Violent and Property Crime Patterns- difficulty of relying on the legal definition of violenceo some violence is approve- war, execution, self defenseo other types are prohibited- homicide, vigilantism1. Homocide- 80% of victims and 90% of perpetrators are male- most victims 18-24, 50% happen in the cities- most are intraracial- roughly 85% committed by someone other than family- 25% are “victim precipitated”- initiator ends up dead- victim-offender overlap (arrest records)2. Sexual Assault/Rape- nearly exclusive female victims- poor young unmarried non white females more likely to be victimized- about ½ committed by someone known by victim- slightly more than half are reported- rates have been on the decline the past several decades3. Aggravated Assault- gun/knife often used, hands/feet qualify as well- accounts for >60% of UCR violent crimes- “unlawful action with purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury”4. Robbery - gray area if it’s a “violent crime” - taking property by force or threat of force- can’t rob an inanimate object - requires face to face encounter with victim - many target drug dealers - expanding use of credit cards serves as a deterrent - those in which gun is used produce less physical harm5. Burglary- the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony/theft- 3 step process 1) perceived threat 2) psychological encapsulation 3) crime- offender looks for clues to determine that its unoccupied- offenders develop sources which are worth breaking into- “black market” to dispose of proceeds6. Theft- taking of a persons property without their consent with the intent of permanently depriving them of its use- represents 2/3 of all property crimeClassical School - reaction to the state of criminal justice after Enlightenment based on religion with cruelpunishments- Pre-modern understanding of criminalityo Demonic perspectiveo Crime resulted from supernatural forceso Crime conceived of as a sino Theological understandingo Corporal punishment- burning, exorcisms, branding- Legal Environmento Arbitrary and capricious justiceo Sentence often depended on one’s social statuso Corruption was a problemo Judges had wide discretion in applying as much law as would suit their interest (inconsistency)- Philosophy of Classical Theoryo Thomas Hobbes and the social contracto Man is assumed to be a rational actor- utility maximize1. Deterrence Theorya. Purpose of punishment isn’t retribution, its deterrenceb. To be a deterrent: has to be swift, certain and proportionally severec. Perceptual deterrenti. Extra legal consequence- loss of job, social outcastii. Prior experience with CJ system- impacts perception of likelihood of being caught (resetting effect)d. Brutalization hypothesis- argues that when states enact harsh penalties, it has a societal impact devalue human life more crime as a resulte. “An Essay on Crimes and Punishment” (1764)i. Cesare Beccaria- founder of classical schoolii. Revolutionary document- informed Constitution, banned by Vaticaniii. 1st scientific approach to crime- fruit of the Enlightenmentiv. ideas are at foundation of nearly all modern criminal justice2. Routine Activitiesa. Cohen and Felsonb. Argues that certain things increase the likelihood of crimes – changes in societyi. 3 things need to converge at place and time for crime to occur1. motivated offender2. suitable target3. lack of capable guardiansii. to reduce crime, have to reduce opportunityiii. focuses mostly on safety of placeiv. changed at societal level increased opportunities3. Rational Choicea. Believes that criminals look at cost and benefitsb. Acknowledges that rationality is limitedc. 3 types of people- Goody two shoes, Deterrables, EncouragablesBiological Influences on Criminality- somatotypingo ecto/meso/endomorpho everyone ranked 1-7 on these scaleso mesomorph physical characteristics- heavy chest, predominance of muscle, motororgans, large wrists/hands (athletic build)o corresponding temperament= aggressive and assertive- Genealogical Studies- Early Geneticso The Jukes- 1,00 descendantso Kalikak families- 2 marriages with different outcomes “feebleminded barwench” “respectable woman” (nearly all described as “normal”)o Eugenics- the promise of Good Genes (Dalton) “social Darwinism” popular social- scientific platform pre-WWII attempt to select populations with valued traits achieved through altering reproductive habits accordingly remedies for poor genetics (the rancid fruit of determinism)- sterilization- death- the Final Soltuion (Hitler and Mein Kampf)- Rebirth of Biological Criminologyo Twin studies General findings- correspondence between genes and criminality However, could be environment, background, upbringingo Adoption studies For those adopted shortly after birth- controls for the nature issue General findings (correlation with criminality from weak to strong)- Adoptive father criminal- Biological father criminal- Both biological and adoptive father criminal- Contemporary Biological Criminologyo Evolutionary psychologyo Crime is an adaptive response Parasite/hostso r/K selection r (quantity) K (quality) “cads vs. dads” cads- ungentlemanly type, dads- investing time in kids/familyBiological Theories of Crime- dealing with biological criminals- selective incapacitation locked up “undesirables” (mentally retarded, disorders), sterilization- a lot of people began to step away because of punishment- positivist- scientific approach to scientifically find differences between criminals and noncriminals- biological predisposition to crime (risk factor) need sociological/environmental trigger- Lombrosoo Believed people were born with certain characteristics that he measured through physical attributeso Determinism: once your born with these criminal attributes there is no changing what your supposed to beo Early biological schoolo Criminals were atavists, evolutionary throwbacks such as physical indicators that show they are criminalsPsycho-Social Theory- IQ- criminals are less intelligent, score lower on IQ tests than non-criminalso Could be poor education or socioeconomic status- Personality- certain traits that are higher/lower in criminalso Personality types and disorders- Gluckso Disorders- closest link with antisocial personality disorder persistence of disregard for otherso Personality disorders very difficult to
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