Glossary / Lexicon

Deutsch: Verbrechen / Español: Crimen / Português: Crime / Français: Crime / Italiano: Crimine

Crime refers to the human conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction which has the power to make such laws.

It is an act committed or omitted in violation of a law forbidding or commanding it.

Crime in psychology refers to behaviour that violates societal norms and legal codes, often influenced by various psychological, social, and environmental factors. Psychological perspectives on crime explore the motives, cognitive processes, personality traits, and social influences that drive individuals to engage in unlawful acts. Understanding crime from a psychological standpoint helps in developing effective prevention strategies and rehabilitation programs.

Description

Psychological theories of crime aim to explain why individuals commit unlawful acts and how different factors contribute to criminal behaviour. Some key perspectives include:

• Biological Theories: These suggest that genetic, neurological, and biochemical factors may predispose individuals to criminal tendencies. Studies on brain structure and hormonal imbalances have been linked to aggressive and impulsive behaviours.
• Psychodynamic Theories: Rooted in Freudian psychology, these theories argue that unresolved unconscious conflicts from childhood experiences can contribute to criminal tendencies.
• Behavioural Theories: These focus on learned behaviour through reinforcement and social modelling, suggesting that individuals may engage in crime due to observed behaviour in their environment.
• Cognitive Theories: These examine how thought processes and decision-making contribute to criminal acts, highlighting issues like distorted thinking patterns and lack of impulse control.
• Personality Theories: Some theories suggest that certain personality traits, such as antisocial tendencies or psychopathy, make individuals more prone to criminal behaviour.
• Sociocultural Theories: These emphasize the role of environment, peer influence, economic status, and cultural norms in shaping criminal behaviour.

Criminal behaviour is often studied in relation to mental disorders, with conditions like antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) and psychopathy being particularly relevant. However, not all criminals suffer from psychological disorders; situational factors and personal choices also play crucial roles.

Special Considerations in Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology applies psychological principles to legal contexts, helping in criminal profiling, assessing offenders, and understanding witness credibility. Psychological assessments in the criminal justice system help determine competency to stand trial and assess the risk of reoffending. Rehabilitation programs also incorporate psychological techniques to reduce criminal behaviour.

Application Areas

• Criminal Profiling: Using psychological analysis to understand offender behaviour and predict future crimes.
• Rehabilitation & Therapy: Developing programs to reform offenders and prevent recidivism.
• Juvenile Delinquency Studies: Analysing risk factors leading to youth crime.
• Legal Decision-Making: Assessing the mental state of defendants in court cases.
• Victim Psychology: Studying the psychological effects of crime on victims.

Well-Known Examples

• The Case of Ted Bundy: A study of psychopathy and manipulation in serial criminals.
• Bobo Doll Experiment (Bandura, 1961): Demonstrated how children learn aggressive behaviour through observation.
• The Stanford Prison Experiment (Zimbardo, 1971): Showed how situational factors can influence criminal-like behaviour.
• Theories of Cesare Lombroso: Early biological explanations of crime that linked physical traits to criminality.

Risks and Challenges

• Ethical Concerns: Profiling and psychological assessments can sometimes reinforce biases or lead to wrongful accusations.
• Nature vs. Nurture Debate: Ongoing discussions about the balance between biological predisposition and environmental influences.
• Rehabilitation Difficulties: Some criminals, particularly those with psychopathy, show resistance to rehabilitation.
• Misuse of Psychological Theories: Overgeneralisation of criminal psychology concepts can lead to stereotypes and wrongful assumptions about individuals.

Similar Terms

• Deviance: Behaviour that violates social norms but may not always be illegal.
• Delinquency: Typically refers to criminal behaviour committed by minors.
• Antisocial Behaviour: Actions that harm or disregard others, often linked to criminal tendencies.
• Forensic Psychology: A branch of psychology focusing on legal and criminal issues.

Weblinks

• kriminal-lexikon.de: 'Verbrechen' in the kriminal-lexikon.de (German)
• allerwelt-lexikon.de: 'Verbrechen' in the allerwelt-lexikon.de (German)

Articles with 'Crime' in the title

• Computer crime: Computer crime refers to any crime perpetrated through the use of computer technology. Also, any violation of a federal or state computer-crime statute
• Computer related crime: Computer related crime refers the manipulation of a computer or computer data for criminal purposes. This includes the dishonest obtainment of money, property or some other advantage of value or to cause loss eg
• Computer-related crime: Computer-related crime refers to any illegal act for which knowledge of computer technology is involved for its investigation, perpetration, or prosecution
• Consensual Crime: Consensual Crime: Consensual crime refers to any crime in which the "victim" is a willing participant (drug use, prostitution, etc.).
• Conventional Crime: Conventional Crime refers to those traditional, illegal behaviours that most people think of as crime. Most crime is conventional crime. Non-conventional crime, may be organized crime, white-collar crime, political crime, etc
• Corporate Crime: Corporate Crime refers to a crime committed by corporate employees or owners to financially advantage a corporation. It may involve acts like fraud, environmental pollution, making of unsafe products and dangerous work environments
• Crime Scene: Crime Scene refers to the geographic location where a crime has been committed. n the field of psychology, the term "crime scene" might be used to refer to the location where a crime has been committed, or to the physical evidence that is . . .
• Crime Scene Unit: Crime Scene Unit: Crime Scene Unit refers to a unit of investigators trained to secure, analyze and process crime scenes.
• Crime Scene Vehicle: Crime Scene Vehicle: Crime Scene Vehicle refers to a vehicle used to transport crime scene investigators and crime scene processing supplies
• Crime-control model: Crime-control model: Crime-control model refers to a criminal justice perspective that emphasizes the efficient arrest and conviction of criminal offenders
• Crimes against property: Crimes against property: Crimes against property is defined as crimes involving the illegal acquisition or destruction of property.
• Crimes against the person: Crimes against the person: Crimes against the person is defined as crimes violative of life or physical integrity.
• Cybercrime: Cybercrime refers to a crime committed with the use of computers, or via the manipulation of digital forms of data. Another term for computer crime. Other /More definition: Cybercrime is defined as any illegal act in which knowledge of . . .
• Drug-defined crimes: Drug-defined crimes refer to violations of laws prohibiting or regulating the possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs.
• Drug-related crimes: Drug-related crimes refer to crimes in which drugs contribute to the offense (excluding violations of drug laws).
• Environmental crimes: Environmental crimes refer to violations of the criminal law which, although typically committed by businesses or by business officials, may also be committed by other persons or organizational entities, and which damage some protected or . . .
• Index crimes: Index crimes refer to the eight (8) major crimes included in Part I of the Uniform Crime Reports: criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-thef t, auto theft, and arson
• International crimes: International crimes refer to the major criminal offenses so designated by the community of nations for the protection of interests common to all humankind
• Occupational crime: Occupational crime refers to any act punishable by law which is committed through opportunity created in the course of an occupation that is legal.
• Organized crime: Organized crime: Organized Crime refers to the unlawful activities of the members of a highly organized, disciplined Association- engaged in supplying illegal goods and services, which includes but not limited to gambling, prostitution, . . .
• Post-crime victimization or secondary victimization: Post-crime victimization or secondary victimization- refers to problems in living which tend to follow from initial victimization.
• State-organized crime: State-organized crime : State-organized Crime refers to acts defined by law as criminal and committed by state officials in the pursuit of their job as representatives of the state
• Transnational crime: Transnational crime: Transnational Crime refers to a criminal act or Transaction violating the laws of more than one country or having an impact on a foreign country
• White-collar crime: White-collar crime refers to a sociological concept encompassing any violation of the law committed by a person or group of persons in the course of an otherwise respected and legitimate occupation or business enterprise

Summary

In psychology, crime is analysed through various theories that examine biological, cognitive, behavioural, and social influences. Understanding the psychological basis of crime aids in criminal profiling, legal decision-making, and offender rehabilitation. Despite advances in research, challenges remain in addressing criminal behaviour, particularly in distinguishing between psychological predisposition and environmental influences.