Discussion question
Learning Resources
Please read and view (where applicable) the following Learning Resources before you complete this week’s assignments.
Readings
Course Text: Schmalleger, F. (2015). Criminology today: An integrative introduction (7th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Chapter 4, “Early Biological Perspectives on Criminal Behavior”
Chapter 6, ” Psychological and Psychiatric Foundations of Criminal Behavior”
Media
DVD: ABC News. (2009). The Prentice Hall ABC News video series for Introduction to Criminology. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Disc 1: “Losing It” (14:10)
Click here to view a transcript of “Losing It”
Optional Resources
Media
Note: Because of the ever-changing nature of Web sites such as the one listed below, there is no guarantee that clips will always be available. Hence, the following link is listed as a Optional Resource only. However, it is highly recommended that you view it, as it will assist you in completing one or more of your assignments.
Video: Navasky, M., & O’Connor, K. (Writers, Producers, & Directors). (2009). The released [Television series episode]. In Frontline. Boston: WGBH. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/view/
Chapter 1, “A World Seldom Seen” (9:00)
Chapter 3, “The Revolving Prison Door” (7:00)
This video series from Frontline profiles mentally ill patients in the corrections system.
Biological and Psychological Theories of Crime
There are many reasons why a person commits a crime and many criminology theories from different disciplines attempt to explain the underlying reason for such behavior. Psychological theories point to abnormal or dysfunctional mental processes in a person’s personality. Although, it is important to take into consideration conditioning, role models, and the degree to which a person is acclimated to the norms of society that impact a person’s psychological make-up. Similarly, a biological perspective may attribute a person’s biology as the route cause of criminal behavior. Consider a man arrested on assault charges. His father is in prison for murder, his brother incarcerated due to drug charges, and he has paternal alcoholic uncle who is a registered sex offender. Proponents of biology theories may suggest a hereditary link between the men and criminal behavior. Although these are not the only theories that attempt to explain crime, they are important to consider as possible causes of crime and criminal behavior.
To prepare for this Discussion:
Review Chapter 4 in your course text, Criminology Today, focusing on how biological theories might explain crime and criminal behavior.
Select a specific crime or criminal behavior that can be explained by some aspect of one or more biological theories.
Think about how one or more biological theories might account for the crime you selected.
Review Chapter 5 in your course text, Criminology Today, this time focusing on how psychological theories might explain crime and criminal behavior.
Think specifically about how one or more psychological theories might account for the crime you selected.
Select some combination of at least three biological and psychological factors to use for this Discussion.
With these thoughts in mind:
Write a brief description of the crime you selected. Describe one biological and one psychological theory might account for the crime and why. Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points.
Note: Include the theories (or factors of theories) that you selected in the first line of your post.
