Introduction to Criminology CRJ 270 Instructor: Jorge Pierrott

1. Introduction to Criminology CRJ 270 Instructor: Jorge Pierrott

2. 10 Crimes Against Persons

3. Chapter Objectives After reading this chapter, students should be able to answer the following questions: • What is criminal homicide, and what are the key issues involved in explaining patterns of homicide? • How is the crime of rape defined, and what are the key issues involved in explaining the crime of rape? • What does the term child sexual abuse encompass? What are the various types of child sexual abusers? • How is the crime of robbery defined, and what are the different kinds of robbery? • How is the crime of assault defined, and what are the various kinds of assault? • What three additional forms of interpersonal violence does this chapter discuss?

4. Introduction • Sources of official U.S. crime statistics • National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) • Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) • National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) continued on next slide

5. Introduction • These sources use their own specialized definitions that may vary considerably between programs and that are not strictly based on federal or state statutes

6. Murder • Homicide • Willful killing of one human being by another • Murder • Criminal homicide continued on next slide

7. Murder • Types of murder • First degree – planned, malice aforethought • Second degree – crime of passion • Third degree – negligent homicide • Felony murder – killing during another crime

8. Subculture of Violence Thesis • Wolfgang and Ferracuti’s subculture of violence thesis • primary perspective used to understand homicide victims/offenders • The racial composition of an area alone does not have a significant effect on homicide rates

9. Victim-Offender Relationship • Parker and Smith’s typology • Primary homicides • most frequent, prior victim/offender relationship, expressive crimes • Nonprimary homicides • no prior victim/ offender relationship, instrumental crimes continued on next slide

10. Victim-Offender Relationship • Williams and Flemming’s two criteria • Nature of circumstances surrounding the homicide • Victim-offender relationship • Exposure-reduction theory of intimate-partner homicide

11. Sibling Offenses • Not all homicide offenders intend to kill their victims • Instrumental homicide may begin as a robbery motivated by instrumental ends • Expressive homicide may be preceded by an argument • Sibling offense • the incident that initiates the homicide

12. Victim Precipitation • Focus on victim characteristics that may have precipitated their victimization • Purpose is not to blame the victim but to examine individual and situational factors that may have contributed to and initiated the crime continued on next slide

13. Victim Precipitation • Especially important in homicide because homicides frequently begin as argument/fight between people who know each other

14. Weapon Use • Instrumentality • The type of weapon used in an encounter can affect whether the encounter becomes lethal • Availability • Issues surrounding how access to guns may increase their presence in all types of interactions, including criminal ones

15. Alcohol and Drug Use • Goldstein – form of association of alcohol/drugs with violent crimes • Psychopharmacological use • Economic compulsion • Systemic violence • Parker – selective disinhibition

16. Serial Murder • Criminal homicide involving the killing of several victims in three or more events • Most serial killers are not legally insane or medically psychotic, although many are diagnosed as sociopaths continued on next slide

17. Serial Murder • Four-part typology • Visionary serial killers • Comfort serial killers • Hedonistic serial killers • Power seekers continued on next slide

18. Serial Murder • Fox & Levin three-part typology • Thrill-motivated killers • Mission-oriented killers • Expedience-directed killers

19. Female Serial Killers • Typically target people known to them • Disciple killer • Murders as the result of the influence of a charismatic personality continued on next slide

20. Female Serial Killers • Kelleher and Kelleher’s typology of female serialists • Black widow • Angel of death • Typical career of female serial killer is longer than that of male counterparts

21. Apprehending Serial Killers • FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program (VICAP) • Profiling • Organized nonsocial killers • Disorganized asocial killers • Geomapping

22. Mass Murder • Killing more than three people at the same time • Levin and Fox’s typology differentiates crime by motive: revenge, love, profit, terror continued on next slide

23. Mass Murder • Factors/elements that may lead to mass murder: • Predisposers • Precipitants • Facilitators

24. Rape • FBI adopted new gender-neutral definition of rape in 2012 • UCR program now defines forcible rape as “The carnal knowledge of a person forcibly and against their will” • Police reports rarely reveal the true incidence of rape

25. Feminist Perspectives • No one feminist perspective but the various perspectives have some common elements: • View gender as a social (not biological) construct • Patriarchal structures within society that contribute to the privileged status of men are inseparable from rape continued on next slide

26. Feminist Perspectives • No one feminist perspective but the various perspectives have some common elements: • View rape as an act of power or domination • Concept of rape culture • Feminist perspectives have been criticized for their often one-dimensional view of masculinity

27. Psychopathological Perspective • This perspective is based on two assumptions: • Rape is the result of idiosyncratic mental disease • Rape often includes uncontrollable sexual impulses • Groth suggests that rape is connected to issues like power and anger

28. Integrated Theory of Rape • Model posits that support for legitimate violence, higher levels of gender inequality, and social disorganization combine to produce higher rape rates at the state level • Researchers have found support for direct effect of gender inequality on rape rates

29. Evolutionary/Biological Perspectives • Focuses on motives and ends conducive to rape • Different traits relating to mating that developed in males and females may have evolved through sexual selection continued on next slide

30. Evolutionary/Biological Perspectives • Perspective argues that the feminist position of rape ignores the existence of a biologically based sexual motivation • Criticized for justifying rape as “natural”

31. Typologies of Rapists • Hazelwood and Burgess’ typology based on motivation • Power-assertive • Power-reassurance • Anger-retaliatory • Anger-excitation continued on next slide

32. Typologies of Rapists • Stevens’ typology based on motivations • Role of lust a primary motive for a large proportion of rapists • Scully’s typology based on rationalizations used by offenders • Admitters • Deniers

33. Acquaintance Rape • The majority of rapes occur when the victim and offender have some prior relationship • Date rape • acquaintance rape among adults often occurs within the context of a dating relationship

34. Spousal Rape • Spousal rape now illegal in all states • Russell’s typology of men who rape their wives • Husbands who prefer raping their wives to having consensual sex with them • Husbands who enjoy both rape and consensual sex with their wives or are indifferent to type continued on next slide

35. Spousal Rape • Russell’s typology of men who rape their wives • Husbands who prefer consensual sex with their wives but are willing to rape them if their sexual advances are refused • Husbands who might like to rape their wives but do not act out these desires

36. Rape in Prison • 2003 Prison Rape Elimination Act • Victims frequently reluctant to report incidents to correctional authorities • Sexual assaults in prison likely to have long-term psychological effects on victims

37. Child Sexual Abuse • Includes a variety of criminal and civil offenses in which an adult: • Engages in sexual activity with a minor • Exploits a minor for purposes of sexual gratification, or • Exploits a minor sexually for purposes of profit continued on next slide

38. Child Sexual Abuse • Greatly despised but little understood • Self-reports reveal much more abuse than official reported

39. Types of Child Sex Abusers • Almost all pedophiles are male but there are few other similarities • Groth’s two-part typology • Regressed offenders • Fixated offenders • Commercial sexual exploitation of children • adult victimizes a child sexually for profit

40. Robbery • Robbery combines elements of violence and property crime • Personal robbery • Robberies and muggings occurring in residences • Institutional robbery • Robberies in commercial settings continued on next slide

41. Robbery • The lethal potential of robbery • Robbery carries threat of lethal injury to the victim • Most frequently used weapon is a firearm continued on next slide

42. Robbery • Criminal careers of robbers • Most robbers are generalists with lengthy but varied careers • Few inmates specialize exclusively in robbery

43. Robbery and Public Transportation • Crime prevention strategies can be very effective in public transport settings • Robbery on mass transit is fairly rare • Taxi drivers at greatest risk

44. The Motivation of Robbers • Most robberies involve little planning • Motivations include: • Financial gain • Desire to fight • Desire to set right a perceived injustice • Desire to enhance street credibility • “Just for kicks”

45. Drug Robberies • Majority of offenders specializing in street robberies targeted minor drug dealers • Acquire both money and drugs • Drug dealers were unlikely to report the victimization to the police continued on next slide

46. Drug Robberies • Strategies used to minimize risk involved in targeting drug dealers • Intimidation • Anonymity maintenance • Hypervigilance

47. The Gendered Nature of Robbery • Other than rape, robbery is the most gender-differentiated crime in the US • Men and women both motivated by money but differ in how they carry out street robberies

48. Aggravated Assault • The 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 or severe bodily injury • Offender profile mirrors that of homicide offenders • Most aggravated assaults are spontaneous

49. Stranger Assault • Probability of serious victimization by strangers very low • Likelihood varies by demographic characteristics

50. Assault within Families • The majority of assaults involve victims and offenders known to each other, often in familial or intimate relationships continued on next slide