Topic 8: Aggression and Violent Offending Flashcards
What is aggression?
no simple answer
Bartol (2001) “behavior perpetrated or attempted with the intention of harming another individual physically or psychologically”
should we include passive-aggressive behavior? –> almost never criminal
certain forms of humor?
What is hostile (expressive) aggression?
aggression for its own sake
usually done out of intense anger, arousal, excitement
e.g. rape (some forms), beatings, most homicides
tends to be episodic
often in response to real or perceived provocation
What is instrumental aggression?
directed toward someone who poses an obstacle to the attainment of a goal, often material
intention isn’t necessarily to harm to injure
nevertheless, contracted hits fall uncomfortably into this category
as a rule, only the “necessary” amount of force is utilized
What is homicide?
multiple murder: usually means three or more
serial, spree, mass
rare, but commands vast media and public attention; stays in memory
What are recent examples of homicide?
Taber/Columbine
9/11
Edmonton gang slayings
What are infamous examples of homicide?
Jeff Dahmer
John Wayne Gacy
Jack the Ripper
Manson family
the Hillside stranglers
Why does homicide appear to be on the rise?
wider proliferation of semi-automatic weapons
may be an artifact of improved police communication/database construction
i.e. ability to link cases previous considered unrelated
recall: “case linkage analysis”
What is serial murder?
refers to pattern of killing one at a time
murders separated by “cooling off period” lasting days to years
victims have historically been young, disenfranchised females (runaways, prostitutes)
more recently, children of either gender
often chosen on the basis of availability rather than specific features
What are the characteristics of the perpetrator of serial murder?
surprisingly late onset of serious criminal behavior (24 to 40, median = 36)
seldom have significant juvenile history
may have records for petty nonsense
avoid arrest for average for about four years after onset of killig
average rate of killing is about four victims per year
What are perpetrators of serial murder hard to catch?
difficult to catch because they pick on individuals that are not immediately missed, and who are usually strangers or casual acquaintances
i.e. nothing links them to the crime
contrary to media portrayals, they don’t usually bust into people’s homes randomly looking for someone to kill
as a result of these factors, murders go up when more people are rendered homeless
economic downturns, precipitous release of psych patients
when they’re caught, it’s often a matter of coincidence or sloppiness on their part
What are the characteristics of female serial killers?
more likely to:
be financially motivated
use poisons rather than direct violence
act in concert with a male offender
What are the different subtypes of serial murders defined by Holmes and DeBurger (1988)?
visionary
mission-oriented
hedonistic: lust and thrill
power/control
What is an example of the visionary subtype of serial murderers?
David Berkowitz (Son of Sam)
What is the visionary subtype of serial murderers?
most likely of all types of be psychotic
may claim he’s responding to command hallucinations
What is an example of the missionary subtype of serial murderers?
Adolf Hitler
What is the missionary subtype of serial murderers?
believes it is necessary and justifiable to rid the world of a certain class of individual (e.g. religious groups, prostitutes, teachers)
unlikely to be psychotic, but may later claim otherwise
may have elaborately developed beliefs around the group he targets
What is an example of the hedonistic subtype of serial murderers?
John Wayne Gacy
Hillside stranglers
Jeff Dahmer
What is the hedonistic subtype of serial murderers?
this class includes homicidal sexual sadists (lust)
enjoys the actual process of killing
in the case of sexual sadists, the pain and suffering of a victim adds to arousal
tend to be well-prepared, a few have had elaborate torture chambers set up in isolated locations
may include audio/videotape equipment
death is slow and painful
What is the power/control subtype of serial murderers?
derives pleasure from victims’ helplessness and pleas for mercy
may also sexually assault
What are the two subtypes of serial murders added by Bartol (2001)?
recognition seeker: appears driven by desire for publicity
material gain seeker: in it for the money
What is spree murder?
typically kill in a short period of time
no cooling off period
often occurs while fleeing from another crime, e.g. bank robbery
may be done in a state of panic
not usually repeated
What is mass murder?
victims killed all at once
murders tend to occur quickly, with little warning
may communicate intentions to disbelieving others ahead of time
tends to be well planned
assailant’s own death by suicide or police bullet may be part of the plan
What are examples of mass murder?
Jimmy Jones
Marc Lepine
Newtown Connecticut
What are the stats on the commonality of school shootings?
9 seperate incidents so far in 2021 in the USA alone; all where fatal
41 injuries: most recent was Oct. 17 2021, this is despite many schools delivering instruction online
What are the characteristics of a perpetrator of a school shooting?
assailant usually targets specific individuals, or representatives (symbols) of their perceived oppressors
perpetrators generally suffer from feelings of anger, frustration, or sense of profound loss (could be a job); withdrawn, isolated
well armed, not looking for a fair fight
high capacity assault rifles are common in US (e.g. M16, AK-47)
in Canada, multiple weapons, or lots of spare ammo seen more frequently (e.g. Ottawa bus barns)
What is Type I workplace violence?
perp has no prior relationship to location
e.g. liquor store, gas station hits
injury to others is usually instrumental
What is Type II workplace violence?
former client/customer that feels mistreated
What is Type III workplace violence?
disgruntled employee
most media attention
What is Type IV workplace violence?
location is incidental
perp is after someone that works there
extension of domestic violence
What is workplace violence?
related in some ways to the school shooter
sense of being humiliated or mistreated
financial situation may be such that losing income has catastrophic personal consequences: often claims he acted in desperation
limited flexibility, has views that support the use of force or violence
What is the representative profile of a workplace violence perpetrator?
white male, 35 to 45 years of age
migratory job history
loner with little or no family or social support
chronically disgruntled
externalizes blame; rarely accepts responsibility for things gone wrong
takes criticism poorly
identifies with violence
more than a casual user of drugs and/or alcohol
keen interest in firearms and other dangerous weapons
What are the warning signs for workplace violence?
repeated violations of company polices
fascination with violent and/or sexually explicit movies or publications
escalation of domestic problems
large withdrawals from, or closing of account in the company’s credit union
increased use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs
unexplained increase in absenteeism
noticeable decrease in attention to appearance and hygiene
depression and withdrawal
explosive outbursts of anger or rage without provocation
threatens or verbally abuses co-workers and supervisors
repeated comments that indicate suicidal tendencies
frequent, vague physical complaints
noticeably unstable emotional responses
suspicious or paranoid behavior
preoccupation with previous incidents of violence
increased mood swings
resistance and over-reaction to changes in procedures
increase of unsolicited comments about firearms and other dangerous weapons
empathy with individuals committing violence
What is the psychodynamic theory of aggression/violence?
it’s a result of “bottled up” energy and a lack of appropriate catharsis
What is the prediction of psychodynamic theory of aggression/violence?
direct (e.g. boxing) or indirect (e.g., violent video games) exposure to aggressive activities should lessen risk for aggressive behavior
it doesn’t!
on the other hand, Megargee’s work on over controlled hostility showed that individuals that commit highly violent, out of character acts typically score high on OH and shyness measures than “habitual” criminals
What is the Excitation Transfer Hypothesis proposed by Zillman (1988)?
the stage can be set for aggression in one situation, and it is acted out in another
to a casual onlooker it seems like “flying off the handle” or reacting with excessive vigor to a small provocation
What is the ethological theory of aggression/violence that was proposed by Lorenz?
aggressive behavior is a biological imperative selected by millions of years of evolution
a reaction to territory challenges
most species show ritualized aggression (e.g., head butting) that results in little or no injury to either party
these end in appeasement behaviors that signal the end of conflict
What is the problem with the ethological theory of aggression/violence that was proposed by Lorenz?
even highly dangerous animals with claws, venom, etc., don’t (typically) kill their own kind; we do routinely
Lorenz, that’s because our technological weapons develop so quickly that evolution can’t possibly keep up
What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis of aggression/violence that was proposed by Dollard et al. (1939)?
aggression is the natural consequence of frustration
What are extinction bursts in the frustration-aggression hypothesis of aggression/violence that was proposed by Dollard et al. (1939)?
an increase in the strength and frequency of operant responding when expected reinforcement is no longer delivered
What is the frustration-aggression hypothesis of aggression/violence that was proposed by Dollard et al. (1939)?
an increase in the strength and frequency of operant responding when expected reinforcement is no longer delivered
What are the problems with the frustration-aggression hypothesis of aggression/violence that was proposed by Dollard et al. (1939)?
what is frustration?
how do you measure it?
how do you explain instrumental aggression?
most instances of frustration do not end in aggression
What is the revised F-A hypothesis of aggression/violence that was proposed by Berkowitz (1969)?
three stages:
- person is blocked from obtaining a goal; frustration results
- frustration engenders anger
- anger increases the chances of aggression emerging, but this depends greatly on learning history, and the presence of other aggression-elevating stimuli
What stages were added to the revised F-A hypothesis of aggression/violence by Berkowitz in 1983?
frustrated individual sees the impediment as deliberate
frustrated individual sees the impediment as illegitimate:
resulting affect is subjectively unpleasant
any act that lowers it is likely to eb negatively reinforced
What is the social learning theory of aggression/violence that was proposed by Bandura (1973)?
the learning conditions most apt to result in aggression are…
- plenty of observation of aggressive behavior
- reinforcement for aggression:
happens all the time, and quite naturally
e.g., better toys, others backing down, social prestige (to a point)
most effective over the short term - being the target of others’ aggression
What is the physiological theory of aggression/violence?
higher testosterone (young males only), low serotonin, PMS, high ambient temperatures, high population density
What are controls in the physiological theory of aggression/violence?
psychosurgery
tranquilizers / atypical antipsychotics
SSRIs
anti-androgenetic steroids (chemical castration) - mostly for sexual offenders
