The video for this presentation is available on our Youtube channel:
https://youtube.com/allceuseducation A continuing education course for this presentation can be found at https://www.allceus.com/member/cart/index/index?c=
Unlimited Counseling CEUs for $59 https://www.allceus.com/
Specialty Certificate tracks (including criminal justice counseling professional) starting at $89 https://www.allceus.com/certificate-tracks/
Live Webinars $5/hour https://www.allceus.com/live-interactive-webinars/
Instagram: AllCEUs
Pinterest: drsnipes
Examines theories that attempt to explain the motivation for criminal behavior in order to help reduce recidivism and relapse among people with and without addictions in the criminal justice system
Theories of Criminal Behavior and Rehabilitation Overview
1.
2. Theories of Criminal Behavior
An Overview
Dr. Dawn-Elise Snipes
Executive Director, AllCEUs.com
3. Psychological Theories (?) of Crime
Cognitive theory suggests that an individual’s perception
and how it is manifested (Jacoby, 2004) affect his or her
potential to commit crime.
Good or Bad Attributions of Self and Society
Stable or changeable
Internal or external
Global or specific
Definitions: Firmly held concepts that may make a
behavior or outcome rewarding or punishing
4. Psychological Theories of Crime
The antisocial personality is characterized by
Low levels of guilt, shallow emotions, lack of empathy
Superficial charm
Above-average intelligence
Persistent violations of the rights of others
An inability to form enduring relationships
Impulsivity
Risk taking
Egocentricity
Manipulativeness
5. Psychological Theories of Crime
Neurotransmitters
Norepinephrine, which is associated with the body’s fight-or-flight
response
Dopamine, which plays a role in thinking and learning, motivation,
sleep, attention, and feelings of pleasure and reward
Serotonin, which impacts many functions, such as sleep, sex
drive, anger, aggression, appetite, and metabolism
6. Critical Theory
The elite of the society, decide laws and the definition of
crime
Those who commit crimes disagree with the laws that
were created to keep control of them.
Crime is a product of oppression of workers and less
advantaged groups within society, i.e. lower
socioeconomic status, sexism and racism.
7. Conflict Theory
Crime results from the conflicts among the different social
classes
Laws arise from necessity as a result of conflict, rather
than a general consensus. (Drug laws)
The fundamental causes of crime are the social and
economic forces operating within society.
The criminal justice system operates on behalf of rich and
powerful social elites, with resulting policies aimed at
controlling the poor.
The criminal justice establishment aims at imposing
standards of morality and good behavior created by the
powerful on the whole of society.
8. Conflict Theory
Focus is on separating the powerful from the have-nots
protecting themselves from crime.
In the process, the legal rights of the poor are ignored.
The middle class are also co-opted, siding with the elites
rather the poor, thinking they might themselves rise to the
top by supporting the status quo.
Example: Street crimes are routinely punished quite
severely, while large scale financial and business crimes
are treated much more leniently.
Theft of a car might receive a longer sentence than stealing
through illegal business practices.
9. Deterrence and Rational Choice Theory
Behavior, is NOT determined by biological, psychological, or
environmental factors acting on the person, compelling him or
her to commit crimes (Cornish & Clarke, 1986; Kubrin et al., 2009).
People voluntarily, willfully choose to commit criminal acts
When people are thinking about committing a crime, they
consider the related costs and benefits (McCarthy, 2002).
There are costs and benefits of not committing crime, and this
theory presumes that, before making a decision, people
consider the costs and benefits of non-crime as well.
10. Labeling Theory
Labeling is an intrinsic feature of all human interaction.
A complete picture of crime or deviance can be attained by
examining
• Offenders and their characteristics
• Societal reactions to incidents of rule-breaking
A person labeled as a deviant may accept that deviant label
by coming to view himself or herself as a deviant (i.e.,
internalizing the label) and then engage in further behavior
that is both consistent with the label and the way in which
the label was applied.
Ex: Good Girl/Boy Phenomenon
11. Labeling Theory
This creates additional deviance and criminality because
of the application of a deviant label
• once an addict always an addict
• once an offender, always an offender
According to the labeling perspective, a person will
generally behave in a manner that is consistent with the
way in which that person believes others view him or her.
Cooley (1926) referred to this process as the looking-glass
self, which is a reference to the socially shaped self.
12. Psychological Theories (?) of Crime
Psychodynamic theory is centered on the notion that an
individual’s early childhood experience influences his or her
likelihood for committing future crimes.
Crime
Drugs
The second is behavioral theory to include behavior
modeling and social learning.
Crime
Drugs
13. Self-Control Theory
At the heart of criminal events and criminals was one
stable construct: low self-control.
Self-control is “the tendency of people to avoid criminal acts
whatever the circumstances in which they find themselves”
Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990)
Low self-control is a lack of that tendency.
Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) believed low self-control
explained criminal acts and behavior across time, gender,
ethnicity, and crime types.
14. Self-Control Theory
Individuals with low self-control are characterized as
Impulsive
Here-and-now orientation
Indifferent, and insensitive.
“Risk-taking, short-sighted, and nonverbal”
Lack diligence, tenacity, and persistence
Self-centered
Have unstable relationships and professional lives.
15. Self-Control Theory
Individuals with low self-control are characterized as
Having minimal tolerance for frustration, responding to conflict
physically rather than verbally
Not possessing or valuing verbal, academic, cognitive skills.
Gottfredson and Hirschi believe that a child with low self-
control is the product of “ineffective childrearing” (p. 97).
Consistent supervision and discipline, coupled with
affection, results in the proper development of self-control.
16. Self-Control Theory
Socialization can be impeded by parents who
May not feel affection toward their children
Lack the time or energy to devote to supervision
May not see problem behavior for what it is
Are reluctant to discipline children despite witnessing and
understanding the child’s behavior
Engage in behavior indicative of low self-control themselves.
17. Social Control Theory
Most people would commit crime if not for the controls that
society places on individuals through institutions such as
schools, workplaces, churches, and families.
It is society’s responsibility to:
maintain a certain degree of stability in an individual’s life
make the rules and responsibilities clear
create other activities to thwart criminal activity.
18. Social Control Theory
The effects of poverty such as not having enough food to eat
or children being left alone at home while their parents work
plant the seeds for crime
It is society’s obligation to prevent crime by giving children
alternative activities and full bellies
19. Social Learning Theory
Criminal behavior is learned according to the principles of
operant conditioning
Anticipated, observed and/or experienced rewards and
punishments affect the probability that an individual will
participate in a behavior and repeat it
Behavior is learned both in social and nonsocial situations that
are reinforcing, punishing or discriminative
The principal part of the learning of criminal behavior occurs in
those groups which comprise the individual’s major source of
reinforcements (Bronfenbrenner's Micro and Macro systems)
20. Social Learning Theory
The learning of behavior, including specific techniques,
attitudes, and avoidance procedures, is a function of the
effective and available reinforcers, and the existing
reinforcement contingencies
Criminal behavior is a function of norms which are
discriminative/rewarding for criminal behavior
The strength of criminal behavior is a direct function of the
amount, frequency, and probability of its reinforcement
21. Strain Theories
Behavior strain occurs when the reward for prosocial
behavior is less than the rewards for criminal/antisocial
behavior.
Most people have similar aspirations, but they don’t all
have the same opportunities or abilities.
When people fail to achieve society’s expectations through
approved means such as hard work and delayed
gratification, they may attempt to achieve success through
crime.
22. Summary
Reducing relapse/recidivism requires both the clinician
and the client to understand the benefits and
drawbacks to prosocial and criminal behavior.
Some of these “benefits” may come in the form of
achieving firmly held beliefs and definitions about
concepts such as “success,” “loyalty,” and “being a
man”
Most theories of criminal behavior boil down making
the more rewarding choice.
Part of reducing recidivism means making the criminal
behaviors less rewarding to the person
23. Summary
Part of the rehabilitation process may involve
Examining definitions using the FRAMES approach
(Feedback, Responsibility, Advice, Menu of Options, Empathy)
Developing communication, coping, life and occupational
skills
Ensuring frequent rewards (that are rewarding to the client)
for small achievements
Exploring societal interventions to make prosocial choices
more rewarding
Bonded workers
Housing (contingency enforced)