Criminology Chapter 10
Female Serial Killers
-10-15 % of serial killers are women -Women most likely to use poison or smother their victims; men tend to be violent -Women likely to kill family members/acquaintances; also kill people who are weak and dependent on them (children and elderly men)
Sadistic Rape
-About 5% of all rapes. -Involves sexuality and aggression -Bound up in ritual, may involve torment, binding, torturing -Sadist gets satisfaction from abusing, degrading, humiliating victim -Very traumatic for victims; usually require long-term psychiatric care
Power Rape
-About 55% of all rapes. -Attacker does not want to harm the victim; wants to possess her sexually -Goal is sexual conquest -Only uses as much force as is necessary to achieve his objective -Because of a lack of physical violence, sometimes victim does not receive as much support from family and friends (as compared to anger rape victims)
Types of rapists/motives for rape
-Derived from the work of A. Nicholas Grath. -Anger Rapists/Rape; Power rape; sadistic rape;
What do studies show about exposure to violence?
-Exposure can occur at the neighborhood level (violent, dangerous neighborhoods) -Children living in violent neighborhoods become desensitized to brutality/conflict they witness and later become violent -Exposure to firearm violence doubles the chance that a young person will later engage in violent behavior. -Children exposed to violent neighborhoods and violence in the home most likely to engage in violent crimes later
Voluntary Manslaughter (Manslaughter)
-Intent to cause harm, but no intent to cause death -Often a situation where emotions cloud a victim's judgment (heat of passion) -Can also include actions that result from impairments due to mental illness -Also includes reckless behavior (such as randomly shooting a gun into the woods and killing someone)
Ineffective Families
-Kids exposed to even minimal amounts of physical punishment may be more likely to use violence one day -Kids who are abused are more likely to engage in persistent, violent offending (referred to as the cycle of violence) -Abused kids are more likely to suffer long-term mental, cognitive, and social dysfunction -Also more likely to physically abuse siblings and engage in spousal abuse later on in life.
Cultural Values
-MArvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracutti postulate that some areas have a "subculture of violence" -Thsi subculture's norms are separate from society's central, dominant value system -Violence influences lifestyle, socialization process, and interpersonal relationships. -Members of this subculture share some of the dominant culture's values, yet expect that violence will be used to solve social conflicts. -Gangs are common in a subculture of violence
Spree Killers
-Not confined to a single outburst -Do not return to their normal identities between killings -Engage in a rampage of violence over a few days or weeks -Sometimes no discernible pattern, although they may target based on race or class -Usually several victims
Anger Rapists/Rape
-Sexuality becomes a means of expressing and discharging pent-up anger and rage -uses more brutality than necessary if the true aim had been to have simply had sex with the victim. -Because of physical violent, victim receives much support from family and friends and there is little to no suggestion that she complied with the attack
Marital Rape
-Traditionally, a rape that involves a husband raping their wide (now both spouses covered) -Traditionally, a married husband could not be charged with raping his wife (known as marital exemption)
Rape
-Until 2013, the UCR defined this as the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will -After 2013, however, the UCR changed its classification/definition to match contemporary statues. Now, the definition is gender neutral and includes various acts of sexual penetration. -Before the changes in definition, consider male on male and female on male considered sexual assault
Systemic Link
-Violence is intrinsic to involvement with any illicit substance. -Systemic violence refers to traditionally aggressive patterns of interaction within the system of drug distribution and use.
Human instinct
-When our ancestors lived in social groups and fought each other for dominance, violence was common -Early humans would not hesitate to violently attack aggressors if their family, tribe, or clan were attacked -According to Steven Pinker, violence declined when humans evolved from hunter-gatherers to agricultural-based civilizations -Violence may just be part of the human condition
Causes of violence
-personal traits -ineffective families -human instinct -exposure to violence -substance abuse -firearm availability -cultural values -national values
Contemporary/Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence
1) Hate Crimes 2) Workplace Violence 3) Stalking
Nations with high violence rates have negative structural factors such as:
1) High level of poverty 2) High levels of income inequality 3) High levels of illiteracy 4) High Levels of alcohol consumption.
2 ways to most efficiently systematically discuss rape is to:
1) Identify types of rapists 2) Identify types of rapes
What are the 3 ways in which substance abuse influences violence?
1) Psychopharmacological relationship 2) Economic Compulsive Behavior 3) Systemic Link
Examples of Systemic Violence
1. Disputes over territory between rival drug dealers 2. Assaults and homicides committed within dealing hierarchies as a means of enforcing normative codes. 3. Robberies of drug dealers and the usually violent retaliation by the dealer or his/her bosses 4. Elimination of informers 5. Punishment for selling adulterated or phony drugs. 6. Punishment for failing to pay one's debts. 7. Disputes over drugs or drug paraphernalia 8. Robbery violence related to the social ecology of copping areas.
People involved in violent episodes have been shown to:
1. Have abnormal electro-encephalograms (EEG's) 2. Have multiple psychomotor impairments 3. Sometimes have severe seizure 4. Have low intelligence 5. Have close relative who are psychotic 6. To be paranoid 7. To have illogical thinking 8. To have hallucinations 9. To commit animal cruelty.
School Murderers
1999 Columbine HS in Colorado (15 people killed) 2012 Newtown, CT where 26 people killed 2018 Parkland, FL School massacres tend to be committed by white males
UCR Statistics on Firearms
2/3 of all murders involve firearms 2/5 of all robberies involve firearms Handguns kill 2/3 of all police who die in line of duty. Presence of firearms in the home increases the risk of suicide among adolescents regardless of how carefully stored or secured.
The FBI's definition of Hate Crimes
A criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, ethnic origin or sexual orientation
Psychological Abnormalities: Causes of Rape
A high proportion of serial rapists and repeat sexual offenders exhibit psychopathic personality structures. This typically comes from rapists having a childhood marked by sexual abuse and parental detachment
Serial Killers
A person who kills three or more persons in three separate events. Most serial killers are white males who return to their normal daily lives between killings. Example: BTK (Blind, Torture, Kill) Killer/Strangler Dennis Rader in Wichita, KS
What do criminologists now consider rape?
A violent, coercive act of aggression, not a forcible expression of sexuality
Pacification Process
According to Steven Pinker, violence declined when humans evolved from hunter-gatherers to agricultural-based civilizations
Evolutionary Factors: Causes of Rape
According to this view, sexual violence may be instinctual, developed over the ages as a means of perpetuating the species. This view is that the sexual urge corresponds to the unconscious need to preserve the species by spreading one's genes as widely as possible.
Involuntary Manslaughter
Also known as negligent homicide or negligent manslaughter. Death caused by some negligent behavior (without regard to the harm that they may cause others) Most involve motor vehicle deaths
Murder (or criminal homicide)
An unlawful homicide (there is no legal or justifiable reason)
What is needed to establish the legal requirements needed to prove 1st degree murder?
Any activity that demonstrates the passage of time (even if brief) between the formation of the intent to kill and the actual act is technically sufficient.
Exposure to vioence
Author's initial assertion: kids who are constantly exposed to violence at home, school, or in the environment may adopt violent methods themselves.
Randall collins view on humans violent tendencies
Believes that humans are inherently passive and that violence is a function of social interaction. Most people back away from conflicts/fights, they dont rush to join in. Most people dont cheer on others who are fighting, but withdraw vocally.
What are most murders?
Expressive
Firearm Availability
Firearm availability may be a facilitating factor of violence. Kids who have been victims of crime and those who hang with peers who carry weapons are most likely to bring guns to school.
Roots of Hate
Four types of motives to commit bias crimes. Came from a study by McDevitt Levin Bennett 2002). Thrill-seeking hate crimes, reactive (defensive) hate crimes, mission hate crimes, and retaliatory hate crimes
Human Instinct: Freud's View on Violent Traits
Freud believed that violent traits may be present in all animals, including humans. He saw aggression as instinctual and thought that we had two opposing instinctual drives (eros and Thanatos)
thrill-seeking hate crimes
Hate-mongers join forces to have fun by bashing minorities or destroying property. Inflicting pain on others gives them a sadistic thrill. (about 66% of hate crimes)
Why has binge drinking been linked to violent crime?
Heavy drinking reduces cognitive ability, information processing skills, and the miscommunications become more likely and rational dialogue becomes compromised. Violence can ensue.
2 Plausible Explanations for nations having differing crime rates
High violence nations embrace value structures that support violence, while others with low-violence tend to embrace communitarian values and emphasize forgiveness and restorative justice.
Manslaughter
In many/most jurisdictions refers to a death that results from an unlawful or negligent action.
Deliberation
Killing was carried out after careful thought (rather than on impulse).
What level of offenses are assault and robbery classified as?
Many jurisdictions classify both of these as misdemeanors, yet upgrade them to felonies if a weapon is involved or if they occur during the commission of a felony.
Intimate Partner Murders
Many murders involve husbands/wives; boyfriends/girlfriends; etc.
Acquaintance murders
Most murders occur among people who are acquainted (about 80%)
Macro-level Substance Abuse
Neighborhoods with high levels of drug and alcohol usage have higher than average violence rates
Stranger murders
Occur in 20% of murders. Mostly occur as felony murders during rapes, robberies, and burglaries
retaliatory hate crimes
Offenses committed in response to a hate crime (whether crime is real or perceived). (about 8% of hate crimes) Unverified rumors are often enough to spark retaliations
How have new pharmaceuticals meant to treat mental illness diffused global crime rate trends?
People having more access has led to less crime
Economic Compulsive Behavior
Some drug users resort to economically oriented violent crime (i.e., robbery) to support costly drug use
Psychopharmacological relationship
Some individuals as a result of short or long term ingestion of specific substances, may become excitable, irrational, and may exhibit violent behavior. Binge drinking has been linked to violent crime.
National Values
Some nations have high violence rates (Columbia and Uganda), while others have extremely low violence rates.
Micro-level Substance Abuse
Substance abusers (individuals) have higher rates of violence than non-abusers
What is the exception to Randall collins view on humans violent tendencies?
Supportive audiences help overcome fear of violence. For example, gangs act in groups and terrorists are supported by their leaders.
Sexually-based murderers
Take a variety of forms. Include examples like domestic disputes, love triangles, rapes that result in murder (of the person being raped), self-defense from being sexually assaulted
What part of the United States has the highest rates of robbery?
The Northeastern States
Thanatos
The death instinct. Impels people toward self-destruction. Thanatos manifests externally as violence and internally as alcoholism, suicide, or other destructive behaviors.
Eros
The life instinct. Drives people toward self-fulfillment and enjoyment.
Robbery
The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Male Socialization: Causes of Rape
The view that some men have been socialized to be aggressive with women and believe that the use of violence or force is legitimate if their sexual advances are rebuffed. ("Women like to play hard to get and expect to be forced to have sex.") Those who have been socialized to believe that "no means yes" are more likely to be sexually aggressive.
Homicide
The willful killing of one human being by another. Some homicides are justifiable and legal (those committed in the defense of oneself or one's family; many committed by police officers and soldiers)
Second-degree murder
There is an intent to kill but the act happens virtually simultaneously with the formation of intent (no premeditation). Usually charged when someone kills upon being provoked by insults, physical abuse, or the like.
reactive (defensive) hate crimes
These perpetrators believe that particular outsiders threaten their community or way of life. They respond (defensively) by attacking the interlopers. (about 25% of hate crimes) Example: A gang of teens attack a new family in the neighborhood because they are the wrong "race".
Mission hate crimes
These perpetrators see it as their duty to rid the world of evil. They are "on a mission". (1% of hate crimes) Examples: Skinheads, KKK, White supremacists, religious zealots
What do 1st and 2nd degree murder have in common?
They both have a clear intent to kill
Who typically commits workplace violence and why?
Typically committed by middle-age, white males who face termination in the face of a worsening economy.
Violent Crimes
UCR classifies these as "crimes against the person" Includes Homicide/Murder, Rape, Robbery, Assault/Battery
How do humans differ from animals in relation to the human instinct idea?
Unlike other animals, humans lack inhibitions about killing their own species. Thus, in theory, we may one day go extinct.
Rape by Deception
Use of fraud or trickery to convince a victim to have sex. Includes impersonating another person as well as using the cover of darkness
Personal Traits as a cause of violence
Violence can be due to mental abnormalities/neurological impairment. Violence also associated with depression, impulsivity, aggression, dishonesty, pathological lying, lack of remorse, borderline personality syndrome, psychopathology
First-degree Murder (also known as premeditated murder)
When a person kills another after premeditation and deliberation Sometimes worded in the statues as "committed with malice aforethought." Meaning, the intent/desire to injure (especially kill) with deliberation/premeditation
Mass Murderers
When one or a few assailants kill 4 or more victims in a single event. Example: 2012 James Holmes in CO: White male who shot 12 people in a movie theater; 2017 Las Vegas Shooter Stephen Paddock. 60 killed. Can last anywhere from a few minutes to several hours
Stalking
a course of conduct directed at a specific person that involves repeated physical or visual proximity, nonconsensual communication, or verbal, written, or implied threats sufficient to cause fear in a reasonable person
Felony Murder
a killing that accompanies (or someone dies during the commission of) a felony, such as robbery or rape Usually charges as 1st degree murder, despite no intent. Sometimes charged as 2nd degree
narcissistic personality disorder
a pattern of traits and behaviors indicating infatuation and fixation with one's self to the exclusion of all others, along with the egotistic and ruthless pursuit of one's own gratification, dominance, and ambition
Date Rape
a rape that involves people who are in some form of courting relationship
Instrumental violence
acts designed to improve the financial or social position of the criminal
Expressive Violence
acts that vent rage, anger, or frustration
Types of Rape
date rape, marital rape, statutory rape, Rape by deception
Assault
either attempted battery or intentionally frightening the victim by word or deed (actual touching is not involved)
Battery
offensive touching, such as slapping, hitting, or punching a victim
Statutory Rape
sexual relations between an underage minor female and an adult male Can also occur with female offender, male victim. However, most statutory rape victims are female (about 95%) and over 99% offenders are male.
virility mystique
the belief that males must separate their sexual feelings from their need for love, respect, and affection
Premeditation
the killing was considered beforehand
Workplace violence
violence such as assault, rape, or murder committed at the workplace
Hate Crimes
violent acts directed toward a particular person or members of a group merely because the targets share a discernible racial, ethnic, religious, or gender characteristic
