deviant behavior 6
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© 2003 Wadsworth Publishing Co.
Chapter 6Trait Theory
Criminology 8th edition
Larry J. Siegel
QUESTION
Do you think that people who commit crime are physically or mentally abnormal?
TRAIT THEORIES
Trait theories are made up of biosocial and psychological theories.
The primary focus of trait theories is human behavior and the link to anti-social behavior, i.e., aggression, violence, and criminality.
Biological and Psychological Traits
Both biological and psychological traits have been linked to criminal behavior, but not as causal linkages.
It is the “multiple factor” approach or the interaction of mental and physical traits with environmental and social factors that either suppress or trigger criminal behavior.
The focus is generally on persistent or chronic offenders.
Foundations of Biological Trait Theory
Biological explanation of criminal behavior first became popular during the middle part of the 19th
Century with the introduction of positivism.
What is positivism?
Positivism
Positivism rejects the concept of free will.
Crime can only be understood if it is studied by the scientific method.
Human behavior is a function of internal and external forces, i.e., social, biological, psychological, or economic forces.
Early Positivists Early positivists included:
Lombroso (belief that certain physical characteristics indicate a criminal nature).
Garofalo (certain physical characteristics and psychological
characteristics indicate criminal nature).
Ferri (belief in biological, social and organic factors as a cause of crime and delinquency).
Sheldon (belief in body types which were susceptible to certain types of delinquent behavior).
MethodologyMethodology
TestingTesting
LogicLogic
Problems With Early Positivist Theories
The research The research of the of the
earliest earliest positivists positivists (who were (who were biologists) biologists)
was plagued was plagued by poor:by poor:
Biosocial Trait Theories
Biochemical Conditions and Crime
Neurophysiological Conditions and Crime
Genetics and Crime
Evolutionary Views and Crime
Principles of Biosocial Trait Theories
Genetic makeup contributes significantly to human behavior.
Not all humans are born with equal potential to learn and achieve.
This combination produces individual human behavior patterns.
QUESTION
How does a biosocial theorists
explain learning?
Crime, especially Crime, especially violence, is a functionviolence, is a functionof diet, vitamin intake,of diet, vitamin intake,hormonal imbalance,hormonal imbalance,
or food allergies.or food allergies.
Crime, especially Crime, especially violence, is a functionviolence, is a functionof diet, vitamin intake,of diet, vitamin intake,hormonal imbalance,hormonal imbalance,
or food allergies.or food allergies.
CAUSECAUSECAUSECAUSE
Explains irrationalExplains irrationalviolence. Shows how violence. Shows how
the environment the environment interacts with personal interacts with personal
traits to influencetraits to influencebehavior.behavior.
Explains irrationalExplains irrationalviolence. Shows how violence. Shows how
the environment the environment interacts with personal interacts with personal
traits to influencetraits to influencebehavior.behavior.
STRENGTHSSTRENGTHSSTRENGTHSSTRENGTHS
Biosocial Theory:Biochemical Perspective
QUESTION
Is there a link between sugar and antisocial behavior? Is there a link between hormones
and antisocial behavior?
Biochemical ConsiderationsBiochemical Considerations
Aggression and criminal behavior have been linked to diet. Some believe sugar intake is one culprit. If this is true, to what extent is behavior voluntarily induced by these foods?
Aggression and criminal behavior have been linked to diet. Some believe sugar intake is one culprit. If this is true, to what extent is behavior voluntarily induced by these foods?
Criminals and delinquents often sufferbrain impairment, as measured by the EEG.
Attention deficit disorder and minimum brain dysfunction arerelated to antisocial
behavior.
Criminals and delinquents often sufferbrain impairment, as measured by the EEG.
Attention deficit disorder and minimum brain dysfunction arerelated to antisocial
behavior.
CAUSECAUSE
Explains irrationalviolence. Shows how
the environmentinteracts with
personal traits toinfluence behavior.
Explains irrationalviolence. Shows how
the environmentinteracts with
personal traits toinfluence behavior.
STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS
Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Neurological PerspectiveNeurological Perspective
Neurological ImpairmentNeurological Impairment
If the medical community tells us that neurological impairment was related to violent crime can the offender be held accountable?
If the medical community tells us that neurological impairment was related to violent crime can the offender be held accountable?
If research in the community finds similar impairments in non-offenders, does this change the issue of culpability among offenders who have the impairment?
If research in the community finds similar impairments in non-offenders, does this change the issue of culpability among offenders who have the impairment?
Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Genetic PerspectiveGenetic Perspective
Criminal traits andCriminal traits andpredispositions arepredispositions are
inherited. The inherited. The criminality of parentscriminality of parents
can predict thecan predict thedelinquency ofdelinquency of
children.children.
CAUSECAUSE
Explains why only aExplains why only asmall percentage of small percentage of
youth in a high-crimeyouth in a high-crimearea become chronicarea become chronic
offendersoffenders..
STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS
Biosocial Theory:Biosocial Theory:Evolutionary PerspectiveEvolutionary Perspective
As the human raceAs the human raceevolved, traits and evolved, traits and characteristics havecharacteristics havebecome ingrained. become ingrained. Some of these makeSome of these make
people aggressive andpeople aggressive andpredisposed to predisposed to commit crime.commit crime.
CAUSECAUSE
Explains highExplains highviolence rates and violence rates and aggregate gender aggregate gender differences in thedifferences in the
crime rate.crime rate.
STRENGTHSSTRENGTHS
QUESTION
It there is a biological basis to violence and aggression – then how would a biosocial
theorist explain white collar crime?
Evaluation of Biosocial Trait Theory
Criticisms If there are biological
explanations for street crimes then by implication biological theory says that member of groups are biologically different, flawed or inferior
Response Rather than suggest that
there are born criminals and non-criminals, proponents maintain that some people carry the potential to be violent or antisocial and that environmental conditions can sometimes trigger antisocial responses
PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAIT THEORIES
Psychodynamic
Behavioral
Cognitive
Social Learning
Mental Illness and crime
Personality and Crime
Intelligence and Crime
Psychological Theory:Psychodynamic Perspective
Psychological Theory:Psychodynamic Perspective
Major Premise…..
The development of the unconscious personality early in childhood influence behavior for the rest of a person’s life. Criminals have weak egos and damaged personalities i.e., anger, sexuality, tendencies. Created by Sigmund Freud.
Strengths….
Explains the onset of crime and why crime and drug abuse cut across class lines.
Psychological Theory:Behavioral PerspectivePsychological Theory:Behavioral Perspective
Major Premise…..People commit crime when
they model their behavior after others they see being rewarded for the same acts. Behavior is reinforced by rewards and extinguished by punishment, i.e., learning processes.
Strengths….Explains the role of
significant others in the crime process. Shows how family life and media can influence crime and violence.
Behavior andvalues become
consistent
Behavior andvalues become
consistent
Social Learning Theory(Life Experiences)
Social Learning Theory(Life Experiences)
Factors thatFactors thathelp producehelp produceviolence andviolence andaggressionaggression..
Factors thatFactors thathelp producehelp produceviolence andviolence andaggressionaggression..
Expectedoutcomes
-rewards
Expectedoutcomes
-rewards
Learnedaggressive
skills
Learnedaggressive
skills
An eventthat
heightensarousal
An eventthat
heightensarousal
Major Premise…..Individual reasoning
processes influence behavior. Reasoning is influenced by the way people perceive their environment and by their moral and intellectual development, i.e., thinking, memory, ethical values.
Strengths….Shows why criminal
behavior patterns change over time as people mature and develop their moral reasoning. May explain aging-out process.
Psychological Theory:Cognitive Theory
Crime and Mental Illness
A great deal of early research efforts found that many offenders who engage in serious, violent crimes suffer
from some sort of mental disturbance. However, empirical evidence has contradicted this.
Research shows that upon release, prisoners who had prior histories of hospitalization for mental disorders were less likely to be rearrested than those who had
never been hospitalized.
Mentally disordered inmates who do recidivate upon release appear to do so for the same reasons as the
mentally sound.
Personality and Crime - Trait
Personality can be defined as the reasonably stable patterns of behavior, including thoughts and emotions that distinguish one person from another. Personality
reflects a characteristic way of adapting to life’s demands and problems.
Psychopaths Sociopaths
Anti-Social PersonalitiesI
Abnormal Affect
Intelligence and Crime
What is the difference between nature theory and nurture theory?
Do you think IQ and crime are linked?
If so, why are there more male than female criminals? Or, Why does “aging out” occur?