Violent Crime

Introduction

Expressive violence:

acts that vent rage,

anger, and frustration

Instrumental violence:

acts that improve a

financial or social

position

The Causes of Violence

• Personal Traits and Makeup

Neurological impairments

Low intelligence/ anger management

Abnormal personality structures (brain function)

Physical:

• testosterone levels

• Extra Y chromosome

• Free testosterone was measured in the saliva of 89 male prison

inmates.

• Inmates with higher testosterone had been convicted of violent

crimes.

• 9 out of 11 inmates with the lowest testosterone had committed

nonviolent crimes,

• 10 out of 11 inmates with the highest testosterone had committed

violent crimes. And had more punishments for disciplinary infractions

in prison.

• In the housing unit where peer ratings were most reliable, inmates

rated as tougher by their peers were higher in testosterone."

The Causes of Violence

• Theory:

Aggression and violence

are inborn instincts

The Causes of Violence

• Drugs and violence

Psychopharmacological relationship: between drugs and criminal

mind set

Lose your understanding of right and wrong

Commit crime for economic gain when “need” drug

Rival drug dealers or gangs may be violent toward each other.

The Causes of Violence

• Upbringing

Children exposed to

violence at home,

school, and environment

are more likely to use

violence themselves

Parents who fail to set

adequate limits reinforce

a child’s coercive

behavior

Physical punishment

may lead to defiance

• Spanking v. abuse

The Causes of Violence

• Abused Children

Abused children are likely to later engage in delinquent behaviors

Abused children are likely to physically abuse siblings

Abused children are likely to engage in spousal abuse

The Causes of Violence

• Exposure to Violence

People who are

constantly exposed to

violence may adopt

violent methods

themselves

Crusted over: refers to

children who do not

express their

feelings…show no

indication that they are

affected by violence

around them.

(vulnerable to the lure of

delinquent gangs)

The Causes of Violence

• Subculture of Violence

Violence is legitimized by norms and customs

Violence is higher in subculture areas within urban areas

The Causes of Violence

• Peer Group Influences

Gangs are more likely to

own guns and weapons

Gang violence may be

initiated for:

• Display of toughness

• Retaliation for actual or

perceived grievances

• Protection of ownership

(graffiti)

• Protection of turf

The Causes of Violence

National (or regional)

values are predictive of

violence:

• social disorganization

• economic stress

• child abuse rates

• violence by government

• political corruption

• inefficient justice systems.

Murder and Homicide

• Definition of Murder: “the unlawful killing of a human being with

malice aforethought.”

• Degrees of Murder

First-degree murder

• Premeditation

• Deliberation

Second-degree murder

• Wanton disregard

Manslaughter

• Voluntary (heat of passion)

• Involuntary (negligent)

Born and alive

• Feticide

Murder and Homicide

• The Nature and Extent of Murder

About 16,300 people killed in 2003

Almost one-quarter of homicides occur in cities with populations

of more than 1 million

Murder victims (75 percent) and offenders (90 percent) tend to

be male

About 49 percent of all victims are African Americans

Infanticide (about 500 per year)

Eldercide (less than 5 percent per year)

Murder and Homicide

Stranger homicides typically occur during commission of a felony

Acquaintance homicides are much more common

• Spousal Relations

Men may kill spouses or partners for fear of losing control and

power

Most females murder after suffering repeated violent attacks

• Self defense OR

• revenge

Some people kill mates out of jealousy (love triangles)

Murder and Homicide

• Student Relations

90 percent of schools

with 1000 or more

students experience

violence each year

Many offenders have

history of being abused

or bullied

Assault and Battery

• Definition of battery: requires offensive touching (i.e slapping, hitting,

or punching)

• Definition of assault: requires no actual touching, but involves wither

attempted battery or intentionally frightening the victim by word or

deed.

Assault and Battery

• Nature and Extent of Assault

Road rage

857,000 assaults reported in 2003

Most arrests are young White males (80 percent)

Assault rates highest in urban areas during the summer in the

South and the West

Most common weapons are blunt instruments

Assault and Battery

Factors associated with spousal abuse include:

• Alcohol

• socioeconomic factors

• military service

• having been battered as a child

• And control

Robbery

• Definition of robbery: “the taking or attempting to take anything of

value from the care, custody or control of a person or persons by

force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in

fear.”

In 2003, the FBI recorded 413,000 robberies

Northeastern states have the highest rates

There has been a decade-long drop in rates

Robbery

• The Armed Robber

Most common: opportunistic. Not a professional

Robberies seem to peak during the winter months

Choose vulnerable victims

Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence

• Hate Crimes are violent acts directed toward a particular person or

members of a group merely because the targets share certain racial,

ethnic, religious, or gender characteristics

• Thrill-seeking hate crimes (sadistic thrills)

• Reactive hate crimes (defensive stand)

• Mission hate crimes (duty bound)

Retaliatory hate crimes are committed in response to “threat”

whether real or percieved

Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence

• The Nature and Extent of Hate Crime

During 2003, 9,100 offenses were reported

Racial bias accounts for nearly 49 percent of hate crimes

Religious bias accounts for 17 percent

Ethnicity or national origin bias accounts for 14 percent

Bias against physical or mental disability accounts for 0.5 percent

Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence

• Controlling Hate Crimes

Most state have enacted some form of legislation to combat hate

crime

39 states have laws against bias motivated violence

19 states have mandates regarding the collection of hate crime

data

Some suggest bias crimes should be punished more severely

due to the likely chance of violence

• Legal Controls

Virginia v. Black (2003) upheld by the Supreme Court prohibiting

cross burning as intimidation

Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence

• Workplace Violence

Considered the third leading cause of occupational injury or death

More than 2 million people are victimized each year

• Creating Workplace Violence

Factors include: management style, romantic relationships, and

irate clients and customers

• The Extent of Workplace Violence

18 percent of all violent crime

Assaults are the most common (1.3 million)

Police officer are the greatest risk, along with correctional officers,

taxi drivers, and bartenders

Emerging Forms of Interpersonal Violence

• Stalking

Affects 1.4 million victims annually

Most stalking stops within one to two years

Most victims know their stalker

Women are most likely to be stalked by an intimate partner,

whereas men are stalked by strangers or casual acquaintances

Terrorism

• What is Terrorism?

International terrorism

involves citizens or

territory of more than

one country

The calculated use of

violence (or threat of

violence) against

civilians in order to

attain goals that are

political or religious

Terrorism

• Contemporary Forms of Terrorism

Revolutionary Terrorism: Use violence in an attempt to replace

the existing government

Political Terrorism: Is directed shaping political or religious

ideology

Nationalist Terrorism: Ethnic or religious groups wanting its own

independent homeland

Cause-Based Terrorism: Use violence to impose their social or

religious code on the world

Environmental Terrorism: Is directed at slowing down developers

believed to be threatening the environment

State-Sponsored Terrorism: Repressive government regime

forces its people into oppression and stifles political dissent

Criminal Terrorism: Incorporates crimes such as drug dealing,

kidnapping, and selling of nuclear materials

Terrorism

• What Motivates Terrorists?

• What does this have in common with gangs?

Socialization to violence

Extreme ideological beliefs

Feelings of alienation and failure (psychological disturbances)

Terrorism

• Law Enforcement Responses

FBI and creation of the Cyber Division

Homeland Security- control WITHIN borders

• BTS (Borders and Transportation Security)

• National Guard

• Coast Guard

• Federal Emergency Management Agency

• FBI and CIA are NOT part of Homeland Security