Chapter 1 FBS

Introduction to Criminal Behavior

  • Authors: Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol

  • Subject Matter: Psychological approach to understanding criminal behavior.

Chapter 1 Overview

  • Theories of Crime: Examines various disciplines influencing views on crime including criminology, psychiatry, psychology, and sociology.

  • Defining Crime: Highlights methods used in detailing and quantifying crime rates, including:

    • Uniform Crime Report (UCR)

    • Self-report measures

    • National or Regional Victimization Studies

Historical Context

  • Geographical Context: Charts out ancient civilizations with references to Hammurabi’s Code of Laws from Babylon (ca. 1780 B.C.) which codified laws with specified punishments.

  • Laws included:

    • Law 1: Accusations of murder mandate proof; failure results in the accuser's death.

    • Law 132: Adultery accusation leads to a trial by drowning.

    • Law 196: Eye-for-eye principle for bodily harm.

Defining Crime

  • Legal Definition: Conduct or action in violation of the law, punishable upon conviction by the state. Requires voluntariness and absence of justification.

  • Criminal Intent (Mens Rea): Defined as malice or intentions alongside recklessness or negligence as applicable.

    • Four mental states of culpability include: purposely, knowingly, recklessly, and negligently.

The Nature of Criminology

  • Explores why specific crimes occur in varied contexts and how society addresses crime, offenders' treatment, and punishment protocols.

  • Emphasizes interdisciplinary aspects; no singular psychological or sociological explanation is sufficient alone in understanding crime.

Major Perspectives in Criminology

  • Sociological Criminology: Focus on societal structures and group demographics influencing crime.

  • Psychological Criminology: Individual behavior and mental processes related to criminal acts.

  • Psychiatric Criminology: Studies the intersection of psychology and societal pressures on criminals.

Theoretical Frameworks of Crime

  • Classical Theory: Presents the assumption of free will where crime is a rational choice based on perceived benefits versus risks (punishment as a deterrent).

  • Positivist Theory: Knowledge is obtained through direct observation and focuses on anatomy and psychology as contributing factors to criminal behavior.

Biological Theories and Lombroso

  • Atavism: Suggests that certain criminals exhibit biological characteristics reminiscent of earlier evolutionary forms.

  • Lombroso’s Theory: These criminals are identifiable by specific physical traits (sloping foreheads, large ears) which signal inherited criminality.

  • Emphasizes a biological predisposition leading to a lack of human inhibition and behavior akin to primitive instincts.

The Criminal Justice System's Response

  • Development in identification through surveillance, the establishment of secure environments, and legal strategies for rehabilitation.

  • Lombroso’s input on lifelong incarceration as a solution for chronic offenders.

Measuring Crime

  • Three Primary Measurement Tools:

    • Uniform Crime Reports (UCR): Established in 1929, a leading source of crime data in the U.S.

    • Self-Report Studies: Evaluates personal accounts of crime, revealing discrepancies between reported and actual crime rates.

    • National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS): Conducted by BJS, it gauges unreported crime through interviews, covering frequency and context of victimization across the nation.

UCR Insights and Limitations

  • Violent Crime: Includes murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.

  • Property Crime: Encompasses burglary, vehicle theft, and arson.

  • Clearances occur through arrests or “exceptional means.”

  • Stresses under-reporting issues yielding a 'dark figure' of crime often unrepresented in statistics.

Conclusion on Reporting Trends

  • Recent reports indicate a decline in crime overall, emphasizing the importance of continual research and the evolution of crime statistics.