Focus on cutting edge research in the social sciences o Not so new outside of the social science o VERY new inside New and refreshing insights into the study of crime and criminals o Different approach then just about any other criminology course Explanations to criminal behavior 1 9 Human Behavior Neighborhoods Parents Poverty Peers Culture Dominant Criminological Theories Social disorganization theory o Focus on neighborhood influences on crime o Focuses on family and other socializing agents Social bonding theory Social learning theory o Focuses on peers What do all these theories have in common o They are all socially influenced Focus all on social factors Criminology Thus the study of crime and criminals is guided largely by ideology idea of how things should be and disciplinary allegiances o However that is not true in practice But criminology is supposed to be interdisciplinary American Society of Criminology ASC o Social psychology Sociology Poly Sci Criminology Criminological Theories Why Focus exclusively social factors as explanations for human behavior o Genetic Determinism If we can identify genes of criminals and non criminals it can have negative ramifications that can be dangerous Kids would be separated and treated differently Dangerous part is determinism because some one is either classified as criminal or noncriminal Sociology mother of criminology Criminology was born out of Sociology believe that human behavior is a direct result of socialization only Behavior in changeable flexible Not your fault out of control due to social circumstances Biology genetics is dangerous most popular argument Ignorant argument However behavior is mostly stable There should be a focus on the individual Genetic and Biological Determinism makes people uncomfortable Determinism implies certainty 1 14 Criminological Theories Social explanations to crime continue to dominate the discipline of criminology o Social bonding theory Hirshi s theory developed in 1969 is criminologists favorite theory Why Is it supported by research Is it easy to understand Support based on political ideology Weakened bonds lead to Criminology Very social theory biosocial studies 5 out of 357 articles o Only 1 4 of all articles published since 2000 n Criminology were 4 correct articles all by Kevin Beaver starting in 2008 Sociological theories are not necessarily wrong o Likely incomplete o Limited explanatory power o Example Heart disease Only due to social factors Also due to family genetics The Complexity of Human Behavior Need to move away from a purely sociological explanation of behavior More advantageous productive to focus on a range of different factors including o Biology o Genetics o Environment Human Behavior behavior in general o Why not ADHD Depression You might think that biogenic factors do not relate to criminality or human Most effective treatment with drugs biochemistry Brain injuries Most people even answer that medication can be the best solution to mental Can change behavior personality drastically problems behavior People overall do not believe that genetics have anything to do with criminal This course is devoted to looking at the whole picture o Focus on both biological and environment influences o More time devoted to biological genetic components We will also examine how environmental and genetic biological factors act in combination to create behaviors o Work independently and interactively Word of caution There is no such thing as a crime gene o Never was never will be We will focus on the entire life course o From conception through adulthood Provides a more comprehensive view of crime and criminals o Most criminology theories inly examine antisocial behavior in adolescence and young adulthood Why Official offending peaks Adolescents are easy to study 80 of the express antisocial behavior Focus on early stages of the life course also which criminologists typically overlook including o Fetal development e g prenatal exposure to drugs alcohol and tobacco Some say fetal development is the most important stage Parental exposure to drugs alcohol and tobacco o Early childhood o Late childhood Prior to the transition into adolescence Prior to the transition into adolescence o Important stages of development Typically overlooked by criminologists This class is grounded in empirical research o Objective o Based on published research as opposed to subjective Scientific method Ask question do background research construct hypothesis test with experiment analyze results and draw conclusion if hypothesis is true report results if false or partially true think again Publication process several stages Multiple sources of input peer review process o Reviewer experts to ensure the quality of the study May undergo multiple iterations Reviewers offer decision suggestion to the editor 2 decisions are most common o Reject o Revise and resubmit R R Almost never get an acceptance A Word of Warning Some material may go against what you think or what you have learned in other classes Just remember if we always followed the status quo we would still think the earth is flat and earth is the center of the universe o Important to question beliefs theories findings o Helps science progress 1 16 The Nature of Behavior Steven Pinkard The Better Angels of Our Nature We ve become far less violent over the past 100 years What is Antisocial Behavior Aggression A tendency to exploit or bring harm to others and to disobey common social rules o Direct Aggression inflicting pain Overt and typically physical Punching hitting More likely to be committed by males o Indirect Aggression Covert and typically verbal More likely to be committed by females Behavior Over the Life Course stretches of time Antisocial behavior has been found to be remarkably stable over long Does NOT mean people will always commit crime at the same rate o Actually see substantial yet predictable changes over time How do we account for these behavioral patterns over time Requires a closer look at the idea of stability What is Stability A general pattern of offending that persists over time A strong linkage among behavioral problems over all stages of the life course including disobeying o Antisocial behavior in childhood Aggression verbally arguing o Juvenile delinquency running away underage drinking o Adult criminal behavior Applies more toward frequency than variety Some research has indicated that levels of aggression in infancy between 12