Unit 3: Criminology Flashcards
What is Criminology?
Criminology is the study of crime, justice and deviant behaviour and their relationship to the police, courts, prison and other systems of regulation
What does Criminology Explore?
Criminology explores the…
- Individual and societal causes of crime
- Incidence and forms of crime
- The definition of crime from a legal standpoint
- Reaction to law break i.e punishment/rehabilitation
What is a Crime?
- An act deemed socially harmful or dangerous, that is specifically defined, prohibited & punished under criminal law
- A person who violates the law is considered a criminal
Types of crime…
- Violent Crime: crimes against other people
- Property Crime: vandalism, theft
- Public Order Crime: contrary to moral values eg. speeding, peeing in public
- White Collar Crime: business related crimes
- Organized Crime: illegal acts committed by illegal organizations eg. sex trafficking, drug dealing
- Cyber Crime: identity theft, child pornography, hacking, etc
What type of crime is embezzlement?
white collar
What type of crime is prostitution?
public order
What type of crime is murder?
violent crime
What type of crime is bank robbery?
property crime
What type of crime is vandalism?
property crime
What type of crime is illegal gambling
organized crime
What type of crime is grand theft?
white collar crime
What type of crime is drunk and disorderly?
public order
What type of crime is bribery/extortion?
public order (minor) and organized crime (major)
What type of crime is arson (firestarting)?
property crime
What type of crime is assault?
violent crime
What type of crime is credit card theft?
cyber crime
What is deviance?
- Behaviour that is departed from social norms but is not necessarily criminal
- A person who violates norms of society is called deviant
- Not all deviance is criminal and not all crime is deviant behaviour
eg. speeding, someone speaking really loud
Possible Reasons why People Commit Crimes?
- Biological
- Psychological (rape, stress, labeled, moral defects, pathological, drug abuse)
- Environmental (social pressures, crime as a profession, poverty)
- Learned behaviour (abuse, crime is tolerated or enabled, crime in family)
- Physical abuse
- Exposure to violence (in home, media, pornography, etc)
- Privilege or sense of entitlement (narcissistic: think they are more important then other people)
Traits that lead to Criminal Behaviour?
- Antisocial values (because someone hurt them justifies their actions and values ): this is also known as criminal thinking. It includes criminal rationalization or the belief that their criminal behaviour was justified. Individuals possessing this trait often blame others for their negative behaviour, and show a lack of remorse
- Criminal Peers: individuals with this trait often have peers that are associated with criminal activities. Most are often involved with substance abuse including drugs or alcohol. Peer influence often persuades the individual to engage in criminal behaviour. They will also typically present with a lack of pro-social community involvement (i.e strong support system at home)
- Anti-social personality: these traits often include atypical behaviour conducted prior to the age of fifteen and can include, running away, skipping school, fighting, possessing weapons, lying, stealing and damage to either animals or property
- Low self- control: this involves one’s ability to control temperament and impulsivity. People that carry this trait often do things that they didn’t plan, and will fail to think before acting. This mindset is of the here and now, and not on the consequences of the behaviour
- Dysfunctional family: one of the most common traits includes a lack of family supposed, both emotionally and others. An individuals family lacks the ability to problem solve and often is unable to communicate effectively. Family members often don’t possess the ability to express emotions in an appropriate manner. More often than not, they are also involved in criminal activity
- Substance abuse: the use of drugs or alcohol that significantly affect ones ability to engage in a successful and productive lifestyle. There is often an increased tolerance to substances, in addition to an ability to stop use.
Characteristics of Criminals?
Social Class:
- The relationship between social class or economic status and crime has been studies extensively
- More crime in deprived and deteriorating neighbourhoods, or large cities, and studies of penal populations revealed that levels of educational and occupational attainment were lower in the wider population
Racial Patterns:
- Relationship between racial or ethnic background and criminality has evoked considerable controversy. Most penal populations do contain a disproportionately higher number of people from minority racial groups relative to their numbers in the general population
- However, some criminologists have painted out that this may be the result of the high incidences among minority racial groups of characteristics that are commonly associated with identified criminality (eg. unemployment and low economic status) and the fact that in many cities racial minority groups inhabit areas that have traditionally had high crime rates
- Other explantations have focused on the enforcement practices of the police which can be identified by racial discrimination
Gender:
- Crime is predominantly a male activity. In all criminal populations, whether of offenders passing through the courts or of those sentenced to institutions, men outnumber women by a high proportion, especially in more serious offences. Beginning of 21st century, in the US men accounted for about 4/5 of all arrests and 9/10 of arrests fir homicides
Age:
- Crime is predominantly a youthful activity. Although statistic vary between countries, involvement in minor property crime generally peaks between ages 15-21
- Participation in more serious crime peaks at a later age from the late teens through the 20s and criminality tends to decline steadily after the age of 30
Why after 30?
- Physically unable
- Families
- Career and future
Cognitive Behavioural Treatment
- Getting better at answering questions to situations
- Communication
- Decision making
- Problem solving
- Practicing the newly learned skill
- Graduating only once patient is able to demonstrate change
- Success is equal to improved change
Re (again) cidivism
- Reoffend
- Rearrested
- Reconvicted
- Resentenced
- Reincarcinated
- Regressed
- Relapsed
- Readmitted
- Rehospitalized
Why do we Care about Crime so Much?
- Deviant behaviour can be intriguing to those that are removed from such tendencies
- The need to feel safe is our more important need after our basic psychological needs (food, shelter, water, etc)
__ssdgm list___
How is Crime Potrayed in the Media?
Criminals
- Scruffy or handsome (depends on crime)
Victims
- Weak and vulnerable
Criminal Justice System
- Strict
- Very slow
- White, male
What is Human Trafficking?
- Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing crimes worldwide
- It is serious criminal offence under the Criminal Code of Canada that can include recruiting, harbouring or controlling a persons movements using force, physical or psychological coercion, or deception
- Traffickers often make victims do labour (for ex. domestic, physical, and manual labour) or preform sexual acts in exchange for monetary gain
Human trafficking is not…
- human smuggling that involves moving someone across a border
- consensual, paid sex work by individuals 18 years or older
What is sex trafficking?
- Sex trafficking is a form of sexual exploitation that can include recruiting, harbouring, transporting, obtaining, or providing a person for the purpose of sex
- It refers to the forced, coercive, fraudulent or deceptive exchange of sex for something of value (for ex, money, food, drugs, alcohol, transportation, shelter)
- In Ontario, sex trafficking is the most commonly reported form of human trafficking
What is labour trafficking?
- Labour traffickers often take away passports and other documents, and sometimes control where the person stays. Debt bondage is a form of labour trafficking where a person is told they must work to pay off a large, unexpected and illegal debt
- People in other countries and newcomers may be recruited by someone from their home country or from Canada who makes false promises about what a job is and how much is pays
How trafficking can happen…
- Traffickers identify and target a persons vulneralabilites to gain trust and form a bond. They often identify and fulfil a persons needs, and then use that dependence to control and exploit them
- A person can be trafficked anywhere, including in their home community. People who are being trafficked, and the people around them, may not know that a crime is taking place
- Some people who are trafficked are controlled and monitored constantly and don’t have the opportunity or are afraid to ask for help
- They may also be manipulated to believe that the trafficker is the only person who cares about them and that they are best off staying with their trafficker
What can traffickers do to control and manipulate victims…
- emotional abuse
- lies
- addiction (gives them drugs to stay)
- threats
- violence
- isolation
- taking control of identification, documents or money
People at risk of human trafficking…
- Anyone can be at risk of being trafficked, however, there are some factors that can make someone more vulnerable
- People who are at a higher risk of being sex trafficked are:
- Women and girls (though boys, men and people who identify as ZSLGBTQA+ are also targeted)
- Homeless and/or marginalized youth
- Youth who struggle with self-esteem, and/or are experiencing bullying, discrimination, poverty, abuse, isolation, and other social or family issues
- Indigenous and radicalized women and girls
- People w addiction, mental illness or developmental disabilities
People who are at risk of labour trafficking…
- migrant workers
- newcomers to Canada
- people w uncertain immigration status
- people who are homeless
- people who do not speak English or French
Signs that someone may be being trafficked…
Behaviours and activities:
- are repetitively missing from home and/or have been frequently reported missing to police
- are being secretive about their activities
- begin staying out more than often and later
- are absent from school or there is a decline in school performance
- use new or increased methods of transportation, such as taxis, ride-hauling or sharing applications
Relationships with friends and family:
- are withdrawing or isolating from friends or family
- having a new bf, gf or friend who they won’t introduce to friends and family
- suddenly spend time w an older persons or people
Physical appearance and belongings:
- begin wearing more sexualized clothing
- having new jewerly and clothing that they can’t afford
- show signs of physical abuse, such as bruising, cigarette burns or fractures
- have tattooing or branding symbols, particularly names
- suddenly have a new or second phone with a secret number
What is Victimology?
Victimology is the specific and deliberate study of a crime victim
What are primary and secondary victims?
Primary: a primary victim is a person who is injured or killed as a direct result of an act of violence being committed against them
Secondary: a secondary victim is one in which the act was not committed against them directly ex. parents or witnesses
Theories of Victimization
Practical theories that are used to help detectives solve crimes
- Precipitation theory
- Lifestyle theory
- Deviant place theory
- Routine Activities theory
What is the Precipitation Theory?
Suggests that some people’s actions or choices intimidate or cause a particular confrontation that may eventually lead to that person becoming victimized by injury or death
Active Precipitation: occurs when the victim willingly and knowingly puts themselves in risk situations, uses fighting words or threats, or simply attacks first
Passive Precipitation: occurs when the victim contains characteristics that unknowingly motivates (i.e sexual assault) or threatens the attacker
What is the Lifestyle Theory?
Victims whose lifestyle increases criminal exposure are more likely to become victims of crime
Examples:
- Living in bigger cities
- Out late at night
- Alone in isolated locations
- Living alone
- Low income
- Taking drugs and drinking excessively
- Participating in criminal behaviour
The theory holds that crime is not random but instead is a function of an individual chosen lifestyle
Deviant Place Theory
- Suggests that victims do not motivate crime but rather are prone to becoming victims simply because they live in social areas that are disorganized and contain high-crimes rates
- As a result, they tend to have a higher likelihood of coming into contact with criminals regardless of their lifestyle or behaviour
- The more a person is in a high-crime area, the higher the risk of being victimized
- Such places tend to be densely populated and impoverished/low income
- Statistical studies have shown that people with higher incomes have a lower risk of being victims of crime
The Routine Activities theory
- This theory is closely link three variable interactions that presents the typical routine activities of the traditional Canadian/American lifestyle:
- Available and suitable targets i.e unlocked/faulty homes that contain sellable goods
- The lack of proper guardians i.e. caregivers, police services, neighbours
- The existence of emboldened offenders such as addicts, young men, those who are struggling financially
- The presence of such components increases the risk that a predatory crime will occur. Essentially, the victim is a practical target for the perp
Why would we want to study the victim?
- Its effective in defining the suspect pool
- It develops links and connections to a possible suspect
- It develops timelines for the victim
- It helps to understand the victims past and present
- We may be able to predict the type of victim and suspect may select in future crimes
Victims Lifestyle Risk
Based on factors which are based on, but not limited to:
- Personality
- Their environment (personal, professional, and social)
- How they respond to hazards in their environment
An individual’s state of mind:
- Agitated or emotionally distressed increases risk
- Intoxication increases risk
Drugs and Alcohol:
- Dramatically increases victim incident risk
- The use of mind-altering substances may decrease one’s reaction time and impair ones judgement
- The victim may be intoxicated by their own will, forced against their will or unknowingly drugged i.e Date Rate Drug
- Time of occurrence (certain times of day are more risky then others)
- Available light and the number of people around at the time
Location:
- One of the most important factors to affect victim incident risk
- Some environments contain more criminal activity
- Perpetrators (perps) find or place the victim in isolated locations out of reach of assistance
Numbers:
- Safety in numbers
Exceptions: mass murders, cults, crimes against humanity
Modus Operandi aka M.O
- M.O refers to the amount of skill, planning, and precaution demonstrated by the perp before, during and after the crime
- The more skill, planning and precautionary measures evidence by a perp, the victim could perceive a lower risk of them i.e Ted Bundy
- The more skill, planning and precautionary measures evidenced by a perp, the lower they may perceive their own risk of being caught! their ego gets the best of them, they make mistakes
Low M.O Risk for the Perpetrator
- Victims who will not immediately be missed
- Perp feels they will have more control over their victim
- Lower risk of the perp being noticed, identified, or recorded
- Dark locations, times when few or no people are around. They abduct their victims from locations that are far from where the perp lives. Will often take victims to even more secluded locations from the abduction site
- Access locations by virtue of lifestyle and availability i.e sex workers and runaways (when victims are strangers to the perp)
High M.O Risk for the Perp
- Perps that use a low amount of skill, planning, and precaution before, during, and after a crime
- i.e victims that will immediately be missed, places where the perp will be noted or identified
- when the intended victim survives, sees the perp’s face or attacks someone they know
Victimology timeline includes…
- Detailed map (physical and time) of the victims last 24 hours (ASAP)
- Outline expected background elements of the route in terms of vehicles, people, activities in the time leading up to the crime
- Was the perp masquerading within those background elements?
Types of Stalkers…
The Rejected Stalker
- Rejected stalking begins after the breakdown of a close relationship. Motives is either attempting to reconcile the relationship. Victims are usually former sexual partners; however family members or friends with close relations the stalker can also become targets
The Intimacy Seeker
- Intimacy seeking stalking arises out of loneliness. Victims are usually strangers or acquaintances who became targets or stalker desire, fuelled by mental illness involving delusional beliefs about victims
The Resentful Stalker
- Resentful stalking arises when the stalker feels as though they have been mistreated or that they are the victim if some form of justice or humiliation. Victims are strangers or acquaintances who seem to have mistreated the stalker. Arises out of mental illness- wants to get back at them
The Incompetent Suitor Stalker
- They stalk due to loneliness or lust and target strangers and acquaintances. They are often seeking a date or a short-term sexual relationship stalking for a brief period when they persist their behaviour maintained by the fact they are blind to distress victim
The Predatory Stalker
- Begins because of sexual interests
- Perpetrators are usually male, victims usually females
- Strangers are targeted by stalkers who develop sexual desires
- Stalking is a way of obtaining info
What is a Mass Murderer?
They kill a large amount of people, typically at the same time in a single location
What is a Serial Killer?
Person who kills 3 or more victims, during three or more separate events, at three or more locations, with a cooling off period in between
- Killings are repetitive
- Can develop specific patterns related to their crimes
ie MO (try to relive that moment so do it similarly) - Patterns can change/evolve over time (change so it would not leave evidence)
- Will continue until the predator is identified, apprehend, dies or is killed (won’t stop until someone stops them)
- Period between attacks may decrease over time; trophy rush wears off (need more sooner)
Murders are not…
- Political
- Domestic (not family)
- Motivated by a rage against specific element or aspect of society
What are some things that create serial killers/what are indications of serial killers what is the Macdonald Triad?
- Unstable home
- Absence of long and nurturing relationships
- Physical ailment and disabilities (psychological or cognitive)
- Head injuries
- Triad: bed wetting, fire starting, animal torture
Who killed the youngest men or women?
Man
Does race indicate murderers?
not really yes white but not really
Why in the mid 90s was the most murders committed?
Time period where baby boomers grew up and had children and grew up out war (so ptsd, trauma, depression, anxiety, poverty)
US has way more serial killers than Canada T Or F
True
Why the Decrease in the US?
Technology:
- Insurance fraud is more difficult
- Killing multiple patients is not likely to go unnoticed as everything is documented
Longer Prison Sentences Keep Potential Serial Killers in Prison
Law Enforcement Efforts:
- Catch single murder more quickly (ex. DNA)
Fewer Targets: we have changed our behaviour
- No more hitchhiking!
- No more offering or giving assistance to motorists
- No more “free range” kid behaviour keeps kids in house late at night etc no walking alone
Psychology or Sociology? What do you think causes a person to become a serial killer?
- Damage to orbital cortex
- Violence genes high- risk gene (MAOA on X-CHS)
- Why only men get it to only get from mom
- Society Brough up in violent setting
- Abuse
Organized vs Disorganized Crime
Organized:
- Above intelligence
- Methodical planners
- Abduct
- Murder and disposal sites are separate ie multiple crimes scene locations
- Superficial charm/relationships
Disorganized:
- Below avg intelligence
- Impulsive
- Quick, surprise attacks
- Usually, one-two crime scenes and usually the body is left at the crime scene
- Socially inept (introverts)
What drives a serial killer?
Visionary (like what drugs make them do)
- Delusions command them to kill
Example:
- Herbert Mullin heard voices that told him to kill in order to prevent an earthquake
Mission Oriented:
- Revenge
- Eliminate a group of people
Example: Carroll Edward Cole killed women who cheated
Hedonistic:
- Thrill/rush
- Sexual pleasure
- Financial gain
Example: Ludia Trueblood killed 5 husbands and a baby daughter for money
Power/control
- Power over victims
- Usually for sexual gratification, but not always
Example: Ted Bundy kidnapped, raped and murdered 30 known victims
What is Criminal Profiling?
Profiling involves the investigation of a crime in hopes of identifying the offender, based on crime scene forensics and analysis, investigative psychology, and behavioural science
What is behavioural analysis?
They work to assist in examining evidence to help put together a potential offender description
FBI- Behavioural science unit
- their primary focus was to investigate homicide and serial rape cases
- the idea of organized and disorganized crimes/criminals was then developed
What is Organized Crime?
Organized criminals commit crimes which are premeditated and planned out in advance. The criminals knows it is wrong and they show no remorse. The crime scene is destroyed/cleaned and little to no evidence is found. They may also be experienced
What is Disorganized Crime?
Disorganized criminals can be fueled by emotions, have little to no control over what they are doing and typically the crime is not premeditated. They often typically leave evidence behind such as fingerprints, blood or hair etc. These criminals may be impacted by drugs or alcohol etc
Profiling Process in which they would zero in on the offenders behaviour during four different phases of a crime
- Antecedent: what fantasy or plan, did the murder have in place beforehand? What triggered the murderer to act on some days and not on others?
- Method and manner: what type of victim/s did the murder er select? What was the method and manner of murder? i.e M.O
- Body Disposal: wad the body disposed of at the scene of the murder? Or was it on two or more different scenes? Did the crime take place at the disposal site?
- Postoffense Behaviour: is the murdered trying to include themselves into the investigation? Do they contact the media or investigators? Leave cryptic clues?
Can behaviour reflect personality?
True
What do proffers look at when trying to create the profile?
- The crime committed
- The crime scene
- The victims
- The police reports of the crime
- The autopsy reports
The profile will include:
- Heigh/weight/age range
- Gender
- Personality characteristics
- Ethnic background
- Possible career etc
What does a blitz style attack on the small or physically challenged people mean?
It means the attacker has little confidence and self-esteem, not charming, antisocial type
What do attacks on the elderly mean?
It means that the person has little to no sexual experience
What do sever facial trauma/covering the face mean?
It means that the person may have known the victim and is trying to depersonalize them
What does covering/cleaning the body mean?
That the person may feel bad about what they did
What do multiple stab wounds means?
Mean alot of anger and emotion, usually very personal to the killer
M.O vs Signature
Modus Operandi:
- Learned behaviour
- Is what the Crimean does to commit the crime (shooting, stabbing, calming period)
- It can change (more sophisticated, escalate, more sporadic/disorganize)
Signature (like their signature thing doesn’t change)
- What the criminal does to fulfill himself
- Expresses criminals personality
- They NEED to do it and often have something behind that is specific and unique only their crimes
Profiling Serial Killers and Rapists
- Behaviour reflects personality
- They sense weakness and vunerability
- Thrill of hunt gets them going
MacDonald Triaf
etc…
The Role of Fantasy
- They daydream and fantasies can become violent and that and sex can become associated with one another, and they can also become associated with one another if the killers first experience of sex was violent for example if they were sexually abused
