Download - An Integrative Look at Criminal Behavior
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An integrative look at criminal behavior
On All Levels
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Risk Factors
• Origins of criminal behavior are complex• Result from a combination of risk factors– Biological and environmental factors
• Risk factors interact and aggravate one another
• The more risk factors present = higher likelihood of criminal behavior
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Biological Level of Analysis
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Biological Level of Analysis
• Various biological factors can contribute to criminality
• Factors such as:– Genetics– Brain abnormalities– Nuerochemical imbalances
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Genetics
• Christiansen (1977) studied 3586 sets of Danish twins
• Found that there may be some genetic factors in criminal behavior…but concordance rates are very low
• Other factors may play a more important role
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Limitation of Twin Studies
• Monozygotic twins are often treated more similarly than dizygotic twins are
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Hutchins and Mednick Adoption Study
• 32.6% of sons had a criminal record w/ both a a biological and adoptive father with criminal records
• 21.4% if only his biological father had a criminal record
• 11.5% if only adopted father had record• Shows importance of environmental factors in
combination with genetic factors in determining behavior
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Limitations of Adoption Studies
• Children are often placed in an environment that is similar to their original environment
• Some children adopted years after birth– No control of length of time with birth-family
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Limitations of Genetic Arguments for Criminal Behavior
• The term “criminal behavior” itself– Crimes can range from murder to jaywalking to
tax evasion• A gene for “crime” probably doesn’t exist• Genetic theorists have a difficult time
explaining why criminal behavior tends to change over a lifespan– Peak criminal behavior at age 20– Decline after 30
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The Brain
• Looks at interrelationship between emotions and decision making
• Emotions are controlled by the brain’s limbic system
• Decision making takes place in frontal lobe
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Blair et al. (1999)
• Impairment of pathways between the amygdala and frontol lobe in the brain
• Makes it difficult to moderate emotional reactions– Effects how the individual interacts with others
• Never appropriately develops empathy or guilt
• Acts more impulsively
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Frontal Brain Hypothesis
• Theory that a malfunctioning relationship between the frontal cortex and limbic system may cause criminal behavior
• Brain damage may cause behavioral problems– Antisocial behavior
• Hypothesis does not explain all criminal behavior
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Neurotransmitters and Hormones
• Explains the significant gender difference in crime• In 2004:– 90.1% of murderers were male– 82.1% of violent criminals were male
• Low levels of serotonin have been linked to antisocial and impulsive behavior– Men generally have lower levels
• Often higher testosterone levels = more aggressive criminals
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Biological Factors
• These factors alone are not enough to cause violence– With the exception of severe brain damage
• These factors must be combined with cognitive and social factors as well
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Cognitive Level of Analysis
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Yochelson and Samenow (1976)
• Criminal thinking has cognitive distortions (errors in thinking)– Blaming others for their own failures– Super-optimism (extremely unrealistic)– Unable to accept mistakes when proven wrong– Reducing/limiting significance of a behavior– Exaggerating accomplishments and abilities
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Cornish and Clark (1987)
• Rational Choice Theory: Criminal behavior is the outcome of a reasoned decision-making process
• Assumes that criminals seek to benefit from the crimes they commit
• If benefits > costs, they carry out the crime
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Bennett and Wright (1984)
• 3 factors affecting decision to commit crime:– Risk (chance of getting caught)– Financial reward– Ease of entry
• Supports the theory that a clear decision-making process underlies criminal activity
• Limitation: can’t ask successful burglars—only the ones who are caught!
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Sociocultrual Level of Analysis
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Sociocultural Level of Analysis
• Considers how society and culture affects our behavior
• Factors:– Social and cultural expectations– Economic and political realties that exist where
we live
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Poverty
• Messner (1988): instead of focusing on differences in income, we need to look at structural poverty – Single-parent families, low levels of education,
high infant mortality rates, low social mobility
• Income levels alone does indicate crime
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Unemployment
• Correlation between rates of unemployment and rates of crime– Unemployment can damage self-esteem– Feels that life is meaningless– Change in status– Boredom/free time!
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Social factors + Biological factors
• Poverty brings higher stress on the mother of a developing child– Affects the fetus– Can impair brain function
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Labels
• Self-fulfilling prophecy: When we are given a label we often live up to that expectation
• Jahoda (1954): Ashanti people feel day of the week a child is born on predicts temperament
• Wednesdays are supposed to be aggressive and problematic; Mondays are calm and peaceful– High number of arrests for boys born Wednesday– Low number for Monday
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Three Levels Combined
• Biological factors may affect an individual’s thought process
• Thought processes may affect his/her social development
• Socio-economic status could have an effect on the health of an expectant mother, and thus the development of the child