The Anatomy of the Criminal Mind:
Understanding Violence and Deviant Behavior
Senior Project
Abstract
The criminal mind is a rather interesting and quirky thing to understand. There could be umpteen factors influencing the concoction of the criminal mind. However, this thesis is going to provide an account of the sociological and environmental factors influencing the development of the brain, consequently leading to criminal behavior. It is nerve-wracking, concerning, and interesting all at the same time. However, it provides an insight into the workings of such mind, so as to provide better understanding of combating the activities of such minds.
The Anatomy of the Criminal Mind:
Understanding Violence and Criminal Behavior
One of the most prominent issues in society is the need to understand and explain crime and criminal behavior. The ideas behind threat and fear in relation to crime are constant concerns that impact many people, causing criminologists to raise questions. What triggers these acts of violence? Are criminals at the mercy of their malfunctioning brains? Criminology is the scientific study of crime, distinguished between emerging disciplines of psychology, sociology and biology. During the 18th and 19th century, sociology was the reigning paradigm that dominated the study of crime, however as the sciences developed controversy between the biological and sociological perspectives of criminology developed. In order to understand criminology on a deeper level, it is essential to review the history and evolution of criminological thought.
During the Age of Enlightenment, theorists and scholars began the search to find solutions for crime and deviance as it “was a catalyst in the emergence of the classical school of criminology” (Netterville, 2014). A significant thinker of this era was John Howard, a sheriff and social activist who brought great ideas to the table. He brought significant reforms in the prison cells of America by improving the sanitary conditions of the cells.
The dominant model for understanding criminal behavior has been based on the concept nature verse nurture, however with the 21st century became more modernized when society added the view of biological perspective on the concept of nature verse nurture. Criminal behavior is based on several different factors, which includes physiological brain features, sociological early childhood influences, and biological composition.
References
Albanese, J.S. (2017). The encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice. Hoboken, New
Jersey: Wiley Blackwell, 2014.
Clarence Ray Jeffery, a. (1959). Pioneers in Criminology: The Historical Development of
Criminology. The Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology, And Police Science (1), 3. Doi:10.2307/1140864
Netterville, A. E. (2014). Criminology, history of. In J. S. Albanese, Wiley series of
encyclopedias in criminology and criminal justice: The encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from http://libproxy.calbaptist.edu/login?url=http://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileycacj/criminology_history_of/0?institutionId=823
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