Transcript Slide 1

Forensic Psychology
Turning to Crime Revision
Turning to Crime
What makes some people
turn to a life a crime?
Is it due to upbringing
or biology?
Nature or Nurture?
Do people always have
a choice?
What is the role of
Free Will in crime?
Upbringing
Farrington (2006)
Peers
Sutherland (1939)
Poverty
Wikstrom & Tafel
(2003)
Cognition
Yochelson &
Samenow
(1976)
Moral Development
Kohlberg (1963)
Social Cognition
Gudjohnsson &
Bownes (2002)
Biology
Brain Dysfunction
Raine (2002)
Genes
Bruner et al (1993)
Gender
Daly & Wilson (2001
UPBRINGING
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Nurture argument, family peers and poverty all
influence criminality.
Studies: Farrington (2006) The Cambridge Study in
Delinquent Behaviour (Dysfunctional Families)
Sutherland (1939) Differential Association
Hypothesis (Peers)
Wikstrom & Tafel (2003) The Peterborough Youth
Study (Disadvantaged backgrounds)
COGNITION
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Faulty thinking and lack of guilt or morals
influences criminality.
Studies: Yochelson & Samenow (1976) A Study of
thinking patterns in criminals
Kohlberg (1963) Moral Development
Gudjohnsson & Bownes (2002) The
attribution of blame and type of crime
commited
BIOLOGY
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Nature side of the argument, criminals are born not
made.
Studies: Raine (2002) Understanding the development of
antisocial behaviour in children (Brain Structure)
Bruner et al (1993) A study of violence in a family
with genetic abnormality
Daly & Wilson (2001) Investigation gender related
life expectancy
Evaluation
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It is never easy or straightforward to explain why people turn to
crime. We must be careful to avoid reductionist (simplistic) or
deterministic (criminal behaviour is outside the control of the
individual) arguments. Upbringing, biology and cognition
(thought processes) can all explain criminality; however the real
reasons are far more complex. All these are factors that affect
the chances of turning to crime; none by themselves are causal
factors. It is the interaction between these factors and individual
differences between people that influences whether or not people
turn to crime. It must be remembered that everyone has free will;
we choose whether or not to break the law.
Furthermore, how do we define and measure crime? (reliability
and validity)
Possible Essays - Upbringing
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1) How can upbringing in a disrupted family explain criminal
behaviour?
Evaluate the use of longitudinal research when considering
upbringing as an explanation for criminal behaviour.
2) Describe one way that criminal behaviour has been explained.
Using the issue of reductionism, evaluate any two explanations of
crime
3) How can living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood explain
criminal behaviour?
To what extent does upbringing provide an explanation of criminal
behaviour?
Possible Essays - Cognition
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1) Outline one piece of research into criminal thinking patterns.
To what extent does the cognitive approach provide an explanation
of criminal behaviour?
2) Describe how morality can explain criminal behaviour.
Evaluate the validity of research into cognitive explanations of
criminal behaviour.
3) Describe how social cognition (attribution) can explain criminality.
Evaluate the methodology used to study cognitive explanations of
criminality.
Possible Essays - Biology
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1) Outline how brain dysfunction can explain criminal behaviour.
Evaluate biological explanations of criminal behaviour.
2) Outline evidence which shows that genes may influence criminal
behaviour.
To what extent are biological explanations of why people turn to
crime reductionist?
3) Outline a biological explanation of why males commit more crime
than females.
To what extent does the biological approach provide an explanation
of criminal behaviour?