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