L5 Risk Factors for Offending Flashcards
What are the theories of offending?
Biological theories
Psychological theories
Social theories
What are biological theories?
Historical - physiological characteristics
Modern theory - biological disposition to crime
What is Eysenck’s criminal personality theory?
Socialization occurs through classical conditioning
People differ in how conditioned
Extraversion(E): under aroused - introversion: over aroused
Neuroticism(N): moody/anxious
Psychoticism (P): solitude, lack feelings for others, aggression
Introverts condition quickly
Extraverts more slowly = antisocial? more likely to offend?
What is the evidence for the criminal personality theory?
Hollin 1989 - Studies support psychoticism and neuroticism as a factor making someone more likely to offend
BUT - doesnt explain types of crime, what about other personality factors, individual differences
What is Moffitt’s 1993 Life Course theory?
Developmental explanation - offending either marked by continuity or change
Life course persistent offenders - small group, antisocial behaviours in childhood lead to adulthood
Adolescence limited offenders - large group, antisocial behaviours in adolescence not adulthood
Different causes for each:
LCP - neurobiological deficits (brain functioning)
AL - consequence of adolescent development
What is the self control theory of crime?
Criminality is the absence of self-control
Those with low self control do not consider the long term consequences
This control is usually learned in early life and highly resistant to change
What is a risk factor for offending?
increases your chances of some outcome
Predicts an increased probability of later offending
Risks can come from something you do or nothing you do
What are the different categories of risk factors?
Individual factors:
- hyperactivity and impulsivity
- intelligence and attainment
Family factors:
- child rearing methods
- young mothers and child abuse
- parental conflict and disrupted families
Social factors:
- socioeconomical status
- peer influence
- neighbourhood factors
Name as many risk factors as you can?
Social
Family history
Environmental
Delinquent peers
School
Biological
Psychological
Mental health
Personality disorder
Adjustment to life events
Developmental
What are the challenges related to risk facotr?
They are often all interlinked
Ethics
Age
Willingness to disclose
Literacy and learning difficulties
What are the types of studies that we do to assess risk factors?
Prevalence - factor X currently in offender populations
Retrospective - factor X in past childhood
Controlled - factor X in offender population vs in non-offending population
Prospective - longitudinal: follow a group over time, cohort: follow several groups over time
What is Dixons 2004 prevalence study?
Study type - prevalence
Participants - 100 female juvenile offenders vs 100 match controls
Selection - not described
Predictors - affective disorders and schizophrenia, family adaptability and cohesion scale
Outcome - offender status
What was the results of Dixon 2004 study in psychopathy?
Conduct disorder - 91% offenders 1% non-offenders
Substance abuse - 85% offenders 5% non-offenders
Alcohol abuse - 56% offenders 1% non-offenders
Depression - 55% offenders 25% non-offenders
PTSD - 37% offenders 4% non-offenders
What was the results of Dixon 2004 study in trauma exposure?
Car accident - 33% offender 11% non-offenders
Witness to violent crime - 70% offender 30% non-offender
Victim of violent crime - 30% offenders 4% non-offenders
Sexual abuse - 59% offenders 6% non-offenders
What are the results of Dixon 2004 study in social factors?
Living in intact family 16% offender 57% non-offenders
Homeless - 50% offender 5% non-offenders
