Criminological Key Words Flashcards
Define anti social behaviour
Acting in a way that causes or is likely to cause harassment alarm or distress to one or more individuals within the household of the person exhibiting the behaviour
Harassment
Acting in an aggressive or intimidating manner to someone
Causal factor
Factors that cause someone to act in an antisocial or criminal manner
Temperance
Abstaining from alcohol
Psychopath
Someone who struggles to interact with others
Ablate
Ruin or destroy the functions of an organ or body tissue
Limbic system
A set of structures in the brain associated with emotions and moods
Extraversion
Someone who behaves in an outgoing, sociable way. They are excitable and grow bored easily
Introversion
Someone who is quiet and reflective. They prefer solitary to social activities
Neuroticism
Emotional instability associated with fear and anxiety
Stability
Individuals are calm, unreactive and unworried
Psychoticism
Individuals lack empathy and are aggressive and cold
Arousal theory
Individuals are motivated to act in a way to maintain a level of physiological arousal. If this declines stimulated behaviour is exhibited
Ascending reticular activating system (ARAS)
A system that transmits messages to the limbic system to release hormones or neurotransmitter
Recidivism
Reverting back to old behaviours eg criminal behaviour
Narcissistic
Someone who focuses on themselves and enjoys the admiration of others, leads to the exploitation of others
Paranoid
Someone who distrusts others and takes criticism personally and bears grudges
Serotonin
Acts as neurotransmitter to
Control Moods
Dopamine
Neurotransmitter helps transmission of information between neurones
Anabolic steroids
Synthetic forms
Of testosterone. They cause excessive growth and mass muscle
Labelling
When you use general terms to describe members of a group
Self fulfilling prophecy
A stereotype that leads to
Someone acting in a way consistent with the stereotype
Stereotype
An overgeneralised belief about Someone that is typically based on limited information
Prejudice
Dislike or unfair behaviour based on false information
Discrimination
Practice of treating one person or group different from another in an unfair way
Vicarious
Learning from consequences of another’s behaviour
