Paper6
h_grmves
personal_criminology_theory.pptxDESCRIPTION
Focus on psychological and biological reasons for committing crimes.
Crime is committed by some people low in social acceptance, intelligence or some other way.
Criminals make no conscious rational choice.
Criminals are not able to morally understand their wrongfulness in a way that the averagely intelligent or socially accepted individuals can.
The criminals’ mind may have been affected in some way causing them to be unable to obey a particular law (Tania, 2014).
Explains shootings of students in schools by fellow students due to bullying.
Explains why jails are correction and rehabilitation centres and not necessarily punishment centres for crimes.
Based on individual differences in thinking processes.
Can also be due to various personality disorders.
ASSUMPTIONS
People are born with tendencies to commit crime.
There are different biological and psychological factors that lead to committing of crimes.
There are individual differences in thinking processes.
Psychopathic traits result more from inherited genes than individual upbringing.
Some personalities predispose to criminal behaviour.
CASE SUMMARY
Robert Bundy (Ted Bundy) , an American kidnapper, rapist and serial killer.
He assaulted and murdered many young girls in the 1970s in 7 states.
His victims regarded him as handsome and charismatic.
He approached them in public places while impersonating a figure or feigning disability before assaulting and murdering them at more secluded places.
He would sometimes revisit the decomposing bodies of his victims, groom them and perform sexual acts with them till putrefaction rendered it impossible (Sullivan, 2009).
Teddy may have been suffering from antisocial personality disorder since though he knew murder was wrong, he was completely devoid of guilt or remorse.
Even as a child he exhibited queer behaviour, on one occasion, his aunt awoke to being surrounded by knives with his 3 year old nephew smiling nearby.
Explains his outward charisma involved in luring his many victims before assaulting and murdering them.
GAPS IN THE THEORY
The positivist theory may fail to explain Bundy’s crimes fully.
Bundy attributes hard core pornography to fuelling his passions.
He some sources also attribute his behaviour to his childhood ignorance about his paternity and his tyrannical grandfather ( Sullivan, 2009).
IMPROVING THE THEORY
Including nurture in addition to nature as cause of crimes.
For instance besides Bundy’s disorder, hard core pornography may have contributed to his crimes.
Exploring environmental influences on inherited traits.
REFERENCES
Tania, T. (2014). Criminology Theories: The Varied Reasons Why People Commit Crimes.
Berit, B. (2012). The Superhuman Mind: The Making of a Psycho pathology.
Sullivan, K. (2009). The Bundy Murders: a Comprehensive History.
