C3 - Criminal Behaviour - AO1 Key Terms

Question 1

Property predatory crime

Answer 1

attempting to or actually taking the personal possessions of others without permission

Question 2

Property fraudulent crime

Answer 2

deceit or manipulation with the purpose of converting property or services of others to their own use

Question 3

Interpersonal violence general

Answer 3

actions that threaten or cause actual personal harm

Question 4

Interpersonal violence sexual

Answer 4

actions that threaten or cause actual personal harm and contain a sexual element

Question 5

Transactional vice

Answer 5

‘victimless’ offences where there is a willing exchange of goods or services

Question 6

Order disruption

Answer 6

there is no direct victim, but concern is raised about potential victims

Question 7

Folk/mundane crime

Answer 7

a broad category that covers a range of offences that can include minor rule violations to more serious violations. These tend to be seen as more inconvenient or nuisances rather than actual crimes.

Question 8

Genetic factors

Answer 8

This inherited criminality explanation proposes that one or more genes predispose individuals to criminal behaviour.

Question 9

Diathesis-stress

Answer 9

This inherited criminality explanation believes that genes alone cannot explain criminal behaviour and that epigenetics believes that certain genes are ‘switched’ on or off by environmental factors

Question 10

Differences in the brain

Answer 10

This inherited criminality explanation suggests that low levels of serotonin may predispose individuals to impulsive aggression and criminal behaviour and that dopamine hyperactivity may enhance this effect.

Question 11

Structure and function of the amygdala

Answer 11

Papez (1937) and later Maclean (1952) identified the role this part of the brain plays in emotional behaviour and how we assess and respond to environmental threats.

Question 12

Amygdala and aggression

Answer 12

Coccaro (2007) investigated the effects of this part of the brain on certain emotions by studying people with intermittent explosive disorder and found a key difference between levels of brain activity when they viewed angry faces.

Question 13

Amygdala and fear conditioning

Answer 13

Yu Gao (2010) proposed a possible mechanism by which dysfunction in this part of the brain affects aggression and criminal behaviour as evidence suggests that we learn as children that aggressive behaviour leads to punishment or negative outcomes.

Question 14

Eysenck’s Theory of Criminal Personality

Answer 14

An individual differences explanation of criminal behaviour that proposes a general theory of personality based on the idea that character traits tend to cluster along three dimensions.

Question 15

Extraversion

Answer 15

characterised as outgoing, having positive emotions but may get bored easily so may seek more arousal and thus engage in dangerous activities.

Question 16

Neuroticism

Answer 16

have a tendency to experience negative emotional states rather than positive emotional states and are therefore prone to over-react to situations of threat, which can explain some criminal behaviour

Question 17

Psychoticism

Answer 17

are egocentric, aggressive, impulsive, impersonal, lack empathy and are generally not concerned with the welfare of others which can be easily linked to criminality.

Question 18

Cognitive distortion

Answer 18

A form of irrational thinking where by reality has become twisted (distorted) so that what is perceived no longer represents what is actually true, resulting in a person’s perception of events being wrong, but them believing it is accurate – criminals incorrectly rationalise their behaviour.

Question 19

Hostile attribution bias

Answer 19

When someone has a leaning towards always thinking the worst, and negatively interprets a person’s actions which can then result in aggression.

Question 20

Minimilisation

Answer 20

when the consequences of a situation are under-exaggerated. It can help explain how an offender reduces the negative interpretation of their behaviour before and/or after a crime has been committed.

Question 21

Levels of moral reasoning

Answer 21

Kohlberg found that only about 10% of adults reach the post-conventional level and that most criminals tend to be at the pre-conventional level and they believe that breaking the law is justified if the rewards outweigh the costs or if punishment can be avoided.

Question 22

Differential association theory

Answer 22

Proposed by Sutherland (1939) in order to explain criminal behaviour as entirely a product of social learning) and socialisation. We vary in the frequency with which we socialise with others who have more or less favourable attitudes towards crime and these attitudes shape and influence our own attitudes and behaviour.

Question 23

Gender Socialisation

Answer 23

Sutherland claimed that during socialisation, boys are encouraged to become risk takers and to be tough, whereas girls are more closely controlled, supervised and more likely to conform than boys, meaning men have more inclination and opportunities than women to become criminals

Question 24

Anger Management

Answer 24

A cognitive approach to modifying criminal behaviour. The aim is to change the way a person handles anger and aggression.

Question 25

Restorative Justice

Answer 25

A method of modifying criminal behaviour which has two key aims: rehabilitation of offenders so they don’t reoffend, and atonement for wrongdoing.