Preview

Criminal Behavior

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
2248 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Criminal Behavior
Criminal Behavior
Teaka De La Cruz
COMM 220
February 20th 2009

Criminal Behavior The psychology behind criminal behavior has been the subject for debate dating back to renounced psychologist pioneer Sigmund Freud. Exactly what could cause a human being to act in unspeakable violent, antisocial, or sadistic behavior? In the past sociologist believed that environment contributes a huge role in predicting criminal behavior. Psychologists in the early 19th century believe genetics were the corporate contributing to criminal behavior and the parents inherited genes wee the cause. The outdated viewpoints and old ways of diagnosing human behavior have passed to a new realization. The genetics deposition alone will not determine behavior, however; the wrong environment increases the statistics of participation and violent behavior. My youngest uncle was raised in a large dysfunctional family. He was the victim of a broken home torn apart by divorce in the late nine-teen sixties. It was evident he was battling emotional, psychological, and personality dysfunction by adolescent. He was diagnose with bipolar and Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). As a teen he experimented with the drug craze of the seventies to control his emotions. It was only a matter of time before the unassuming attractive blond hair; blue eye teen would become a statistic in prison for minor drug charges. My uncle’s prison experience was inhumane for a skinny teenager suffering from an anti social condition. The violent sexual and physical he encounter coupled with the lack of sufficient psychological treatment for his disorder led to more psychosis. The prison environment became the reason that led him to suffer from dual personality disorder. Unfortunately, my uncle never became a productive member of society. The psychology behind human behavior suggests that biological influences shapes human behavior. The brain genetic structure is inherited from our parents.



References: Knoll, J. (2006), Psychiatric Times, From General One File, University Of Phoenix Library Drehle, D (2007), It’s all about him, Time From General One File, University of Phoenix Library Sachs, A. (2004), The Rule of Law, Time, From General One File, University of Phoenix Library Ted Bundy interview, January 3rd 2009, retrieved online via youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVV6-ThQ5MI Alper, J. (1995). Biological influences on criminal behavior: How good is the evidence? British Medical Journal, 310, 272-273. Brunner, H. G., Nelen, M., Breakefield, X. O., Ropers, H. H., & van Oost, B. A. (1993). Abnormal behavior associated with a point mutation in the structural gene for monoamine oxidase A. Science, 262, 578-580. Eysenck, H. J. (1982). Personality, genetics, and behavior. New York: Praeger. Eysenck, H. J. (1996). Personality and crime: Where do we stand? Psychology, Crime, & Law, 2, 143-152. Garnefski, N., & Okma, S. (1996). Addiction-risk and aggressive/criminal behavior in adolescence: Influence of family, school, and peers. Journal of Adolescence, 19, 503-512. Holmes, S. E., Slaughter, J. R., & Kashani, J. (2001). Risk factors in childhood that lead to the development of conduct disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 31, 183-193. Joseph, J. (2001). Is crime in the genes? A critical review of twin and adoption studies of criminality and antisocial behavior. The Journal of Mind and Behavior, 22, 179-218. Larsen, R. J., & Buss, D. M. (2005). Personality psychology: Domains of knowledge about human nature (2nd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. Lowenstein, L. F. (2003). The genetic aspects of criminality. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 8, 63-78. Miles, D. R., & Carey, G. (1997). Genetic and environmental architecture of human aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 207-217. Morley, K., & Hall, W. (2003). Is there a genetic susceptibility to engage in criminal acts? Australian Institute of Criminology: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 263, 1-6. Raine, A., Mellingen, K., Liu, J., Venables, P., & Mednick, S. A. (2003). Effects of environmental enrichment at ages 3-5 years on schizotypal personality and antisocial behavior at ages 17 and 23 years. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160, 1627-1635. Rasmussen, K., Storsaeter, O., & Levander, S. (1999). Personality disorders, psychopath, and crime in a Norwegian prison population. International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, 22, 91-97. Rhee, S. H., & Waldman, I. D. (2002). Genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior: A meta-analysis of twin and adoption studies. Psychological Bulletin, 128, 490-529. Russo, E., & Cove, D. (1995). Genetic engineering dreams and nightmares. New York: Freeman. Schmitz, M. F. (2003). Influences of race and family environment on child hyperactivity and antisocial behavior. Journal of Marriage & the Family, 65, 835-849. Sloan, P. R. (2000). Controlling our destinies. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press. Tehrani, J., & Mednick, S. (2000). Genetic factors and criminal behavior. Federal Probation, 64, 24-28.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    James Q. Wilson and Richard J. Herrnstein 1985 put forward a biosocial theory of criminal behaviour. In their view, crime is caused by combination of biological and social factors. Biological differences between individuals make some people innately more strongly predisposed to commit crime than others. For…

    • 985 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The compositions of the human genes is believed to carry out an important role in relations to criminal aggression and it causation. With no explicit indentification of the gene, Crimimologist believe that the influence of social and physical environment is more like to predetermine one to become aggresive of crimimal more than genetical prediposition.…

    • 399 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The biological approach to aggression includes the belief that genetic factors play a role in aggressive behaviour and lies within an individual’s genetic make-up. There is supporting evidence of a genetic component of aggression. Psychologists have looked at twin studies to try and find evidence for a genetic basis o compare the degree of similarity of aggression between sets of monozygotic (MZ) twins and dizygotic (DZ) twins. In general it was found that aggressive behaviour is more highly correlated in MZ twins than DZ twins. For example, Gottesman found a concordance rate of 87% for aggressive behaviour for MZ twin pairs, compared with 72% for DZ twin pairs. However, solely relying on evidence from twin studies can be problematic as it is hard to disentangle nature and nurture. It has been suggested that MZ twins are treated more alike and share more similar environments than DZ twins due to them acting more like 'one' person rather than two separate people. This may affect how alike they are and how likely they both are to express aggression.…

    • 1132 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A gene called MAOA is associated with aggressive behaviour, it regulated the metabolism of serotonin, and additionally low levels of serotonin are associated with aggressive and impulsive behaviour. A study from a Dutch family with a history of violence including rape and arson found low levels of MAOA in their blood. It showed that the men had a defect in their MAOA. This study shows that the gene MAOA is associated with aggression, this means that some genes can influence the susceptibility to aggressive behaviour, however it is not certain that one gene can determine aggressive behaviour, however it is likely that many genes can contribute to human behaviour rather than one single gene.…

    • 689 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In this time period, an American named Richard Dugdale conducted a type of experiment in which he spent time in a jail where several inmates are from the same family. In Dugdale’s study, he revealed that there is a notable amount of criminality and drunkenness among the family members. He then furthers the idea that through genetics and inheritance, criminal traits could be passed down.…

    • 2156 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sociology Chapter 9

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Now studies show people’s overall genetic composition in combination with 
social influences account for variation in criminality…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Bartol, C. A. A. (2011). Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach (9th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall.…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Andrea Yates

    • 1198 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Genetic evidence that confirms that biology does play an important part in explaining an offender’s criminality. Some believe that desire to commit crimes may be inherited and that criminal inclinations are genetically based. Research has been done extensively to discover evidence that would support this claim that has been made by intellectuals. Criminal deeds have always been a motivation due to the debate of nature and nurture. Studies have been done in regards to this debate that has resulted in a conclusion that both genes and environment do play apart in the criminality of a person.…

    • 1198 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Theories Of Criminology

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The debate regarding criminality being a result of nature or nurture has been a topic of discussion both within criminology and outside of it for decades. Criminologists brought forward theories attempting to address and explain this paradox, and explanations for crime included psychological, sociological, economical, biological reasons, amongst…

    • 1665 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    This view of the criminal as an “evolutionary mismatch” (Morrison et al, 1995) advocates social Darwinism and thus promotes eugenics as a method of ‘treatment’. A disadvantage of Lombroso’s study is that his sample was unrepresentative of the population as a whole as he only studied those in prison and only looked at deceased bodies. It is more than likely that the features that he identified as being criminalist would have also been found in those in the general public however he was known to often overlook individual differences between people (Bohm et al,…

    • 1629 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Better Essays

    Does Socialization Matter?

    • 31040 Words
    • 125 Pages

    Ghodsian-Carpey, J. & Baker, L. A. (1987). Genetic and environmental influences on aggression in 4- to 7-year-old twins. Aggressive Behavior, 13, 173-186.…

    • 31040 Words
    • 125 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Biological theories of crime causation follow the principle that many behavioral tendencies, including aggression and criminality, are constitutionally or physiologically influenced. Most of the usual sociological suspect would have come from a broken or abusive home, is a part of a family below the poverty or has a parent who is convicted criminal. All of these examples support the biological theories and most of the time people living in those conditions are more susceptible to…

    • 1633 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Social and home environment are shown to contribute to the development of antisocial behavior. The parents of delinquent children are frequently proven to be alcoholics or criminals themselves, and the homes were often disrupted by divorce, separation, or the absence of one…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Are Criminals Mad or Bad?

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Appelbaum, P. S., (2005). Behavioral Genetics and the Punishment of Crime. Law and Psychiatry, 56 (1), 25-27.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    criminal behaviour

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The fundamental individual causes of criminal behaviour may be the genetic predisposition. Joseph (2001) claims that criminal behaviour is also a result of inherited characteristics, but also points out that the individual’s characteristics and personality could be still influenced by the environment.…

    • 802 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays