Criminal behaviour- Characteristics

Question 1

What are the characteristics of criminal behaviour?

Answer 1

There are no specific characteristics of criminal behaviour because there are so many different types of crime

Question 2

What do Andrews and Bonta say criminal behaviour includes?

Answer 2

• an act prohibited by law and punished by the state
• action considered to be a violation of moral or religious code
• action that violates norms of society
• action that causes serious psychological stress and damage to victim

Question 3

What is meant by ‘crime is a social construct’?

Answer 3

Although crime has a definition it doesn’t consider factors that can influence criminal behaviour e.g. historical context, culture and how those things an change

Question 4

Is everyone criminal?

Answer 4

Muncie&McLaughlin
- likely most people have demonstrated several criminal behaviours
e.g. going on your phone while driving, vaping in cars

Question 5

Is criminal behaviour always wrong?

Answer 5

May be deemed morally right in some occasions
NELSON MANDELA
- campaigned against racial prejudice, arrested and convicted for conspiracy to overthrow the government
PANKHURST
- arrested and jailed many times in her fight for equality
NOW
- climate change activists

Question 6

What are the 7 types of crime according to Farr & Gibbons?

Answer 6

1- Property predatory crime
2- Property fraudulent crime
3- Interpersonal violence general
4- Interpersonal violence sexual
5- Transactional vice
6- Order disruption
7- Folk/mundane crime

Question 7

What is property predatory crime?

Answer 7

Taking personal property without permission
- burglary, theft, robbery

Question 8

What is property fraudulent crime?

Answer 8

Deceit or manipulation with purpose of converting property or services of other to their own use
- fraud, bribery

Question 9

What is interpersonal violence general?

Answer 9

Actions that threaten or cause actual personal harm
- murder, assault, kidnapping

Question 10

What is interpersonal violence sexual?

Answer 10

Actions that threaten or cause actual personal harm with a sexual element
- rape, sexual abuse

Question 11

What is Transactional vice crime?

Answer 11

Involved in ‘victimless’ offences, willing exchange of goods and services
- prostitution, drug dealing

Question 12

What is Order disruption crime?

Answer 12

No direct victim but concern is raised about potential victims
- resisting arrest, loitering, rioting

Question 13

What is folk/mundane crime?

Answer 13

Broad category, range from minor rule violations to more serious violations
(inconvenience/nuisance)
- sharing copyright movie, not paying TV license

Question 14

What are career criminals?

Answer 14

Use crime as their primary method for financing their morally bankrupt lives, certain psychological traits bond them
JENNIFER CHASE
- habitual offenders

Question 15

Traits of career criminals
Rationalisation

Answer 15

Divert blame, rationalise their own behaviour

Question 16

Traits of career criminals
Entitlement

Answer 16

Self-centred, oblivious to others needs
- have a right to commit the crimes they desire

Question 17

Traits of career criminals
Asocial Value system

Answer 17

‘criminal thinking’
- rarely show remorse or empathy
- lack of self control
- fail to adhere to acceptable social standards

Question 18

Traits of career criminals
Sentimentality

Answer 18

See themselves in a positive light
- rationalisation fuelled by sentimental attitude

Question 19

Traits of career criminals
Impulsive

Answer 19

Nobility to control behaviour, dominating characteristic

Question 20

Traits of career criminals
Family dyusfunction

Answer 20

Common- lack of support, emotional and financial
Lack of stability, dysfunctional environment e.g. drug misuse

Question 21

Traits of career criminals
Easily distracted

Answer 21

Cannot remain focused on-target with socially acceptable objectives
- fall back to old patterns

Question 22

Traits of career criminals
Power centric

Answer 22

Power struggle, encounter becomes battle
- exploit weaker opponent

Question 23

Traits of career criminals
Invincibility

Answer 23

Inflated sense of optimism
- fantasy they won’t get caught

Question 24

Traits of career criminals
Cognitive laziness

Answer 24

Lack of ambition
- strong desire to live outside the rules and test boundaries

Question 25

Serial killers
Holmes and Holmes

Answer 25

Reported many serial killers shared characteristics of being white, male and between the ages of 24-35
Tended to be intelligent or at least ‘street smart’ and were considered ‘charming and charismatic’
- different sub types of serial killer

Question 26

What are the 4 types of serial killer?

Answer 26

1- Visionary
2- Mission
3- Hedonistic
4- Power control

Question 27

What is a visionary serial killer?

Answer 27

• motivated to kill by voices
• lose touch with reality
• orders from God or the Devil
• declared insane or incompetent to stand trial

Question 28

What is a mission serial killer?

Answer 28

• eliminate a certain group of people
• in touch with reality
• stalk potential victim
• display organised typology

Question 29

What is a hedonistic serial killer?

Answer 29

• lust/thrill- sexual gratification and violence
• distinct process, crimes are protracted, crimes are similar
• comfort orientated, kill for financial gain/personal gain, property & money
• more likely to be female
• tend to be geographically mobile, hard to catch

Question 30

What is a power control serial killer?

Answer 30

• derive sexual gratification from from dominating and controlling the life of another
• sociopath, live by their own rules, still aware of norms and values
• prolonging their crimes, strong compulsion to strangle victims also use weapons
• more likely to involve sexual activity