Crime and Psychology

1. Crime and Psychology

2. Definitions of crime will vary according to: • Time • Homosexuality illegal before 1967 • Context • When is a crime not a crime? • Culture • Tribal traditions What is crime?

3. In a court of law two factors must be present: • Mens Rea • Actus Reus What is crime?

4. Theories of crime • Proposed by Sheldon in 1949. • The theory focused on the physical build of the offender. • Three types of criminals: • Endomorph • Mesomorph • Ectomorph • Studies have found criminals tend to have higher levels of mesomorphy • The link is debatable due to theories relating to testosterone levels and labelling. Physical appearance- Somatotypes

5. Image source: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/img/251Bfig1.png

6. Theories of crime • Proposed by Lombroso in 1876. • Theory claimed criminality could be linked to facial features in relation to the primitive appearance of apes: • Large jaws • Low intelligence • ‘evolutionary throw backs’. Physical appearance- Atavistic form

7. Theories of crime • The role of brain scans in conviction. • The PLoS Biology Open Access Journal explored this in their article ‘Law, Responsibility and the Brain’. • The journal gives an example of brain abnormalities linked to antisocial behaviour. Biological explanations

8. Adapted from Law, Responsibility, and the Brain by Dean Mobbs, Hakwan C. Lau, Owen D. Jones, Christopher D. Frithsource: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0050103 A 40 year old man had suddenly began to show sexual tendencies towards prostitutes and his step daughter. He had no previous connections to sexual misconduct and was later convicted of child molestation. Scans of the individuals brain revealed a tumour which was hence removed. After this procedure the individuals sexual tendencies disappeared. When they later reappeared a brain scan revealed the tumour had grown back and again was removed. Once again the individual was ‘rehabilitated’ and his criminal acts subsided.

9. Lesion in the frontal cortex. The Patient showed sociopathic behaviour (C) Orbital frontal damage in the 40 year old male Image sourced from: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050103

10. Theories of crime • Charles Whitman • Killed 15 people • Found to have a brain tumour • Brain injury • damage to frontal lobes can result in lower reticence • Brain chemistry • low levels of neurotransmitters (i.e. dopamine) linked to aggressive behaviour. • EEG abnormalities • Linked to violent crimes Biological explanations

11. Theories of crime • Differential Association Theory (DAT) • Contact with criminal behaviour • Being surrounded by pro crime attitudes • Far greater exposure to anti social behaviour than law abiding behaviour • The Cambridge study • Linked criminality to delinquency Psychological explanations- Social environment

12. Theories of crime • Social Learning Theory • Criminal behaviour is observed and learnt. Replication is dependant on reinforcement. • Operant conditioning • works on the basis of positive reinforcement either socially or through materials. Psychological explanations- Learning theories

13. Acknowledgements • Image 1 source: http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/img/251Bfig1.png • Image2 sourced: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pbio.0050103 • Law, Responsibility, and the Brain by Dean Mobbs, Hakwan C. Lau, Owen D. Jones, Christopher D. Frithsource: http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0050103 • Hill, G. 2009 Oxford Revision Guides AS and A Level Psychology Through Diagrams, Oxford