a. trueb. false
27. The academic discipline of victimology can be traced back to articles, books, and research produced by criminologists in the 1940s and 1950s. a. trueb. false
28. Embezzlement by employees against their employers is an example of a vice. a. trueb. false
29. Drug smuggling and gun trafficking rackets run by mobsters are examples of white collar crime. a. trueb. false
30. The Stockholm Syndrome is a phenomenon that occurs when an abused spouse sympathizes with the attacker. a. trueb. false
31. The first scholars who considered themselves victimologists studied the resistance put up by robbery victims. a. trueb. false
32. Victimology is an interdisciplinary field. a. trueb. false
33. Victimology evolved as a specialization within criminology. a. trueb. false
34. Social work embraces the scientific study of crimes, criminals, criminal laws, and the criminal justice system. a. trueb. false
35. One similarity between criminologists and victimologists is that they both rely on the same methods used by other social scientists to conduct research. a. trueb. false
36.In accordance with the crime control model of criminal justice, just deserts is the belief that lawbreakers must be strictly punished. a. trueb. false
37. Incidence rates tell us how often a type of victimization takes place during a given time period. a. trueb. false
38. Prevalence rates are the fraction of the population that has experienced victimization. a. trueb. false
39. A plea negotiation is an attempt to discover what type of help is required for crime victims to resolve problems and return to their life as it was before the crime. a. trueb. false
40. The mechanism by which assailants admit their guilt in return for some concession is called a needs assessment. a. trueb. false
Essay Questions
1. The term “victimology” is often mistakenly used in place of “victimism.” Explain the differences between these terms and show how each should be used. Source: Page 14
2. Discuss the concept of offenders as victims. What is the likelihood that people who routinely engage in lawbreaking can be hurt by their lawbreaking counterparts? Should people engaged in illegal activities be considered genuine victims when they are on the receiving end of criminal acts? Explain.
Source: Page 7
3. Discuss the concept of sensationalism and the role of the media in victimology. Source: Page 8
4. Compare victimology and criminology. Be sure to outline both the similarities and differences between the disciplines. Source: Pages 16-19
5. Outline and discuss the role of victimologists. Be sure to include the step-by-step reasoning process that victimologists follow when carrying out their research. Source: Pages 18-22