Chapter 7 - Crime and Psychopathy

Phrenology

How one’s character can be determined by the shape of their skull

Biological Criminology

the study of biological causes of crime

• Two approaches:

  • Positivism

  • Biological Determinism

Positivism

use of scientific methods such as criminal profiling; idea that only observable things should be studied empirically

Biological Determinism

human behavior is caused by innate biological factors such as genes, brain abnormalities, and neurotoxins

-Determinism may explain individual-level violence

-Fails to account for environmental, cultural, and political factors of violence

The “Born Criminal”

coined by Lombroso; defined as a group of offenders that can be distinguished by physiological characteristics such as facial features, as well as deviant behavior

Atavist

An individual who is a throwback to earlier stages of evolution, or behind in evolution

-Have distinct facial and body features

-Used archaic and old language

-High pain tolerance, have no remorse

Positivst School of Criminology (Lombroso)

Shifted attention from crime as a rational choice to crime as biologically determined

-Failed to confirm whether or not criminals had a different biological makeup compared to others, or that atavists were an actual thing

How did Lombroso misapply Darwinian Evolution?

-Species evolve in Darwinism, but as a SPECIES, individuals are not regressive

Lombroso showed in court to testify against defendants based on their physiological features

(fascists also used Lombroso’s ideas to create social degradation)

Good things Lombroso Did

-Laid foundations for modern physiological research through criminal profiling, as he took precise measurements

-Argued punishments should fit the needs of the offender to deter future crime

-Argued criminals shouldn’t be held responsible for their behavior because it was innate; a point made later about mental illness

Inheritence Theory (Dugdale and Goddard)

The theory that crime runs in families and descendants

-Studied Juke and Kallikaks Family

Juke Family Study

1,000 Juke descendants were found as murderers, thieves, beggars and prostitues, all deviant labels of that era

Kallikaks Family Study

Had two lineages; one good one bad

• One side became doctors, lawyers, and landholders

• The other had a large sum of criminals and other deviants

Back then, those “bad” or criminal were considered feeble-minded

Feeble-mindedness (Goddard)

Problematic 19th century label that applies to criminals, prisoners, and those in asylums

• Referred to low-intelligence and low-social functioning individuals

• Associated with crime, deviancy and social disorder

Also applied to the socially marginalized such as the poor, racialized, or homeless

Goddard said that feeble-mindedness can be eliminated through negative Eugenics

Negative Eugenics

attempt to improve characteristics of society by preventing unwanted groups from procreating

-done through sterilization or prohibiting marriages

Positive Eugenics

Encouraging reproduction of desirable traits to improve the population

-Done through selective breeding

Sterilization Laws in the 20th Century

Passed with the help of Goddard

-The feeble minded such as criminals, prostitutes, etc were sterilized

-Immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe were restricted, believed to be “feeble-minded”

Globalization of Sterilization

B.C. and Alberta carried out 3,000 sterilizations that targeted women, Indigenous, and the poor

Nazi germany used Eugenics laws as a basis for racial purification laws that lead to the holocaust

Problems with Goddard and Dugdale’s theory

Neither of them had separated hereditary factors and environmental factors when gathering data

Twin study

Method by Francis Galton to estimate the contribution of genes and environment factors

-Compared adopted children to their biological and adopted parents

If adopted kids are more like their biological parents, we can assume this trait is based on genetics

How Heritability/Environmental Estimates are calculated

Quantitative Estimate of the contribution of heritability or environment on a trait or behavior

-Expressed as a Proportion (0-1)

-Or as a Percentage (0-100%)

Heritability Estimates of Antisocial and Human Bheavior

Human Behavioral traits on average have (0.30-0.60) heritability estimates

Antisocial behavior has a heritability estimate of (0.41) and an environmentability of (0.59)

Issue with Quantative Genetics

only looks as genetic and environmental influences on a trait at the population level

-studies can’t tell which genes are involved in criminality

Limits of Heritability/Environmental Estimates

During the data-collecting process, antisocial behavior had multiple definitions via people who reported it

-genered inconsistency

More importantly, the assumption that genes and environment affect behavior in a binary “Nature vs. Nurture” fashion is wrong

-personal experiences and culture can alter how genes are expressed

-gene expression may affect behavior and the course of species evolution

Behavioral Epigenetics

study of how one’s environment can affect gene expression, and how that gene can affect behavior

Molecular Genetic

The study of gene-behavior relationships on a molecular level

-Stil unclear what specific gene attributes to antisocial or criminal behavior

Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA Gene)

The most promising gene that looks to affect antisocial behavior

-encodes the MAOA enzyme that breaks down monoamine neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, etc

-breaks down the “happy” chemicals

Can lead to more antisocial behavior when combined with childhood traumas and unhealthy coping

MAOA Abnormaity/Deficiency

May relate to aggressive behavior

MAOA deficiency may have consequences that CAN lead to aggression, explaining this

-Shit such as intellectual disability, sleep deprivation, etc may cause aggression instead

Prefrontal Cortex

Located in the front half of the brain

• Responsible for cognitive and emotional processes (e.x impulse control)

Has the longest development timespan in the brain, explains why youths are more impulsive

Prefrontal Cortex injuries

Associated with impulsive aggression

-Can lead to impulsivity and antisocial behavior

-Violent criminals have a less active and smaller prefrontal area than non-violent criminals

e.x. the case of Phineas Gage who had a metal rod driven into his prefrontal cortex

Psychology and Crime

Looks at how various mental disorders affect criminality

-Prison inmates are more likely to suffer from mental disorders than the population

-Less than 20% of homicides are committed by the mentally unstable

Schizophrenia

Disorder that is described through hallucinations and delusions

Hallucinations - sensory perception such as an image or sound that isn’t real but feels real

Delusions - False but strongly held notions of reality that are hard to change

People with untreated schizophrenia may also have:

• Blunted emotions

• Low motivation

• Cognitive deficits

Risk for schizophrenia is high when combined with substance abuse

Untreated schizophrenia’s main criminal feature is:

Impulsivity

-Impulse control issues are connected to prefrontal cortex abnormalities

-Both are observed in schizophreics

Bipolar Disorder

Characterized by dramatic mood swings, altering between states of depression and mania

-Instability in emotions and behavir

-Managed through medication and therapy

Associated with abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex resulting in impulsivity

Untreated Bipolar Disorder Symptoms

-Mood Swings

-Altering between extreme depression and mania

Having untreated BPD increases chances of committing violent crimes more than schizophrenia

Manic Episodes

During this state, people feel invincible, resulting in impulsive and risky behaviors

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Described through impulsivity, hyperactivity, and significant inattentiveness

• Symptoms evident during childhood

• May decrease in severity over age

• Children with ADHD show persistent rule-breaking

It may be associated with academic and social difficulties in adolescence and early adulthood

Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Kids with ADHD may be diagnosed with this

• Exhibited through anger, volatile behavior, and tendency to argue

• Less than 5% of the population

Diagnosed in childhood or adolescence

Conduct Disorder (CD)

Diagnosed in kids and teens with previous ADHD and ODD

• Persistent violations of social norms

• Aggressive rule-breaking behavior

• Less than 5% of the population

Youth with CD are constantly in conflict with the law

Children with disruptive behaviors

Hard to parent, resulting in putting them at risk for neglect and abuse

-May increase the chance that they will engage in deviant behavior in the future

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Characterized by impulsivity, irresponsibility, and moral inconsideration

If aggression in childhood and adolescence does not subside during adulthood, than APD is diagnosed

• More of the time it subsides though

Substance Abuse Disorder (SUDs)

Involves withdrawal symptoms, cravings with drug use, and substance tolerance

• Preoccupation with substance abuse results in inability to function in life such as at school or work

Offenders are predicted through SUDs

Antisocial Personality Disorder and SUDs

People with SUDs are more likely to have antisocial personality disorder

-Stems from lack of impulse control in both disorders

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)

Can happen through maternal alcoholism through prenatal alcohol exposure

Youth with FASD are:

• Impulsive and Aggressive

• More likely to abuse substances than others

• Overrepresented in correctional Facilities

Fetal nicotine exposure can also cause antisocial behavior

3 Characteristics of people with FASDs

1. Facial feature anomalies

2. Stunted Growth

3. Central Nervous System dysfunctions

Psychopathy

Personality disorder that involves antisocial behavior, dishonesty, and impulsivity

(NOT RECOGNIZED BY THE WHO AND APA AS AN ACTUAL MENTAL DISORDER)

Premeditated aggression

Emotionless, goal driven aggression with the intent of personal gain

e.x. first and second degree murder, robbery, bullying

Differences between Impulsive and premeditated aggression

The main force is the reasoning

• Impulsive aggression happens in reaction to stress or emotions

  • Linked to ADHD, Schizo, and BPD

• Premeditated aggression is linked to psychopathy

Psychopaths do engage in impulsive aggression, but are more inclined to premeditated

Traits of psychopaths

-Pathological lying, superficial charm, false confidence

-Lack of remorse/guilt, proneness to control

-Lifestyle in need of stimulation, easily bored

Aren’t conditioned by fear, attributed to the lack of development in the amygdalae

Prefrontal Cortex Injuries and Psychopathy

Only results in a little bit of psychopathy

Psychopaths engage in premeditated aggression, patients with frontal lobe injuries do not

Unfit to stand trial

a legal designation for people who can’t participate within their own defense due to mental illness or some shit

• May be discharged to a psychiatric hospital until hey are fit

• If they still aren’t, proceedings may be stayed (discontinued) if they do not pose a threat

Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCRMD)

a legal designation that outlines that the person did not understand what they were doing, or that their actions were wrong during the crime

• May be released back into the community or detained in a psychiatric hospital

• e.x. Vince Li

Can occur from PTSD or Schizophrenia

Just because someone has a mental illness does not mean that they will be found NCRMD

Serial Murder

the killing of three or more people with a cooling off period

-Many people think that serial murderers are psychopaths, but only Ted Bundy was one

Serial murderers are likely to suffer from:

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Brain Injuries

Child Abuse

How are serial killers shaped (theory)

Rejection, abuse and childhood traumas lead to lower self-esteem

• Repression of these memories may lead to dissociation from reality

If combined with alcohol, drugs, and violent porn, they might fantasize about murder

Mass Murder

the killing of three or more people in one event with no cooling off period

• Harder to study because these fuckers kill themselves during the murders

• Even if caught, psychological evaluations prove to be troublesome

Neurology of mass murders

A study in 2016 found that:

• They retain the same intelligence and skills as the population

• Their neurocognitive abilities are higher than murderers with a single victim

If this is true, the worse the offense, the more intellectually “normal” an offender is

Murderers on a Sociological scale

Serial and mas murderers may not reflect particularly individual minds, but exhibit a problem with society on a macro level

• The US has seen a rise in mass murders the past few years

  • The 1920s saw murderers by bootleggers

  • 1980s saw drug gangs

  • 1990’s seen serial murderers

  • 2010’s seen mass shootings