His theory had two basic elements, firstly it pointed out that criminal behaviour is learned by the interaction within intimate personal groups through communication this includes techniques for committing the crimes (Bernard et al., 2010 p.180). Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) contest this statement explaining the average delinquent act may be committed before the interactions with other delinquents as the crime may need no special skills (Smith & Brame 1994). The delinquent behaviour and the pleasure derived from the act may cause the attraction to and joining of a delinquent social group meaning this behaviour is not learned
The psychodynamic theory of offending believes criminality is caused by abnormal development of the psyche. The theory explains criminality happening for 4 different reasons, first being a weak superego as it doesn't punish them for acting on impulses from the id, second being a deviant superego as it has deviant values so doesn't react to certain crimes, third being a strong superego as they commit a crime to be punished to rid the guilt imposed by the superego or they suppress so much anger and frustration that one day they 'explode' releasing it in one go, and forth being maternal deprivation (proposed by Bowlby) as it leads to affectionless psychopathy so they can't form meaningful relationships. A major problem with the psychodynamic theory is that the concepts are difficult to test, and it relies on the unconscious mind which is impossible to prove meaning there is no empirical evidence. The biological approach can also be argued as difficult to test or proved because the CNS, ANS and endocrine system are very complex and interact with each other in a complex way, and because of this they are still not completely understood. The biological research is arguably better than the psychodynamic research because it relies on quantitative and objective data which will be interpreted the same by
The biological approach focuses on a person’s genes, mind and chromosomes, and bases this on the actions and behaviours an individual carries out. Daly and Wilsons study supports this as they believe it is down to a person’s chromosomes and genetic material that get passed on from one generation to the next. This is what explains criminal behaviour. However, to an extent, the biological approach does not provide an explanation of criminal behaviour. This is because biology only counts as one section as to why people turn to crime.
motivation, control, culture/deviance I. The Making of a Juvenile Delinquent a. Bonding issues with parents b. Bonding issues with society c. Conformity to a group i. Either a societal group, a parent or often times a gang 1. a child is looking for acceptance, respect, and a feeling of noteworthiness in whatever capacity possible II.
I believe the theory that would be the most applicable to the case is the developmental theory. The Social Disorganization Theory could relate because as a kid Craig Price might have already been exposed to disruption, violence, and incivility. The environment he grew up in was more than likely a urban community which affected why he became a delinquent so early. Delinquency rates are sensitive to destructive social forces operating in lower-class urban neighborhoods. I believe the Cultural Deviance Theory relate because youth from a lower class environment have their own lifestyle and set up their own rules and values.
Medical experts , disagree over whether the brain tumor found in his autopsy had any effect on his actions (A+E Networks, 2012). The actions taken Whitman should be studied even further, his mental state could reveal whether serial killers do in fact suffer from some form of mental illness. This could also be a new defense for criminals who commit violent acts in the future, by claiming that they committed these crimes due to a mental illness and were not responsible for their own actions. Whitman’s actions may have been
Proposition 2 – Criminal behaviour is learnt through interaction with other people by means of a process of communication. Living conditions does not necessarily mean an individual will commit crime but socialising and interacting with criminal elements may cause criminal behaviour to be acquired. It is the process of communication that is vital in learning criminal behaviour. Example: prisoners exchange information on how to commit the “perfect crime” without being apprehended. Proposition 3 – The learning process takes place mainly within intimate, personal groups Family, friends and peers forms the most important and
Give a short overview of numbers one, two and three of Sutherland’s fundamental principles of differential association. Introduction: Differential association is a theory of criminal and delinquent behaviour developed in the 1930s by American sociologist and professor Edwin Sutherland. He established the idea of the “self” as a social construct, as when a person’s self-image is continuously being reconstructed, especially when interacting with other people. Sutherland argued that crime was a result of environmental influences on people who are biologically and psychologically normal and the theory focuses on how individuals learn to become criminals but not with why they become criminals. Definitions: According to Wikipedia (retrieved March 04, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differential_association), “Differential association” is a theory that proposes that through interaction with others, individuals can learn the values, attitudes, techniques and motives for criminal behaviour.
D. Rehabilitation Many youth receive rehabilitative services to become productive upon release. Rehabilitation is defined as the restoration of someone to a useful place in society. The end result is to not return to crime. Analysis The family situation has been shown to have an impact on whether a juvenile is likely to offend. Peer influence has also been identified as an important factor for juvenile offenders.
What was missing in the article was the biosocial attributes that can shape a killer. Antisocial behavior is connected to the environmental factors of the person’s life. How they were raised, what friends they had, what they did on their spare time can affect their behavior when growing up. If this is all a negative effect, their childhood is what shaped them to be the serial killer. They adapt to what they know from a child and present it as an adult in an aggressive manner.