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Why do people commit Crimes? Theories of Criminology Criminology The scientific study of the causes and prevention of crime and the rehabilitation and punishment of offenders Crimionology Is the interdisciplinary study of the causes of crime and of criminal motivation. It combines the academic disciplines of sociology, psychology, biology, economics, and political science. What gives rise to criminality? Criminologist explore the mind of the offender and the social and economic conditions which give rise to criminality. Why do people commit crimes? Why are they deviant? Possible explanations for “why people commit crimes?” Violence in the media? Gangsta rap Biological? It is in the genes Psychological? Environmental? Learned behavior? Poverty? Drug abuse? Physical abuse? Crime vs Deviant behavior A crime is an act committed in violation of a criminal statute with no legal justification or defense. Deviant behavior is not always a crime. Deviance A violation of social norms defining appropriate or proper behavior under a particular set of circumstances. Deviance often includes criminal acts. Characteristics of Offenders Age-most crimes are committed by people under age 25. Race and Ethnicity -most arrestees are white Gender- In 2003 men accounted for 76.8% of all arrests. Characteristics of Victims Age Race and Ethnicity Gender The relationships between the offender and the victim. About 1/3 of all victims knew their assailant. Positive Theory (Positivism) Criminals are born not made This is an example of nature, not nurture Focused on biological and psychological factors to explain criminal behaviour Positivist Theorists Cesare Lombarso (1835 – 1909) Italian physician and psychiatrist What did he think/do? Studied cadavers of executed criminals in an effort to determine scientifically whether criminals were physically any different from non-criminals He believed that people were born criminals and facial features of criminals included things like enormous jaws and strong canine teeth. Pictures of murderers that Lambarso believed carried facial features tied to criminal activity. Murderer Sean Penn See any similarities!? Does this mean Sean Penn is a Criminal? William Sheldon believed that people could be classified into three body shapes, which correspond with three different personality types. 1.endomorphic (fat and soft) tend to be sociable and relaxed. Loves to eat 2.ectomorphic (thin and fragile) are introverted and restrained 3.mesomorphic (muscular and hard) tend to be aggressive and adventurous, competitive Sheldon, using a correlational study, found that many convicts were mesomorphic, and they were least likely to be ectomorphic (Sheldon et al 1949). Sheldon Genetic - XYY Normal Male Genetic - XYY XYY Male Genetic - XYY Jacobs et al (1965) suggested that men with the XYY syndrome were more aggressive than normal 'XY' men. XYY men are overrepresented in the prison population. There are 15 sufferers per 1,000 in prisons and 1 per 1000 in the general population. XYY Male Positivist Theorists cont… In the 1960s, positivist criminologists argued that criminal behaviour lies in abnormal chromosomes The XYY theory argued that violent male criminals have an abnormal XYY chromosome (XY is the normal pattern in males) However, researchers soon found out that this was not true and that criminals had normal chromosomes and that non-criminals also had abnormal chromosomes. The Positivist theory of criminals being born rather than made died out. There were moral implications with this. Neurophysiological PET Scanner ADHD ADHD Another suggestion is that certain individuals, as a result of genetic predisposition or brain damage at birth, suffer from a cluster of symptoms which render them incapable of moral control and because of cortical under arousal, they are constantly seeking stimulation. Neurochemical The brain’s chemistry can be influenced by diet, for example, food additives, pollution or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar levels associated with forms of diabetes). Dawn Stanton attacked her husband with a knife when hypoglycaemic. But not all diabetics without insulin act criminally. Neurochemical Individuals who take large amounts of steroids can become extremely violent (known as "roid rage"). Steroids, usually taken to increase muscle growth, also increase testosterone levels. Horace Williams, a body builder, beat a man to death after taking two thousand times the recommended dosage of steroids. Family Studies Twin studies An 'MZ apart' study is when two monozygotic children have been brought up apart. If both turn out to be criminals then this would be support for the genetic explanation. The degree of similarity between two twins is known as the concordance rate. This rate can then be compared with dizygotic twins who are brought up together ('DZ together'). Monozygotic twins Evaluation • MZ twins look alike and may therefore generate more similar social responses than DZ twins. This means that in addition to sharing the same genes, they may also share an almost identical social environment. • MZ twins often have a very close: relationship and may therefore develop similar interests, which might include criminal behaviour. adoption studies A retrospective study by Mednick et al (1987) looked at court convictions in a small European country and found 14,000 adoptees amongst them. The criminal records of their biological and adoptive parents were then investigated. Many of the adoptees had criminal biological parents (particularly strong relationship for sons and fathers). There was no relationship in the types of crime committed. Where there was an improvement in social conditions there was a reduction in crime (going against the genetic explanation). Modern Day Example Philippe Rushton University of Western Ontario psychology professor Rushton's book Race, Evolution, and Behavior (1995)tries to show that East Asians and their descendants average a larger brain size, greater intelligence, more sexual restraint, slower rates of maturation, and greater law abidingness and social organization than do Europeans and their descendants, who average higher scores on these dimensions than Africans and their descendants. Sociological Perspectives: Theory of Anomie Sociological Theorist: Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) Durkheim believed people are community oriented unless they have no social ties – no ties, no link to society – this makes them more likely to be deviant Anomie= absence of social ties that bind people to society, state of where norms about good and bad have little salience in people’s lives. Outcome of advanced Capitalism and ideology of individualism (latter 20th century U.S.) Sociological Perspectives: Theory of Anomie cont. People who live in cities feel more anonymous and isolated (as compared to rural life). No longer restrained by the strict norms of society (in rural life) and given the anonymity in a big city certain individuals turned to crime. Durkheim is also a father of functionalism (i.e., everyone has a role/function in society and that is how society runs/functions. Durkheim believes that criminals have a role and are needed for society to function If there were no crime, it would mean that everyone in society was the same and agreed on everything. This is no ideal and society would be too comforting – people need a release. Anomie cont… Example Kitty Genovese Young woman stabbed to death on a street in New York City -1964 As many as 37 neighbours and bystanders all heard her screams for help. No one called the police because they all thought someone else would take action. Sociologists call this Diffusion of Responsibility https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbpcIbB6ZA8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-la143oMx2s Sociology cont… Ecological School Believed that criminal behaviour was fostered and encouraged in certain environments. They studied a number of poor neighbourhoods and concluded that communities that suffered from high rates of poverty and social disintegration were more likely to condone criminal activity than more affluent neighbourhoods. Sociology cont… Social Conflict Theory Karl Marx and Frederick Engels argued that the capitalist society encouraged crime as people competed for resources and wealth. Our society protects those with power and property. As a result, people who are economically disadvantaged are more likely to be punished by our justice system. The only way to solve the crime problem is to eliminate the capitalist system. Strain Theory (Sociology) Current societies stress the goals of acquiring wealth, success, and power. However, the means to achieve these goals require education and economic resources. These means are frequently denied or unavailable to those who are economically disadvantaged or have little opportunity for formal education. Example: The Wire, Season 4, Episode 8 Young African American youth yearning for the chance to work on the streets to sell drugs because they know this is the only way they can make money. Learning Theory – Pavlov’s Dog – Classical Conditioning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXynjpFa KU Learning Theory – Operant Conditioning https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mt4N9GSBo MI Learning Theories: Social Psychological Perspective Social psychology is the study of the relations between individuals and people. They are interested in how ‘regular’ people can commit atrocious crimes. Stanley Milgram was specifically interested in how Nazi’s were able to commit horrible acts of genocide – he focused on how people could do this just by following orders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-fQnltrg6w Torturing and killing innocent civilians …In relation to torturing article… Displacement of responsibility and dehumanizing the victim are two categories of moral disengagement Bandura (1999) states, “People behave in ways they would normally oppose if a legitimate authority accepts responsibility for the consequences of that behavior. Under these conditions, people view their actions as the dictates of authorities rather than their own actions.” According to reports in the article, the torture and abuse of the civilians was approved and facilitated by the White House According to Bandura, (1999) person can justify torture by loosing empathy for the victim while convincing himself that the victim lacks human qualities. Furthermore, once the victim is dehumanized, he is no longer viewed as a person with feelings, concerns or hopes but as a subhuman object that is easily tortured (Bandura, 1999). Bandura's Social learning theory Bandura (1977) suggests that there are three aspects to motivation: 1. External reinforcement (as in operant theory) 2. Vicarious reinforcement – the observation of other people being rewarded or punished for their behaviour 3. Self-reinforcement – gaining internal satisfaction from an activity, which therefore motivates the individual to behave in a similar way in the future. Bandura 1976 Observational learning is thought to take place primarily in three contexts: 1. In the family 2. in the prevalent sub culture 3. Through cultural symbols such as television and books. Psychodynamic Psychoanalytical Theory Sigmund Freud believed that all humans have criminal tendencies. It is through socialization that these tendencies are controlled during childhood. If a child has an identity problem with his/her parent, this problem may cause the child to direct its antisocial tendencies outward and thus become a criminal. Psychological Human Development also comes into play here FREUDIAN APPROACH Id, Ego, Superego ID - The id is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of personality is entirely unconscious and includes of the instinctive and primitive behaviors. According to Freud, the id is the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality. The EGO is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. According to Freud, the ego develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner acceptable in the real world. The superego provides guidelines for making judgments. According to Freud, the superego begins to emerge at around age five – your concience ID EGO SUPEREGO IN ACTION https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCXynjpFa KU Freud Freud believed that children are born with a libido – a sexual (pleasure) urge. There are a number of stages of childhood, during which the child seeks pleasure from a different ‘object’. More Freud! To be psychologically healthy, we must successfully complete each stage. Mental abnormality can occur if a stage is not completed successfully – the person becomes ‘fixated’ in a particular stage. This particular theory shows how adult personality is determined by their childhood experiences. Traumatic Experiences Traumatic experiences in early childhood leave their mark on the individual despite the fact that the individual was not aware of these experiences. Freud and Effect of Family Alexander and Healy (1935) suggested that children need to progress from the pleasure principal (being id dominated and therefore needing instant gratification) to the reality principle (where the ego is dominant). Criminals are those children who do not make this transition. According to Freud the child needs a stable home environment in order to successfully make this transition. Research has supported the fact that most criminals come from unstable homes. FREUDIAN APPROACH John Bowlby (1946) studied 44 juvenile delinquents and compared them with non-criminal disturbed juveniles. 39% of the delinquents had experienced complete separation from their mothers for six-months or more during the first five years of their lives compared with 5% of the control group. However (Fred and Rosemary) However, the effects of emotional or sexual abuse can well be believed when we find that 'serial killers' such as Frederick and Rosemary West suffered terribly as children (Wansell 1996). Child abuse Out of 36 sex murderers interviewed in the USA 42% were found to have been sexually abused as youngsters (Ressler et al 1988). Dietz and Warren (1995) found that 76% of the 41 serial rapists that they interviewed were abused when young. But only about 10% of abused children go on to commit crimes. John Wayne Gacy Jr. – How did he grow up to be a murderer? Theorists consider moral behaviour to be self-regulated through mechanisms of self-evaluation where one can approve or disapprove irresponsible or inhumane behaviour It clear that Gacy showed a lack of moral behaviour and hence, in the act was not able to disapprove his behaviour adequately to avoid it completely. Bandura (1977), states that most violent acts and inhumanities are perpetrated by people who, in other areas of their life are quite considerate in their behaviour. This describes Gacy’s behaviour perfectly as he was very friendly, well liked by the neighbours and was largely involved in the community; no one would assume he was capable of such casualties. Moreover, Gacy illustrated moral disengagement by justifying his murderous acts Cont… According to Sigelman and Rider (2009), children who are raised in abusive environments can grow up to become abusers and to learn that violence is an integral part of human relationships. Hence, it can be argued that Gacy’s immoral, violent and murderous adulthood is rooted in the violence from his childhood. Furthermore, abusers are often insecure individuals with low self-esteem Furthermore, abusers are often insecure individuals with low selfesteem. Abusers can form negative internal working models of themselves and others, which are most likely rooted in unhappy experiences in insecure relationships with parents and negative experiences in romantic relationships although his father hurt him physically and emotionally, Gacy desperately sought his father’s approval but was never able to achieve it. This insecurity led him to failed marriages and more interestingly, to his attraction to hiding himself under clown costumes and make-up in order for the children in the community to like him. John Wayne Gacy Jr. A&E Biography Part 1 A&E Biography Part 2 A&E Biography Part 3 A&E Biography Part 4 A&E Biography Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0HxfsltsQI What is serial murder? Ed Mitchell, in his thesis, University of Cambridge, UK. The aetiology of serial murder: towards an integrated model. Said: "Definitions of serial murder / homicide differ between authors, but most agree that to qualify as a serial killer / murderer an offender must kill at least two victims in temporally unrelated incidents This temporal criterion is usually satisfied by a "cooling off" or "refractory" period between killings, ranging from hours to years. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial murder as the killing of several victims in three or more separate incidents over weeks or an extended period. Others argue for a higher number of victims (Dietz [1986] requires a minimum of 5 victims), but such a distinction is rarely useful and merely serves to further a "body-count" mentality. Indeed, the only difference between an offender who kills 1 victim (but who might have killed 100 if he had been able) and another who kills 30 may be the latter's good fortune in evading detection. Therefore, distinguishing motive from opportunity may be difficult. " What does this crime scene tell you about the offender responsible? Two important ideas Behavioural evidence Things that tells us how an offender went about committing a crime Criminal consistency The idea that a person’s behaviour at a crime scene is consistent with their behaviour in other contexts Typological offender profiling • Developed by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the 1970s and 1980s. • Key ideas: – There are different types of offender – Behavioural evidence can tell us which type of offender committed a crime – Knowing an offender’s type allows us to predict other things about him • Generally used in cases of serial violence against strangers esp. sexual or ‘bizarre’ FBI profiling process Data assimilation Data compiled from police reports, post mortems, crime scene photos etc. Crime classification Profilers decide whether the crime scene is organised or disorganised Profile generation Offender’s physical, demographic and behavioural characteristics Crime reconstruction Hypotheses about crime sequence, offender & victim behaviour etc. Organisedscene Types of crime Disorganised General approach Planned and controlled Unplanned and chaotic Weapons Brought to the scene Improvised Evidence Destroyed or removed Left at scene Victim Attempts to control Little attempt at control Offender Unknown to victim Socially & sexually competent Normal/high intelligence Angry/depressed Possibly known to victim Socially & sexually inept Low intelligence Anxious/psychotic Profile these crime scenes Use the evidence to construct a profile Organised or disorganised Behavioural evidence Known characteristics of serial offenders Your profile should… Tell the story of the crime Describe the person responsible