Forensic Psychology Terms & Definitions - Ch. 8 Study Guide

aggression

behavior that is intended to cause harm or damage to another person

biological factors

any physical, chemical, genetic or neurological condition associated with development of a specific behavior

bullying

a form of peer aggression in which one or more individuals physically, verbally or psychologically harass a victim who is perceived to be weaker

cognitive factors

the internal processes that enable humans to imagine, to gain knowledge, to reason and to evaluate.

criminal homicide

the unlawful and intentional killing of a human being

cyberstalking

threats or unwanted advances directed at another using the internet or other forms of online communication

erotomania stalkers

this type of stalker usually has serious mental disorder and is often considered delusional, public figures are usually the target

ethnocentrism

refers to the tendency to interpret events in accordance with ones own cultural heritage

hate crime statistics act

federal law requires that law enforcement officials to collect extensive data on reported crimes allegedly motivated by hatred or bias against someone belonging to a specific group

hate or bias crimes

criminal offenses motivated by an offenders bias against a group to which the victim belongs to

hedonistic type

serial killer who strives for pleasure and thrill seeking

instrumental violence

occurs when the injury of an individual is secondary to the acquisition of some other external goal of the offender

leakage

term used for behaviors that presumably indicate deception on the part of someone being interview

love obsession stalkers

stalkers who seek a love relationship with a stranger or casual acquaintance with whom they are obsessed

manslaughter

the unjustified killing of a human being without premeditation

mass murder

involves killing three or more persons at a single location with no cooling off period between killings

mission oriented type

serial killer who believes that there is a particular group of people who are considered undesirable and who must be destroyed or eliminated

murder

the intentional and premeditated killing of one human being by another without justification or excuse

national incident based reporting system

fbi's system of collecting detailed data from law enforcement agencies on known crimes and arrests

observational learning

the process by which individuals learn patterns of behavior by observing another person performing the action

power control killer

serial killer who obtains satisfaction from the absolute life or death control he has over the victim

reactive or expressive violence

refers to physical violence precipitated by a hostile and angry reaction to a perceived threat or dangerous situation

safe school initiative

a variety of federal programs designed to increase safety in schools, violence prevention etc

school shootings

general term for school violence, including events involving guns and other weapons

serial murder

incidents in which an individual kill a number of people over time

simple obsession stalkers

stalkers who seek power and control after a failed relationship with the victim

situational factors

characteristics of the psychosocial environment such as stress or aggression in others that encourage or engender violent behavior

socialization factors

the processes through which a person learns patterns of thinking, behavior, and feeling from his or her early life experiences

spree murder

refers to the killing of three or more individuals without a cooling off period, usually at more than one location

stalking

defined as a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated physical or visual proximity, nonconsensual communication or verbal/written/implied threats sufficient to cause fear in a reasonable person

threat assessment

set of investigative and operational activities designed to assess and manage individuals who may pose a threat of violence to unidentifiable targets such as school

vengeance stalkers

stalkers who do not seek a relationship with their victims, but rather are trying to elicit a response such as fear, or change of behavior such as moving to a new location

violence

use of physical force or destruction

violence against women

federal law containing multiple provisions for preventing and responding to crimes perpetrated against women and girls, in areas of domestic violence and sexual assault

violent criminal apprehension program

program designed to communicate with and help the nation's law enforcement agencies to investigate, identify, track, apprehend, and prosecute violent serial offenders by sharing info across jurisdictional boundaries

visionary type

serial killer driven by delusions or hallucinations that compel the person to kill a particular group of individuals

workplace violence

the aggressive actions, including deaths, that occur at the workplace, not necessarily caused by those who work within the organization