PSY 350 2
Criminal
Psychology
Lecture 2:
Introduction II Different Types of Crime
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Inclusion of Violent Crime in HK Inclusion of Violent Crime in HK
Homicide Wounding
The willful killing of one human by another Assaults and attempted assaults which do not result
in serious or aggravated injury to victim
Robberies
The taking or attempting to take anything of value Serious Assault
from the care, custody, or control of a person(s) by An unlawful attack by one person or another for the
force or threat of force or violence and/or by purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily
putting the victim in fear injury; attempts to inflict injury are also included
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Inclusion of Violent Crime in HK Inclusion of Violent Crime in HK
Criminal Intimidation Arson
Threats of injury to the person (or to a third Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn,
person), property, or reputation of the person (or with or without intend to defraud, a swelling house,
to a third person) public building, motor vehicle, or aircraft, or
Threats of any illegal act personal property of another
Blackmail Rape
Making any unwarranted demand with Unlawful sexual intercourse with a woman who at
menaces ( ) the time of the intercourse does not consent to it
Indecent Assault
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Some Other Crimes in HK Some Other Crimes in HK
Burglary Deception
The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony Criminal Damage
or theft Triad-related Crimes
Domestic Violence
Theft
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding
away with of property from the possession or
constructive possession of another
Includes crime such as snatching ( ), pick
pocketing, shop theft, theft from vehicle, vehicle
theft, miscellaneous theft
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I. Routine Activities Theory
Motivation to commit crime and supply of
offenders are constant
Conditions that produce victim risk is based on
Other Criminology Theories interaction of 3 factors:
1. Availability of suitable targets
2. Absence of capable guardians
3. Presence of motivated offenders
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II. Rational Choice Theory II. Rational Choice Theory
Criminals are rational Criminals evaluates:
Risk of apprehension
Committing crimes is a careful decision Seriousness of expected punishment
Decide to transgress after considering both Potential value of criminal enterprise
personal factor and situational factors Immediate need for criminal gain
A decision based on weighting of available
information
Crime displacement may occur
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II. Rational Choice Theory III. Social Control Theory
Crime = event Focus on socialization of a person
Criminality = personality trait
Each of us can become a criminal, but yet we
Crime is structured by 3 factors: are controlled by our bonds to society
Choosing the place of crime If such bonds weakens à commit crime
Choosing targets
Learning criminal techniques
4 elements of social bonds
Criminality is structured by 3 factors: 1. attachment
Perception of conventional alternatives / opportunities? 2. commitment
Learning & experience? 3. involvement
Personality & lifestyle? 4. belief
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PSY 350 20
Criminal
Psychology
Lecture 2: Risk Factors:
Risk Factors I Developmental Aspect
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3 Main Categories:
A. Social Risk Factors
B. Parental & Family Risk Factors
C. Psychological Risk Factors
A. Social Risk Factors
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A. Social Risk Factors A. Social Risk Factors
1. Poverty 2. Peer Experience
A situation in which the basic resources to maintain an Affects social and emotional development
average standard of living within a specific geographic Early peer rejection à strong predictor of antisocial
region are lacking behaviors in later years
Robust predictor of adolescent violence Why being rejected?
Poverty & nonviolent offending? Peer rejection & aggression
Influence of poverty on family Gender differences?
Poverty co-factors Antisocial peers
E.g. Discrimination, inadequate education, social Deviant youth seek deviant friends
isolation, unemployment
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A. Social Risk Factors A. Social Risk Factors
3. Preschool Experiences 4. After-School Care
“Latch-key children”
Quality of child care Children who returned from school to an empty
Language, cognitive development, social and house & remained on their own until their parents or
emotional adjustment guardians finished their own workday
Consistency of child care arrangements 5. School Failure
Retention in early grades
Reading achievement
Exposure to aggressive peers
Predictive of later child aggressive behavior
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B. Parental & Family Risk Factors
1. Single-Parent Households
Process rather than structure of family
At least one caring adult
Conflict free home
B. Parental & Family Risk Factors
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B. Parental & Family Risk Factors 4 Parental Styles by Diana Baumrind
2. Parental Practices & Styles
Responsive Unresponsive
(High) (Low)
Parental Practices
Strategies employed by parents to achieve specific
goals across different contexts and situation Demanding Authoritative Authoritarian
Academic goals, social goals etc.
(High) style style
Parental Styles Undemanding Permissive Neglectful
Parental attitudes toward the child & emotional (Low) style style
climate of the parent-child relationship
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4 Parental Styles by Diana Baumrind Other Parental Styles
By James Snyder & Gerald Patterson
Authoritarian style Permissive style
Shape, control, evaluate Tolerant, non-punitive, Enmeshed style
behavior of children with pre- accepting attitudes toward See an unusually large number of minor behaviors
established absolute standard children’s behavior as problematic
Use ineffective authoritarian strategies
Authoritative style Neglectful style
Lax style
Direct children’s activities in a Demonstrate detachment &
rational, issue-oriented very little involvement in Not sufficiently attuned to what constitutes
manner children’s life or activities problematic or antisocial behavior in children
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B. Parental & Family Risk Factors B. Parental & Family Risk Factors
3. Parental Monitoring 4. Influence of Siblings
Parents’ awareness of their child’s peer
associates, free-time activities, and physical High initiation tendency
whereabouts when outside the home
Reinforce younger siblings?
Strong predictor of antisocial behavior during
5. Parental Psychopathology
later childhood and adolescence
Depressed parents
Violent behavior, drug abuse
Parental alcoholism
Domestic violence
Neighborhood monitoring
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B. Parental & Family Risk Factors
6. Lack of Attachment
Secure attachment
Insecure attachment
C. Psychological Risk Factors
Anxious/ambivalent attachment
Avoidant attachment
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C. Psychological Risk Factors C. Psychological Risk Factors
1. Lack of Empathy 2. Cognitive & Language Deficiencies
Affective empathy
Emotional response characterized by feelings of Language impairment
concern for another & a desire to alleviate that person’s
distress Problems expressing or understanding language
Cognitive empathy
Ability to understand a person from his/her frame of Increase frustration
reference or point of view rather than simply from one’s
own point of view
Unable to achieve conflict resolution
Cruelty to animals
Socially unacceptable behavior that intentionally cause
unnecessary pain, suffering, or distress to and/or death
of an animal
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C. Psychological Risk Factors C. Psychological Risk Factors
3. Intelligence and Delinquency 4. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Inverse relationship between IQ scores and 3 main characteristics
delinquency Inattention – does not seem to listen, or easily
distracted
Impulsivity – acts before thinking, shifts quickly from
Intelligence Quotient
one activity to another
Standardized score on a test
Excessive motor activity – cannot sit still, fidgets, runs
Influenced by social, educational & cultural
about, is talkative and noisy
experience
More in boys than girls
Intelligence
Broad, all-encompassing abilities Key symptoms continue into adulthood
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C. Psychological Risk Factors C. Psychological Risk Factors
5. Conduct Disorder 6. Oppositional Defiant Disorder
A cluster of behaviors characterized by Persistent pattern
persistent misbehavior Angry outbursts
Disobedience
Repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior argumentativeness
that violates the basic rates of others
Consistent into adulthood