CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY

1. CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY KEY DEFINITIONS * (AC 3.3a, specification page 42)

2. Learning outcomes: • By the end of the session, you will be able to: • Define the following terms: criminological psychology, crime, anti-social behaviour, recidivism, token economy, modelling, stereotyping, eye witness testimony • Give at least one example of one theory and one study from each of the 5 AS approaches can be applied to criminological psychology

3. * Crime ... • Societies define crime as the breach of one or more rules or laws for which some governing authority or force may ultimately prescribe a punishment • However … • What constitutes a crime is historically and culturally specific - it is time and culture bound

4. * Recidivism ... • This is the term used to describe the act of reoffending. • This means that a person who has committed a crime and been punished or treated for it, does it again.

5. When noting down definitions (or taking notes in general), try to write them in a way that will help you to make sense of and remember them • When answering questions on definitions in the exam, you don’t have to word the response exactly as it appears in the mark scheme; what matters is that you are conveying the correct information • E.g. mark scheme entries for the definition of recidivism: • Reoffending, OR • When an offender gets prosecuted and caught again, OR • The statistical/criminal rate of reoffending, OR • When a criminal gets out of prison and starts doing the crime again

6. Some examples ... • Attempted suicide was regarded as a criminal offence until 1961. • Homosexual acts between consenting adults was regarded as an offence until 1967. • Incest was NOT regarded as a crime until 1908. • More recently a smoking ban in England, made it illegal to smoke in all enclosed work places in England. It came into force on 1 July 2007 as a consequence of the Health Act 2006

7. In addition ... • Criminal behaviour is also designated according to age and intention – thus the same behaviour can be seen as criminal in one case and not in another. • The age of criminal responsibility varies from country to country: in Scotland it is 8, in England and Wales it is 10, in France it is 13 and in Sweden it is 15. • Individuals are deemed to have committed a criminal act only if they can be shown to have had the intention of doing so. Those suffering from some forms of psychiatric illness are considered incapable of this aspect of criminal behaviour.

8. * Criminological Psychology is ... A specialised area which uses psychological knowledge in an attempt to define and understand criminal behaviour Investigates the causes of crime by examining social and personality factors Deals with legal aspects of crime (e.g. courtroom procedures, eyewitness testimony and policing procedures) which are used to judge criminals A key function is to develop treatment programmes for offenders in a bid to prevent recidivism Also utilizes profiling techniques to identify offenders and possibly predict future crimes

9. * Anti-Social Behaviour ... Behaviour that is not necessarily against the law, but causes upset and distress to other members of the public (e.g. talking loudly outside someone’s house in the early hours of the morning)

10. Other examples: • vandalism, graffiti and fly-posting • dealing or buying drugs on the street • fly-tipping rubbish • aggressive begging • street drinking • Anti-social behaviour doesn't just make life unpleasant; it holds back the regeneration of disadvantaged areas and creates an environment where more serious crime can take hold

11. * More key terms • * Token economy ... • A system of behaviour modification based on operant conditioning principles, which means ... • Desirable behaviour gets rewarded (reinforced), while undesirable behaviour gets punished • * Modelling ... • The act of imitating someone’s behaviour that has been observed

12. * More key terms • * Stereotyping ... • making a judgement based on limited information; people may be classified because of one ore more shared characteristics • * Eye witness testimony ... • The evidence of someone who has been at the scene of a crime, given in court under oath

13. In criminological psychology, research findings and theories from the different approaches in psychology are applied to the questions raised by real life legal and criminal problems • Unit 3 is a synoptic unit! So ... • How can the different psychological approaches be applied to criminological psychology?

14. Task ... • Each group has a sheet with one of the 5 AS approaches written at the top – you have 5 minutes to list as many theories and/or studies from within the approach which could apply to Criminological Psychology • You must then pass the sheet to the next group who have 5 minutes to add more information to it • The task will finish when groups have been handed back their original sheet • You must then pass the sheets back to me; I will photocopy them and add them to the blog

15. How about...? • Behaviourist psychology –behavioural techniques could be used to treating offenders as part of their rehabilitation • Biological psychology – could provide a genetic explanation for certain types of criminality • Psychodynamic psychology – could shed light on whether the choice of victim is influenced by an earlier episode in an offender’s life • Cognitive psychology – the theory of reconstructive memory can help us understand how witnesses recall events • Social psychology – conformity research could be applied to how juries reach verdicts