Characteristics of criminal behaviour

Question 1

What are the key points about official statistics?

Answer 1

In most countries, the government produces official crime statistics annually.
In the UK the Home Office has produced such information since 1805 for England and Wales.
This information is now based on any incident reported to the police or when the police observe or discover an offence.

Question 2

What are the key points about victim surveys?

Answer 2

To ask a sample of people to identify which crimes (reported or unreported) have been committed against them over a fixed period of time.
The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) was started in the UK in 1982.
Since 2001 the crime survey has been repeated every year and now involves a sample of about 50,000 households.
Everyone over the age of 16 in the household is interviewed.
There’s a smaller sample of 10-15 year olds who are also involved.
The sample is selected randomly from the Royal Mail’s list of addresses.

Question 3

What are the key points about offender surveys?

Answer 3

In England and Wales the Offending, Crime and Justice Survey (OCJS) was carried out annually between 2003 and 2006.
The initial sample consisted of people aged 10-65 living in private households in England and Wales.
A subsample of about 5,000 people aged 10-25 at the outset were studied longitudinally up to 2006.

Question 4

What did Farr and Gibbons (1990) suggest?

Answer 4

There are seven different types of crime.

Question 5

What is the definition of property predatory crime?

Answer 5

Persons are involved in attempting to or actually taking the personal property of others without permission.

Question 6

What are examples of property predatory crime?

Answer 6

Burglary.
Robbery.
Car theft.

Question 7

What is the definition of property fraudulent crime?

Answer 7

Persons are involved in deceit or manipulation with the purpose of converting property or services of others to their own use.

Question 8

What are examples of property fraudulent crime?

Answer 8

Embezzlement.
Fraud.
Bribery.

Question 9

What is the definition of interpersonal violence general?

Answer 9

Persons are involved in actions that threaten or cause actual person harm.

Question 10

What is the definition of folk / mundane crime?

Answer 10

A broad category whereby persons are involved in actions that can range from minor rule violations to more serious violations.
Folk / mundane criminal acts tend to foster public ambivalence and the public generally regards such acts as an inconvenience or nuisance, rather than a crime.

Question 11

What are examples of interpersonal violence general crime?

Answer 11

Murder.
Assault.
Kidnapping.

Question 12

What is the definition of
interpersonal violence sexual?

Answer 12

Persons are involved in actions that threaten or cause actual person harm, and contain a sexual element.

Question 13

What are examples of interpersonal violence sexual?

Answer 13

Rape.
Sexual abuse.
Incest.

Question 14

What is the definition of transactional vice?

Answer 14

Persons are involved in “victimless” offences where there is a willing exchange of goods or services.

Question 15

What are examples of transactional vice?

Answer 15

Prostitution.
Illegal gambling.
Drug sales.

Question 16

What’s the definition of order disruption?

Answer 16

Persons are involved in actions where there is no direct victim, but concern is raised about potential victims.

Question 17

What are examples of order disruption?

Answer 17

Resisting arrest.
Disorderly conduct.
Loitering.
Rioting.

Question 18

What are examples of folk / mundane crimes?

Answer 18

Minor rule violations:
Fishing without a license.
More serious violations:
Load regulations on commercial vehicles.

Question 19

What are the key points about the Office of National Statistics (ONS)?

Answer 19

Collects and publishes information about the different types and amount of criminal behaviour in the UK.
It currently categorises criminal behaviours into two “primary offence groups”:
Victim-based crimes
Crimes against society

Question 20

What are examples of victims-based crimes?

Answer 20

Murder.
Violence.
Theft.

Question 21

What are examples of crimes against society?

Answer 21

Public order offences.
Drug offences.
Possession of weapons.

Question 22

What did John Muncie and Eugene McLaughlin (1996) suggest?

Answer 22

Although most people consider themselves to be “law-abiding citizens”, the average person in the UK, if convicted only one for each type of crime they had recently committed, would’ve spent a total of six years in jail and been fined up to £61,000.

Question 23

What are the key points for “Is criminal behaviour always wrong?”

Answer 23

There are occasions when criminal behaviour is morally right.
Sometimes people break the law and demonstrate criminal behaviour in order to highlight a problem with the law, the unjust actions of a particular individual or group, or the prevailing social norms of society in general.

Question 24

What are the key points for problems with research?

Answer 24

We aren’t explaining one kind of behaviour - it may involve violence against a person or it may be a peaceful protests against a principle.

Question 25

What’s the background of criminal behaviour?

Answer 25

Criminal behaviour is not categorised as a mental illness and is therefore not included in either the DSM or the ICD.
Therefore, there are no set clinical characteristics.
Crime is a social context.
It’s culturally and time specific.
Many criminals suffer from various mental illnesses, however the crime is seen as an outcome of the illness, rather than as an illness in its own right.
What is considered to be a crime will vary between cultures and also within a culture over time.

Question 26

What’s the definition of a crime?

Answer 26

An action or omission which constitutes an offence and is punishable by law.

Question 27

What’s the definition of criminal?

Answer 27

A person who has committed a crime.

Question 28

What’s the definition of illegal?

Answer 28

Contrary to or forbidden by law, especially criminal law.

Question 29

What did Raine (1993) suggest?

Answer 29

A tendency to commit crimes is inherited through the individual’s genes.
According to this explanation one or more genes predispose us towards crime.
Twin studies comparing identical (MZ) and non-identical (DZ) twins show higher concordance rates in the first group.
52% versus 21%.

Question 30

How does amygdala activity link to criminal behaviour?

Answer 30

Increased amygdala activity has been linked to reactive aggression - hot-blooded.
Reduced amygdala volume and activity have been associated to proactive aggression - cold-blooded.

Question 31

What did Coccaro find?

Answer 31

People with intermittent explosive disorder have higher levels of amygdala activity when exposed to an environment threat compared to a control group.
Environment threat - image of an angry face.