wa2 summary
12/28/2021
1
Chapter 10: Violent Crimes -Slides and data in this outline are from Adler, Mueller, and Laufer (2007,
2013, 2018, & 2022); Siegel (2015); and modified by Manning (2007, 2013, 2015, 2018, & 2022).
Violence is the use or threat of force.
Homicide
• Killing of human being by another. • Justifiable homicide: sanctioned by law (not always illegal then).
• Criminal homicide • Murder: intentional killing of another person with malice aforethought.
• First degree: premeditated and deliberate
• Second degree: intentional without premeditation
• Felony murder: intention to commit some other felony.
12/28/2021
2
Manslaughter Unlawful killing of another person without malice
Voluntary Manslaughter • Killing committed intentionally
but without malice. • Example: in the heat of passion or
in response to strong provocation.
Involuntary Manslaughter • Killing unintentionally but
recklessly by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk.
• Negligent homicide (some states) • Criminal liability for grossly negligent
killing in situations where the offender assumed a lesser risk.
• Diane Whipple killed in her hallway by neighbors dogs (Siegel, 2015).
Homicide Rates in the United States • Homicide rates are high in USA but are steadily declining. • 2018 approximately 16,214 murders nationwide.
• 5:100,000 in 2018; 4.5:100,000 in 2014 which was down 6.1% since 2005 • In 1994 it was 9:100,000 (Adler, et al., 2022).
• Regional difference (cities like Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit over rural areas). • South accounts for 46% of homicides • Midwest 22% • West 19.9% • Northeast 11.9% • Cities like Chicago
• 1950 most had jobs by 1990 only 1 in 3 had a typical work week. • 2016 Chicago had the highest homicide rates for any city in US history.
• States: District of Columbia highest, South Carolina 1st, Florida 5th, Michigan 10th, and Maine lowest.
12/28/2021
3
Characteristics of Murder
• Approximately 78% of murder victims are males.
• Nearly half between 20-34 years old.
• While USA doesn’t have highest homicide rates we do have highest rates for those under age 15.
• Murder tends to be Intra-racial but not intra-gendered. • Approx. 90% blacks killed by blacks and 85% of whites by whites (Siegel, 2015).
• Black women account for 75% of our nations female murders (Adler, et., 2022).
• Stranger homicides only account for about 7.5% in 2018.
• USA highest risk of being murdered by family and acquaintances.
Characteristics of Murder cont’d
• Gang Homicides • Attributed to social disorganization and lack of economic opportunity
• Killers are generally younger
• 2.5 X more participants.
• Twice as likely to not know the victims
• Increased by stander victims due to drive by shootings.
12/28/2021
4
Types of Murder
• Serial Murder (serial killers): • killing of several victims over a period of time.
• Sociopaths: lack internal controls, disregard values, and dominate others.
• Up to 15% are women.
• Men choose victims they render helpless while women choose the helpless.
• Mass murder: • Killing of multiple victims in one event or in very quick succession.
• Vegas strip mall Oct. 2017 with 59 dead, Orlando Pulse nightclub
• Gang murder: • Killing of rival gang members over drugs and territory.
Assault
• Attack on a person with an apparent ability to inflict injury and is intended to frighten or to cause physical harm. • Battery: results in touching or striking the victim.
• Simple assault: little to no physical harm. Verbal?
• Aggravated assault: Serious harm on the victim or use of a deadly weapon.
• Assaults are the most common violent crimes. • Often Family Related Crimes
• Spouse abuse: as many as one out of every six couples at least once per year.
• 60% yelling, slapping and pushing. Offender over 80% males for spouse murders.
• Child abuse: 4.1 million reports (abuse/neglect) to Child Protection Services in 2018
• Elder Abuse: estimates of up to 2.5 million annually over age 65
• Physical abuse/neglect. Most common is Hygiene neglect (can be self neglect)
12/28/2021
5
Rape • Act of forced intercourse by a man on a women (other than the attacker’s wife)
without here consent. • Stranger rape (classical rape most reported).
• Occurs when the victim has had little or no prior contact with the offender.
• Predatory rape – Use of deception or force to rape by pretending to engage in legitimate dating behavior.
• Date rape – force used • Marital rape and Statutory rape
• Characteristics of Rape (FBI UCR) • In 2018 there were 139,380 reported rapes to police, up from 2014 stats of 84,041. • As many as 25% of college female students • Approximately ½ of offender know their victims – (reported rapes). • Summertime higher risk. • Siegel (2015) says rape is violent coercive acts of aggression, not forceful expression of
sexuality. Used as a weapon of war. • 50% power, 40% anger, and 5% Sadism
Factors of Rape
Psychological factors
• Rapists suffer from mental illness or personality disorders.
• Offences are committed due to anger, drive for power, or the enjoyment of maltreating a victim.
Sociocultural factors
• Societal norms that approve of aggression as a demonstration of masculinity. • Male socialization – doing gender
• Social disorganization • societal norms.
12/28/2021
6
Kidnapping
• Abduction and detention by force or fraud and transport beyond the authority of the place where the crime was committed. • Lindbergh Act - 1932
• The Act makes it is a felony to kidnap and transport a victim across a state or national border.
• Subject to death penalty, unless the victim was released unharmed.
• Often children are abducted by one parent from the primary care taker.
Robbery • Taking of property from a victim by force and violence or by the threat of
violence. • In 2018, 282,061 robberies (down from 1997). • In 1997, 497,950 robberies or 186:100,000 people. This was the lowest robbery rate
since 1985.
• Characteristics of Robbers. • Professional Robber • Opportunistic Robber • Addict Robber • Alcoholic Robber
• In 2010: Sex 90% male, Age 60% under 25, Race half black & 45% white • Second degree felony up to ten years in prison (Adler, et al., 2022).
• If attempt to kill – life • Average 6 years (punishment based on violence not property) (Siegel, 2015).
12/28/2021
7
Organized Crime • Many wealthy groups are speculated to have achieved wealth through
unethical means of greed and exploitation. • Vanderbilt's & Rockefeller’s?
• Sicilian Immigration to U.S. (1875-1920) from southern Italy (Sicily). • History of oppression by Roman, Arab, German, Spanish and French soldiers. • The law is for the rich, the gallows are for the poor and justice is for the fools.
• Mafia (place of refuge) • Sicilian families that were loosely associated with one another in operating organized
crime. • Illegal activities
• Gambling, loan sharking, alcohol & drug trafficking, pornography, prostitution, labor racketeering, murder for hire, theft and fencing.
• Then Infiltrated Legitimate businesses • Loading and unloading ships, fish and meat industries, liquor, vending machines, waste
disposal, and construction.
Organized Crime cont’d
• Racketeer Influence and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act • Attacked racketeering activities
• Racketeering is a racket to make money for providing a corrupt service
• Federal Witness Protection Program • Protected witnesses who testified in court against organized crime.
• Includes other groups • Colombian, Bolivian, Peruvian and Jamaican crime families. • Motorcycle Gangs
• Disillusioned veterans of the Korean War and Vietnam conflict.
• Chinese – Triad • Israeli and Russian-Jewish Mafia • Japan’s Yakuza – “Tattooed Men”
12/28/2021
8
Terrorism
• Groups resorting to violence or threat of violence against opposition of constituted authority. • Crucial to the terrorists’ scheme is the exploitation of the media to attract
attention to their cause.
• Worldwide destructive impact • Resulting in increased costs of security measures.
• War against terrorism • Longest conflict/war US has very been in.
• Costing around $700 billion per year USA alone
• Global destabilization
• Sustainability?
Other Threats
• Militias • Michigan Militia (over 10,000 members)
• Stockpile weapons, build bombs
• Linked to Training domestic terrorist Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols (1995 Oklahoma City bombing).
• Hate Crimes • Stiffer penalties
• School violence • Columbine 15 dead, VT shootings 2007, Sandy Hook elementary school,
Florida Douglas High School.
12/28/2021
9
Gun Control Debate
• Illegal gun ownership, gang membership, and drug use are closely related to gun crime, street crime, and minor delinquency
• Gun Control • Aims to restrict availability of firearms.
• Stiffer penalties, including mandatory sentences that take offenders off the streets.
• Right to Bear Arms • second amendment right to defend oneself and others
• Conceal and open carry decreases crime