(Discussion – Theories for Criminal Behavoir) Wednesday September 20, 2017 (Discussion – Theories for Criminal Behavoir)

Why was David so sure the man had been a thief? The Daily CSI Wednesday, 9/20/17 Stranger Danger David was sitting in his hotel room reading a book, when he heard a knock at the door, and the sound of someone trying the door handle. He opened the door, where he saw a man whom he had never seen before. The man said, "I'm terribly sorry ... I thought this was my room. Wrong floor, I guess." He then walked off down the hall toward the elevator. David went back into his room, thought about what had just happened, and then phoned the front desk, suggesting they call the police, since the man at the door had obviously been a thief. Why was David so sure the man had been a thief? The man had knocked first. He wouldn't have done that if he'd thought it was his room.

Announcements Remediation for Quiz 2 runs through this Friday at 5:00. We will take Quiz 3 this Friday!

F7 F8 S2 F9 F10 QUIZ 2 Friday 9/12 9/14 9/15 9/18 9/19 Overdue Assignment Currently Open Summative or Formative # Date Issued Gone Missing Day Last Day Accepted DE – Forensic Entomology F7 9/12 Overdue DE – Forensic Pathology F8 9/14 QUIZ 2 S2 9/15 Friday Activity – Forensic Files – The Stake Out F9 9/18 Tomorrow Next Tuesday Casework – The Case of the Fallen Scientist F10 9/19 Next Wednesday

What is Forensic Psychology? Forensic psychology is the study of the behavior and mental processes of those who engage in criminal behavior.

A story…. Here’s a chance to test your “novice” psychological profiling skills: Given the crime, you determine whodunnit. Think in terms of demographics (age, sex, race), personality, and IQ. On December 24th 1990, the perpetrator drugs Tammy Homolka, age 15, with Halcion and Halothane, then rapes her. The perpetrator, with a willing partner, photographs and videotapes the sex acts with the victim. Tammy vomits as a reaction to the drugs and suffocates. In mid June, 1991, Leslie Mahaffy (also age 15) disappears after phoning a friend from a 7-11. She is raped and tortured over two days, the proceedings videotaped. Her body is discovered on June 29th. In November, 1991 Terry Anderson (age 14) vanishes. In April, 1992, Kristen French (age 16) is abducted, raped and tortured over Easter weekend. She is strangled, her nude body shorn of all hair and left in a ditch.

Which one is the serial killer?

Which one is the serial killer? Karla Homolka With the aid of her husband, she rapes and kills first her sister, then three other girls. She attempts to blame her sexual predation on “battered wife syndrome.” Most people believe that almost all violent offenders are male, when in fact women make up a sizable percentage (based on type of crime - 15% overall, about 50% of inmates.) However, it is subsequently revealed that she is an equal partner in the murders.

Why Does Someone Become a Criminal? Crime results from a multivariate combination of risk factors in an individual whose temperament or personality already predisposes him/her to criminal behavior. There is no one single cause of crime (even within any one individual.) An individual contributes to, and thus is ultimately responsible for, his/her own behavior.

Why Does Someone Become a Criminal? Two theories have been proposed to answer the question of why someone becomes a criminal: The Social Learning Theory The Diathesis – Stress Theory

Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) Learning theories attempt to explain how people think and what factors determine their behavior. Social Learning Theory (SLT) is a category of learning theories which is grounded in the belief that human behavior is determined by a three-way relationship between cognitive factors, environmental influences, and behavior.

Social Learning Theory (Bandura, 1977) Modeling Exposure to child abuse may result in conduct disorder, however this does not always occur. We choose whom to model; we are not determined or “forced” to model. TV/Movie violence (news of Columbine, Sandy Hook, VTech; violent movies) Vicarious reinforcement Growing up in a bad neighborhood

Diathesis - Stress This is a more quasi-medical approach to criminal psychology than is social learning theory. It assumes criminal behavior results from a “disorder” which is internal to the individual. Thus, crime (or any disorder) results from an interaction of a predisposition for that disorder with life stress in the absence of coping skills.

Classification of Disorders Diathesis - Stress Classification of Disorders Not one, but two types of disorders may produce criminal behavior. Clinical/Mental Disorders (depression, schizophrenia, etc.) Disorders including mental retardation and (more importantly) personality disorders. These are not mental illnesses, nor are they generally curable or treatable. Personality disorders imply that the person’s thought patterns, interpretations of the world, and behavior are “deviant” and this is how they “naturally” are.

Personality Disorders and Crime Antisocial Personality Disorder (Psychopathy, Sociopathy) No empathy/guilt/remorse Violate rights/well-being of others Usually highly charming, above average intelligence Thrill seeking behavior 4% of males 1% of females in US However, not all psychopaths are criminals, not all criminals are psychopaths

Borderline Personality Disorder Far more common in females (3-1 ratio) Impulsive and self destructive (substance abuse, self-mutilation) Manipulative (e.g. parasuicides) Excessive use of rationalization, blame others intense mood swings (usually socially directed) intense fear of rejection poor anger control poor identity formation empirically linked with violent crime in females (e.g. Butler, 1965) Sometimes mistaken for Bipolar, due to mood swings, but this is not a mental illness (Bipolar mood swings take place over days or weeks, not hours or minutes, and are less superficial)

Why So Much Crime in the United States? The US has the highest percent of incarcerated citizens of all industrial nations, and we are fighting the war on drugs. Why are we so violent then? TV/movie violence? But, we may not really be all that violent. We just have more opportunity for violence. “Guns don’t kill people.” But, they DO make it easier for people to kill people. The majority of gun homicides are committed with legally owned handguns.

Murder Rates in the U.S.

Murder Rates in the U.S.

Video Games and Crime 50 100 150 200 250 300 1996 2000 2005 10 20 30 40 60 Video Games (Units Sold in Millions) Youth Violence (Serious Violent Crimes)

SLC Debrief Based upon what you have heard, how would you describe the trend of crime in the U.S. at the present time?