Introduction to

Criminal Behavior
What is crime?
Ø Defined as conduct or failure to
act in violation of the law
forbidding or commanding it, and
for which a range of possible
penalties exist upon conviction
Ø Criminal behavior, then, is behavior
in violation of the criminal code
– “a person must have acted
intentionally and without justification
or excuse”
– there is a very narrow range of
offenses that do not require criminal
intent (called strict liability offenses)
Ø This legal definition encompasses
a great variety of acts
– Ranging from murder to petty
offenses.
Problem of crime
ØWe have plenty of experts and opinions but not real solutions
ØWe have trouble understanding criminal behavior and
identifying its many causes
ØCrime is complex, explanations of crime are also complex
– We, humans, have a tendency for simplicity

ØWhat does Psychology bring?

– Provides a different but complementary explanations to the fields
of
• Sociology, anthropology, economic…
– The scientific study of crime (criminology) needs all the
interdisciplinary help in order to explain and control criminal
behaviour
• Need for integration of data, theories and general view points
Theory refers to a set of interrelated constructs
(concepts), definitions, and propositions that
present a systematic view of phenomena by
specifying relations among variables, with the
purpose of explaining and predicting the
phenomena
What does it mean?
ØIn crime it means systematically connecting many
different social, economic and psychological variables
to criminal variables
ØTheories must be as precise as possible and supported
by data
ØTheories must be tested and its hypothesis/predictions
falsified
– A theory that proposes that sex offenders were sexually abused
as children would be easily falsified (it would easy to find a
nonabused sex offender

ØTheories are dynamic and continuously evolving

Science: three main goals
Ø Description
– Careful observation of data (e.g. behavior)
• e.g. Gender differences in violent crime

Ø Prediction
– Identification of factors that determine the relationship under investigation:
when will a phenomenon occur?
• e.g. People without education are prone to commit violent acts

Ø Explanation
– Identification of causes that determine when and why a behaviour occurs

Theories of crime: three main goals

Ø Identify the causes or precursor of criminal behaviour
Ø Provide direction for further research
Ø Influence policy-makers and decisions made by society
to prevent criminal behaviour from happening
Lay theories and scientific theories
Ø Just-world theory (and fallacy)
– Things just do not happen to people without a reason that is closely
related to their own action
– Everybody gets what they deserve
Ø Just-worlders believe that good people are ultimately rewarded
and bad people are ultimately punished
Ø If you work hard and honestly good things will happen to you
Ø Laziness and dishonesty will lead to limited success and potential
poverty
Ø If you are a burglary victim (breaking into your property) means
you did not protect your house
Ø If your partner batters you surely you have provoked the
beatings
Cognition, neuropsychology & developmental
Ø Cognition refer to the attitudes, beliefs, values, and thoughts
that a person holds (about the social environment, human
nature, himself or herself…)
– Cognitions might be distorted
• Children may be severely physically disciplined
• Distorting the reality - e.g. serial rapists that “only” rape victims who they
perceive “deserve it”
Ø Neuropsychology combines the study of the nervous system
with psychology and crime
– Idea that compromised neuropsychological functioning may be
associated with aggression and violent behaviour (e.g. traumatic
brain injury)
Ø Developmental approach studies the changes and
influences across a person´s lifetime that may contribute to
the formation of antisocial and criminal behaviour
– Risk factors such as poor nutrition, early school failure
Personality
ØLooking for personality dispositions (traits = rasgos) that
influence crime
ØTrait or disposition is a relatively stable and enduring
tendency to behave in a particular way, and it
distinguishes one person from another
– extroverts tend to socialize and meet others
– introverts tend to socialize only with very close friends
– Callous-unemotional traits are characterized by a
lack of empathy and concern for the welfare of
others, and they often lead to a persistent and
aggressive pattern of antisocial behavior
• Callous-unemotional = cruel, desalmado