Violent Crime

Criminology Unit 2, week 6

Causes of violent crime: why does it happen?

personal traits (biological and psychological), family issues, firearm availability, exposure to violence, substance abuse, cultural values, national values/structural problems

cycle of violence

the phenomenon in which absued children grow up to be abusers themselves

as fire arm prevelance increases

so do homices, rape, robbery and assult

subcultures of violence

a segment of society in which violence has become legitimized by customs and norms of the group

robbery

stealing from a person

burglary

entering a home or structure by force, threat, or decption to commit crime

characteristics of robberies

1.targets that are vulnerable,
accessible, and profitable.
2.Gain compliance from victims.
3.More robberies during cold weather
months.
4.May prey on other criminals (i.e. drug
dealers)
5.Acquaintance Robbery

aquataince robbery

robbery in which the victim or victims are people the robber knows

aggreavated assault

An unlawful attack by one person upon another wherein the
offender uses a weapon or displays it in a threatening manner, or the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury

simple assault

An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither
the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe or aggravated bodily injury

stranger assault

an unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where the assailant is unknown to the victim.

Traditionally Rape has been Studied as 4 Distinct
Phenomena

1. rape as a legacy of evolutionary history

2. rape as a political weapon

3. rape as a concequence of culture

4. rape as a criminal act

Current NIBRS Definitions of rape

Forcible vs. Nonforcible. Accounts for different types of
assault that are not limited to vaginal penetration. Refers to people rather than
“women” or “females”. Does not include “Prostitution” as a
form of sexual assault.

marital exepmtion

formally accepted tradition that a legally married husband could not rape his wife. law didnt fully pass against marital rape until 1993.

rape cultural Issues

In some countries or among some ethnic/religious traditions there is a rape taboo. Rape as social control. Countries with more equality between men and women have fewer rape rates

Barriers to reporting rape

Does the society provide resources for victims of rape? Advocacy group, shelters, police protection/specialized training, and cultural attitudes. How seriously is rape taken as a crime?

Intimate Partner Violence

actual or
threatened violence (physical or sexual) or
psychological and emotional abuse directed
toward an individual with whom the perpetrator
has an intimate relationship

IPV types

physical violence and sexual violence