Violent Crime

1
Chapter 10
Violent Crime
2
Introduction

• Expressive violence acts the vent rage, anger,
  and frustration
• Instrumental violence acts that improve a
  financial or social position

3
The Causes of Violence

• Personal Traits and Makeup
• Neurological impairments
• Low intelligence
• Abnormal personality structures

4
The Causes of Violence

• Evolutionary Factors/Human Instinct
• Eros the life instinct
• Thanatos the death instinct
• Aggression and violence are inborn instincts
• Violence is committed primarily by males

5
The Causes of Violence

• Substance Abuse
• Psychopharmacological relationship between drugs
  and crime
• Economic Compulsive Behavior drug ingestion may
  cause economic compulsive behavior
• Systemic link occurs when drug dealers turn
  violent in competition with rival gangs

6
The Causes of Violence

• Socialization and 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 childs coercive behavior
• Physical punishment may lead to anger and defiance

7
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

8
The Causes of Violence

• The Brutalization Process
• Lonnie Athens links violence to early child abuse
• Classified people into nonviolent, violent, and
  incipiently violent
• Four types of violent attacks 1) physically
  defensive, 2) frustrative, 3) malefic, and 4)
  frustrative-malefic

9
The Causes of Violence

• Exposure to Violence
• People who are constantly exposed to violence may
  adopt violent methods themselves
• Girls are more likely to be victims of sexual
  abuse and boys are more likely to participate in
  fights, stabbings or shootings
• Crusted over refers to children who do not
  express their feelings (vulnerable to the lure of
  delinquent gangs)

10
The Causes of Violence

• Cultural values/Subculture of Violence
• Marvin Wolfgang and Franco Ferracuti formulated
  the concept of a subculture of violence
• Violence is legitimized by norms and customs
• Violence is higher in subculture areas within
  urban areas

11
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

12
The Causes of Violence

• Regional Values
• Raymond Gastil found a significant relationship
  between murder rates a residence in the South
• Gastil contends the southern culture promotes
  violence
• UCRs support the higher rates of murder in the
  South

13
The Causes of Violence

• National Values
• National characteristics are predictive of
  violence
• social disorganization
• economic stress
• child abuse rates
• violence by government
• political corruption
• inefficient justice systems.

14
Forcible Rape

• Common law definition the carnal knowledge of a
  female forcibly and against her will

15
Forcible Rape

• History of Rape
• Men staked claim to women by rape
• Heiress stealing involved men trying to force
  wealthy women into marriage
• Peasant women and married women could not be
  victims of rape until the 16th century

16
Forcible Rape

• Rape and the Military
• Rape has been associated with armies and warfare
  (spoils of war)
• Rape has been used to intentionally impregnate
  women
• Rape is used as weapon of war

17
Forcible Rape

• Incidence of Rape
• 94,000 rapes/attempted rapes were reported in
  2003 (UCRs)
• Rape has been in a decade-long decline
• Population density influences rape
• About 46 percent of rape offenders are under 25
  years of age
• NCVS estimates rapes in 2003 were about 200,000

18
Forcible Rape

• Types of Rape and Rapists
• Some rapes are planned and some are spontaneous
• Nicolas Groth suggested every rape encounter
  contains either anger, power, or sadism
• Power rapist (55 percent)
• Anger rapist (40 percent)
• Sadistic rapist (5 percent)

19
Forcible Rape

• Gang versus Individual Rape
• Women subjected to rape by multiple offenders are
  more likely to experience violence such as
  beatings or the use of weapons
• Gang rape victims are more likely to resist than
  those attacked by single victims
• Gang rape victims are more likely to report the
  rape

20
Forcible Rape

• Serial Rape
• Serial rapists tend to be White males
• Rape may be blitz styled or captured
• Some use personal or professional relationships
  to gain access to their targets (I.E. police
  officers)

21
Forcible Rape

• Acquaintance Rape
• Date Rape is estimated to affect 15 to 20
  percent of all college women
• Marital Rape almost every state recognizes
  marital rape as a crime
• Statutory Rape sexual relations between underage
  minor female and an adult male, which an be
  consensual or forced
• About 50 percent of rape involves acquaintances

22
Forcible Rape

• The Causes of Rape
• Evolutionary, biological factors rape is
  instinctual
• Male socialization men socialized to no means
  yes (virility mystique)
• Hypermasculinity expression of male anger toward
  women
• Psychological abnormality narcissistic
  personality disorder
• Social learning learned through interaction with
  peers (Nicholas Groth)
• Sexual motivation Notion that rapists prefer
  younger victims. (most criminologist reject this
  view)

23
Forcible Rape

• Rape and the Law
• Sexist treatment by the legal system
• Police may be hesitant when no obvious signs of
  violence has occurred
• Aggravated rapes are prosecuted more frequently

24
Forcible Rape

• Proving Rape
• Jurors are often swayed by the notion the rape
  was victim precipitated
• Prosecutors must establish the act was forced and
  violent
• The victims demeanor is crucial to successful
  prosecution
• Consent essential to prove the act was
  involuntary
• Rape Shield Laws protect women from being
  questioned about sexual history
• Violence Against Women Act in 1994 allows women
  to sue in federal court (civil rights violations)

25
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

26
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)

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Murder and Homicide

• Weblink
• http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/elders.htm

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Murder and Homicide

• Murderous Relations
• Stranger homicides typically occur during
  commission of a felony
• Acquaintance homicides are more common involving
  family and friends
• Spousal Relations
• Men may kill spouses or partners for fear of
  losing control and power
• Most females murder after suffering repeated
  violent attacks
• Some people kill mates out of jealousy (love
  triangles)

29
Murder and Homicide

• Personal Relations
• Most murder occurs between people who are
  acquainted
• David Lukenbill suggested murder follows a
  sequential pattern after the victim makes what is
  considered an offensive move
• Stranger Relations
• Stranger homicides occur most frequently during
  rapes, robberies and burglaries
• Impact of habitual criminal statutes
• Student Relations
• 90 percent of schools with 1000 or more students
  experience violence each year
• Many offenders have history of being abused or
  bullied

30
Murder and Homicide

• Serial Murder
• There are more than one type of serial killer
• Thrill killers sexual sadism or dominance (most
  common)
• Mission killers to reform the world
• Expedience killers for profit or protection

31
Murder and Homicide

• Serial Murderers and their Motivations
• Violence begins in childhood
• Mental illness, sexual frustration, neurological
  damage, child abuse, and neglect
• Most experts view serial killers as sociopaths

32
Murder and Homicide

• Female Serial Killers
• 10-15 of serial killers are women
• Males are more likely to use violence than women
• Females are most likely to poison the victims
• Education levels are below average and they are
  likely in low status positions, if employed

33
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.

34
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

35
Assault and Battery

• Assault in the home
• Women face the greatest risk of assault
• Child Abuse
• Child Abuse (85 percent of fatalities were
  younger than six years of age)
• Neglect (59 percent)
• Physical abuse (19 percent)
• Sexual abuse (10 percent)
• Emotional abuse (7 percent)

36
Assault and Battery

• Causes of Child Abuse
• Family violence is perpetuated
• Abusive parents were abused themselves
• Blended families
• Parents isolated from friends, neighbors, or
  relatives

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Assault and Battery

• Sexual Abuse
• Women suffer some form of sexual violence (1 in
  5)
• Recent studies suggest incidence of sexual abuse
  is in decline
• Effectiveness of prevention
• Overlooked cases
• Children who have been abused experience
  life-long symptoms

38
Assault and Battery

• Parental Abuse
• The younger the child the higher the rate of
  Child-to-parent violence
• Children are more violent to mothers
• Boys hit parents more than girls do

39
Assault and Battery

• Spousal Abuse
• Occurred throughout recorded history
• Nature and Extent of Spousal Abuse
• Observers suggest 16 percent of families
  experienced husband-wife assaults
• Factors associated with spousal abuse include
  alcohol, hostility, excessive brooding, social
  approval, socioeconomic factors, flashes of
  anger, military service, having been battered as
  a child, and unpredictableness

40
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
  compared to 554, 000 by the NCVS
• Northeastern states have the highest rates
• There has been a decade-long drop in rates

41
Robbery

• The Armed Robber
• Unlikely to be a professional rather
  opportunistic
• Robberies seem to peak during the winter months
• Choose vulnerable victims

42
Robbery

• Acquaintance Robbery
• Victims are often reluctant to report
  acquaintance robbery
• Some robbers are motivated by street justice
• Because the robber knows the person, they will
  have inside information
• Acquaintance robbers frequently target people in
  close proximity because of the convenience

43
Robbery

• Rational Robbery
• Most robbers are opportunistic
• Patterns of robbery suggest it is not a random
  act
• Robbers choose vulnerable victims and times
• Women robbers may feign sexual interests to lure
  a victim

44
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 hate crime whether real or percieved

45
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
• 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

46
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

47
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

48
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

49
Terrorism

• What is Terrorism?
• International terrorism involves citizens or
  territory of more than one country
• Typically involves a type of political crime to
  promote change
• Some terrorists seek to bring about economic or
  social reforms (labor or wearing fur disputes)
• Terrorist and Guerilla terms used interchangeably
  but they are different (terrorists have urban
  focus)

50
Terrorism

• A Brief History of Terrorism
• Assassination of Caesar considered terrorism
• Became popular during the French Revolution
  (1700s)
• The Irish Republican Army (1916)
• Resistance to German troops during WW II

51
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

52
Terrorism

• What Motivates Terrorists?
• Socialization to violence
• Extreme ideological beliefs
• Feelings of alienation and failure (psychological
  disturbances)

53
Terrorism

• Responses to Terrorism
• Increased intelligence gathering (globally)
• 1994 Violent Crime Act (authorized death penalty
  for terrorists)
• USA Patriot Act ( investigation tactics)
• The Foreign Terrorist Tracking Task Force (2001)

54
Terrorism

• Law Enforcement Responses
• FBI and creation of the Cyber Division
• Homeland Security
• BTS (Borders and Transportation Security)
• EPR (Emergency Preparedness and Response)
• ST (Research and development of WMD)
• IAIP (Information Analysis and Infrastructure
  Protection)