Deviance, Crime and Juvenile Delinquency MCQs 2026

Secondary deviance refers to deviance that occurs after a person

1. AJoins a formal school✓
2. BAccepts or is shaped by a deviant label✓
3. CMigrates from village to city✓
4. DLearns a new occupation✓

In criminal law terminology, mens rea means

1. APhysical place of crime✓
2. BGuilty mind or criminal intent✓
3. CPolice station record✓
4. DAge of the witness✓

In sociology, deviance primarily refers to behavior that

1. AComes only from heredity✓
2. BViolates accepted social norms✓
3. CAlways violates criminal law✓
4. DIs limited to economic acts✓

Crime differs from general deviance because crime involves violation of

1. ACustomary etiquette✓
2. BReligious ritual only✓
3. CFamily expectations✓
4. DFormal criminal law✓

Merton's strain theory explains deviance mainly through the gap between

1. ACultural goals and legitimate means✓
2. BClimate and population density✓
3. CReligion and language✓
4. DAge and biological maturity✓

Durkheim used the term anomie to describe a condition of

1. APerfect social harmony✓
2. BBiological inferiority✓
3. CNormlessness or weak regulation✓
4. DComplete political equality✓

Sutherland's differential association theory emphasizes that criminal behavior is

1. AInherited at birth✓
2. BLearned through social interaction✓
3. CCaused only by poverty✓
4. DCreated by climate alone✓

Labeling theory focuses most directly on the effect of

1. ASocial reaction and official labels✓
2. BSoil fertility and rainfall✓
3. CInherited intelligence only✓
4. DPopulation age structure only✓

Howard S. Becker is especially associated with

1. AStrain theory✓
2. BFunctionalism of religion✓
3. CClassical economics✓
4. DLabeling theory✓

The term white-collar crime was popularized by

1. AKarl Marx✓
2. BMax Weber✓
3. CEdwin Sutherland✓
4. DTalcott Parsons✓

In Lemert's terminology, primary deviance means

1. AInitial rule breaking without deviant identity✓
2. BCrime committed by a political leader✓
3. CPunishment after conviction✓
4. DA movement for social reform✓

Hirschi's social control theory identifies the main social bonds as

1. ARace, caste, tribe and clan✓
2. BIncome, rent, profit and wage✓
3. CAttachment, commitment, involvement and belief✓
4. DForce, fraud, fear and fashion✓

Social disorganization theory is strongly linked with the work of

1. AFreud and Jung✓
2. BSmith and Ricardo✓
3. CMills and Dahrendorf✓
4. DShaw and McKay✓

Juvenile delinquency usually refers to illegal or antisocial conduct by

1. AMinors below the legal adult age✓
2. BOnly elderly citizens✓
3. COnly public officials✓
4. DOnly foreign migrants✓

A status offense in juvenile justice is an act that is unlawful mainly because the actor is

1. AA police officer✓
2. BA minor✓
3. CA teacher✓
4. DA landlord✓

Recidivism means

1. AFirst entry into school✓
2. BVoluntary migration✓
3. CMarriage outside caste✓
4. DRelapse into criminal behavior✓

Deterrence theory assumes that crime can be reduced when punishment is perceived as

1. AInvisible and symbolic✓
2. BRandom and secret✓
3. CCertain, swift and severe enough✓
4. DInformal and friendly only✓

The retributive aim of punishment is best described as

1. ATraining the offender for a job✓
2. BGiving deserved punishment for wrongdoing✓
3. CMeasuring public opinion✓
4. DStudying urban ecology✓

Rehabilitation in criminal justice mainly aims to

1. AReform offenders for social reintegration✓
2. BIncrease family size✓
3. CPromote caste endogamy✓
4. DAbolish all formal laws✓

Restorative justice gives special importance to

1. AOnly longer prison terms✓
2. BSecret court records✓
3. CRepairing harm among victim, offender and community✓
4. DBiological measurement of offenders✓

The expression victimless crime is usually applied to offenses involving

1. AWar crimes against civilians✓
2. BConsensual illegal acts without a direct complainant✓
3. CKidnapping for ransom✓
4. DArmed robbery in public✓

A deviant subculture is a group whose norms

1. AAlways match official law✓
2. BAre written only in constitutions✓
3. CEliminate all social learning✓
4. DSupport conduct disapproved by wider society✓

Cultural transmission theory in delinquency stresses that delinquent values are

1. APassed through peer and neighborhood interaction✓
2. BFixed permanently by chromosomes✓
3. CCreated only by court judges✓
4. DSpread only through rainfall patterns✓

The broken windows thesis argues that visible disorder may

1. AAutomatically end poverty✓
2. BRemove the need for police✓
3. CEncourage further disorder and crime✓
4. DProve that crime is inherited✓

Corporate crime refers to illegal acts committed by

1. AChildren inside schools✓
2. BOrganizations or their officials for corporate benefit✓
3. COnly unemployed workers✓
4. DReligious pilgrims only✓

Organized crime is best described as

1. AA continuing structured group seeking illegal profit✓
2. BA temporary classroom discussion✓
3. CA legal public charity✓
4. DA single accidental norm breach✓

Cybercrime generally means offenses that involve

1. AOnly agricultural machinery✓
2. BTraditional oral poetry✓
3. CManual census taking✓
4. DComputers or digital networks✓

Actus reus refers to the

1. AMotive of a judge✓
2. BMoral education of society✓
3. CGuilty act or external conduct✓
4. DReligious status of offender✓

Probation is usually understood as

1. ASupervised community release instead of imprisonment✓
2. BPermanent exile from society✓
3. CSecret detention without trial✓
4. DA biological test for crime✓

Parole normally means

1. AArrest before investigation✓
2. BA fine paid before trial✓
3. CA rule of inheritance✓
4. DConditional release after part of a sentence✓

Cesare Lombroso is associated with

1. APostmodern feminism✓
2. BBiological positivist criminology✓
3. CSymbolic exchange theory✓
4. DUrban human ecology only✓

Cesare Beccaria is best known in criminology for advocating

1. AUnrestricted arbitrary punishment✓
2. BCrime as inherited destiny✓
3. CClassical proportional punishment✓
4. DAbolition of all courts✓

Informal social control is exercised mainly through

1. AFamily, peers and community sanctions✓
2. BOnly written penal codes✓
3. COnly military courts✓
4. DOnly central bank policy✓

Formal social control is most clearly represented by

1. AFamily advice at home✓
2. BPolice, courts and written laws✓
3. CFriendship networks only✓
4. DNeighborhood gossip only✓

Goffman's concept of stigma refers to an attribute that is

1. APurely economic capital✓
2. BA religious ceremony✓
3. CA weather condition✓
4. DDeeply socially discrediting✓

A moral panic is best described as

1. ADisproportionate public fear over a perceived threat✓
2. BA routine census procedure✓
3. CA type of soil erosion✓
4. DA legal method of taxation✓

Deviance is considered relative because norms vary by

1. AOnly eye color✓
2. BOnly body height✓
3. CTime, place and social group✓
4. DOnly blood type✓

The dark figure of crime means crime that is

1. ACommitted only at night✓
2. BUnreported or undetected by official statistics✓
3. CAlways punished by death✓
4. DMeasured only in prisons✓

Victimization surveys are used to estimate crime by

1. AAsking people about their experiences as victims✓
2. BCounting only court buildings✓
3. CMeasuring rainfall records✓
4. DRecording only prison staff opinions✓

Differential opportunity theory of delinquency is associated with

1. AMead and Cooley✓
2. BParsons and Merton only✓
3. CSmith and Ricardo✓
4. DCloward and Ohlin✓

Sykes and Matza's techniques of neutralization are

1. AWeather forecasts used by police✓
2. BMethods of genetic testing✓
3. CJustifications that excuse rule breaking✓
4. DRules for census sampling✓

In Merton's typology, conformity means acceptance of

1. ANeither goals nor means✓
2. BBoth cultural goals and legitimate means✓
3. CGoals but rejection of all means✓
4. DNew goals through rebellion✓

In Merton's typology, innovation means

1. AAccepting goals but using illegitimate means✓
2. BRejecting both goals and means✓
3. CFollowing means without goals✓
4. DAccepting no social values✓

Retreatism in Merton's typology involves

1. AAccepting goals and means✓
2. BAccepting only goals✓
3. CReplacing society's goals with new ones✓
4. DRejecting both goals and means✓

Rebellion in Merton's typology is marked by

1. ARoutine acceptance of all norms✓
2. BReplacement of existing goals and means✓
3. COnly technical job training✓
4. DBiological inheritance of crime✓

Ritualism in Merton's typology means

1. ARejecting rules and goals completely✓
2. BChanging laws through revolution✓
3. CAbandoning success goals but following rules✓
4. DJoining an organized criminal group✓

The traditional juvenile court philosophy of parens patriae treats the state as

1. AA protective parent for the child✓
2. BA private business investor✓
3. CA market competitor✓
4. DA religious sect✓

Diversion in juvenile justice refers to

1. AKeeping every juvenile in prison✓
2. BIncreasing sentence length automatically✓
3. CEnding all community programs✓
4. DRedirecting cases away from formal court processing✓

The word criminogenic means

1. APunishment already completed✓
2. BLegally licensed✓
3. CTending to produce or encourage crime✓
4. DUnrelated to any social condition✓

Durkheim argued that deviance can have a social function because it may

1. AMake all laws unnecessary✓
2. BEliminate punishment forever✓
3. CProve crime is biological✓
4. DClarify norms and promote change✓

Anomie in Merton's work ties deviance to

1. Aperfect equal opportunity always✓
2. Bstrain from unequal access to success goals in society✓
3. Czero cultural goals✓
4. Donly biological reflex✓

Punishment purposes include

1. Adeterrence, retribution, incapacitation and rehabilitation✓
2. Bonly rewarding offenders✓
3. Conly ignoring victims✓
4. Donly celebrating crime✓

Deviance is defined sociologically as

1. Aonly illegal acts by definition✓
2. Bbehaviour that violates social norms and evokes negative reactions✓
3. Conly mental illness✓
4. Donly behaviour everyone admires✓

Crime is a form of deviance that

1. Aviolates formally enacted criminal law✓
2. Balways violates only folkways✓
3. Cis always invisible✓
4. Dnever punished✓

Durkheim argued deviance is

1. Anormal and functional in clarifying moral boundaries✓
2. Balways destructive with no social role✓
3. Cabsent in healthy societies✓
4. Dunrelated to solidarity✓

Anomie, in Durkheim's sense, refers to

1. Aperfect moral integration✓
2. Bcomplete ritual order✓
3. Cfixed tribal custom only✓
4. Dnormlessness or breakdown of regulatory standards✓

Merton's strain theory explains deviance through

1. Aonly biological urges✓
2. Bonly weather patterns✓
3. Cgap between cultural goals and legitimate means✓
4. Donly random luck✓

Merton's innovation mode of adaptation involves

1. Arejecting goals and means✓
2. Bonly conforming legally✓
3. Cwithdrawing from society entirely✓
4. Daccepting goals but using illegitimate means✓

Labeling theory focuses on

1. Aonly innate criminal types✓
2. Bonly police weapons✓
3. Chow social reactions create and amplify deviant identities✓
4. Donly victimless physics✓

Primary deviance is

1. Ainitial rule-breaking that may go unnoticed or be minor✓
2. Bdeviance caused only by official labeling✓
3. Ccareer deviance entrenched by stigma✓
4. Donly violent crime✓

Secondary deviance results when

1. Ano one reacts to the act✓
2. Bindividuals organize identity and behaviour around a deviant label✓
3. Claws are abolished✓
4. Dnorms are perfectly clear✓

Becker argued deviance is not a quality of the act but

1. Ainborn evil only✓
2. Bgenetic fate only✓
3. Ca consequence of application of rules by others✓
4. Dunchanging across cultures✓

Differential association theory (Sutherland) holds crime is learned through

1. Aintimate groups transmitting definitions favourable to law violation✓
2. Bisolated hermits without contact✓
3. Conly mass media never peers✓
4. Donly biology✓

Social control theory (Hirschi) stresses

1. Aonly strain from poverty✓
2. Bbonds to society that prevent delinquency when strong✓
3. Conly labeling by courts✓
4. Donly genetic markers✓

Hirschi's four elements of social bond include

1. Astrain, anomie, retreat and rebel✓
2. Bprimary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary deviance✓
3. Cpolice, courts, prisons and fines only✓
4. Dattachment, commitment, involvement and belief✓

Incapacitation aims to

1. Achange conscience only through talk✓
2. Balways educate without confinement✓
3. Cprevent reoffending by restricting offender's physical freedom✓
4. Dignore future risk✓

General deterrence seeks to

1. Aonly reform one person✓
2. Bdiscourage the public from crime by punishing offenders visibly✓
3. Conly compensate victims✓
4. Donly label children✓

Specific deterrence targets

1. Aall society equally without offenders✓
2. Bthe individual offender to prevent repeat acts✓
3. Conly media audiences✓
4. Donly foreign states✓

Retribution justifies punishment as

1. Aonly social utility without blame✓
2. Bmoral desert—offenders ought to pay for wrongdoing✓
3. Conly random revenge without rules✓
4. Donly economic profit✓

Rehabilitation focuses on

1. Apermanent exclusion without change✓
2. Bonly public shaming✓
3. Conly increasing stigma✓
4. Dtreating causes of crime through education, therapy and skills✓

Stigma of a criminal record can cause

1. Aautomatic wealth✓
2. Binstant political office✓
3. Cblocked employment and secondary deviance✓
4. Dzero social reaction✓

Peer groups and delinquency are linked because

1. Apeers always prevent crime✓
2. Badolescents have no friends✓
3. Cschools have no influence✓
4. Dyouth may reinforce rule-breaking through group loyalty✓

Juvenile detention should balance

1. Aadult punishment only✓
2. Bpublic safety with developmental needs of children✓
3. Cno rights whatsoever✓
4. Dignore education✓

Community policing attempts to

1. Aisolate police from public✓
2. Bonly react after violence✓
3. Cbuild trust and prevent crime through local partnership✓
4. Dignore neighbourhoods✓

Deviance varies cross-culturally, showing

1. Anorms and laws differ across societies and eras✓
2. Bone universal list of sins for all time✓
3. Cno social definition✓
4. Donly genetics decides✓

Formal social control of crime uses

1. Aonly gossip✓
2. Bonly prayer without law✓
3. Conly private letters✓
4. Dpolice, prosecution, courts and corrections✓

Informal social control of deviance includes

1. Acommunity disapproval, family discipline and peer pressure✓
2. Bonly Supreme Court rulings✓
3. Conly UN treaties✓
4. Donly laboratory experiments✓

Hate crime involves offense motivated by bias against

1. Aonly property value✓
2. Brace, religion, ethnicity or other group characteristics✓
3. Conly random accident✓
4. Donly self-defense without bias✓

Domestic violence illustrates

1. Aonly public street crime✓
2. Bonly corporate fraud✓
3. Cdeviance occurring in private intimate relationships✓
4. Donly international war✓

Child abuse and neglect are deviance problems because

1. Athey violate norms protecting vulnerable dependents✓
2. Bonly affect strangers✓
3. Care always legal✓
4. Dnever harm development✓

Pakistan's juvenile justice framework includes

1. Atreating all children as adults always✓
2. Bno legal age distinction✓
3. Cspecial courts, probation and emphasis on child welfare✓
4. Donly corporal punishment✓

Terrorism as a social problem is defined politically as

1. Aviolence against civilians to intimidate and achieve ideological aims✓
2. Bonly state military drills✓
3. Conly sports riots✓
4. Donly civil disobedience always✓

Organized crime features

1. Aspontaneous single acts only✓
2. Bonly juvenile pranks✓
3. Conly accidental violations✓
4. Dcontinuing criminal enterprise with hierarchy and corruption✓

Cybercrime as deviance includes

1. Aonly face-to-face theft✓
2. Bhacking, online fraud and digital harassment✓
3. Conly prehistoric conflict✓
4. Donly oral gossip without tech✓

Moral panic is a heightened social reaction to

1. Aroutine minor customs only✓
2. Bstable scientific facts only✓
3. Ca group or behaviour defined as threatening societal values✓
4. Dunchanging norms✓

Deviance amplification occurs when

1. Acrime disappears from news✓
2. Bmedia and moral panics intensify perceived threat of a group✓
3. Clabels have no effect✓
4. Dpublic ignores all stories✓

Techniques of neutralization (Sykes and Matza) allow offenders to

1. Areject all society permanently✓
2. Bnever feel guilt✓
3. Cjustify deviance while accepting conventional norms✓
4. Donly conform always✓

Subculture of violence thesis argues some groups

1. Ahave cultural norms tolerating aggression✓
2. Breject all violence universally✓
3. Cnever learn norms✓
4. Donly obey police✓

Social disorganization theory links crime to

1. Aperfect cohesion in all slums✓
2. Bonly individual evil✓
3. Cweak community ties and instability in urban areas✓
4. Donly rural harmony always✓

Broken windows theory suggests

1. Aorder has no effect on crime✓
2. Bonly genetics matter✓
3. Cvisible disorder encourages more serious crime✓
4. Dlabeling is irrelevant✓

Restorative justice seeks to

1. Arepair harm through dialogue between offender, victim and community✓
2. Bonly maximize prison building✓
3. Cignore victims entirely✓
4. Dpunish without accountability✓

Feminist criminology highlights

1. Acrime is identical for all genders always✓
2. Bonly male victims exist✓
3. Claw is always gender-neutral in practice✓
4. Dgendered patterns of crime and justice treatment✓

Victimless crime debate concerns acts like

1. Adrug use or prostitution where participants allegedly consent✓
2. Bmurder with clear victims always✓
3. Carmed robbery of banks only✓
4. Dassault with injury✓

Corporate crime is committed by

1. Aorganizations or employees on behalf of firms✓
2. Bonly solitary juveniles✓
3. Conly athletes✓
4. Donly artists✓

White-collar crime involves

1. Aonly street mugging✓
2. Bonly juvenile truancy✓
3. Conly tribal feuds✓
4. Dillegal acts committed in the course of respectable occupational roles✓

Diversion programs in juvenile justice aim to

1. Amandate adult prison always✓
2. Bkeep youth out of formal court through counseling or community service✓
3. Cignore offenders✓
4. Dabolish all supervision✓

Status offense is an act illegal only for juveniles such as

1. Amurder defined for all ages✓
2. Btheft by adults only✓
3. Ctax evasion by corporations✓
4. Dtruancy or running away from home✓

Juvenile justice systems emphasize ideally

1. Aidentical adult prisons always✓
2. Brehabilitation and reintegration over pure punishment✓
3. Cno due process ever✓
4. Dautomatic life sentences✓