ALL AO3 - simple

• Top down Approach strengths

  +Real life Application- insight from serial killers themselves

  +Inspired more research
• Top down Approach weaknesses

  -Alison et al= 'static' typology lacks validity, naive, assumes behaviour is stable and personality based

  -Godwin= individual differences- High IQ but spontaneous crime scene

  -Canter= 100 USA murders- no evidence of disorganised but distinct organised characteristics

  -Unreliable= SDB, self report, demand characteristics, unstable

  -Only applicable to sexually motivated killers

  -Small, unrepresentative sample
• Bottom Up approach strengths

  +Real life app to John Duffy

  +Scientific, no bias, based on evidence

  +Wider application to more crimes

  +Canter and Heritage= 66 sexual assaults- small space analysis (correlations of patterns in beh), found 7 common characteristics of offenders (lack reaction, impersonal language)- traits establish serial offender

  +Lundrigan and Canter= 120 US serial killers, small space analysis- body disposal in opp direction of last crime, offender base= centre of pattern
• Bottom up approach weaknesses

  -Individual differences- some don't fit pattern

  -Copson= Mixed results. 48 police forces found BUA useful in 83% cases but only in 3% did it lead to accurate ID of suspect
• Strengths of the atavistic form

  +Father of criminology- Hollin= inspired other theories of causes of crime
• Weaknesses of the atavistic form

  -Impact of nature can change appearance (drugs)

  -Goring= 3000 criminals and 3000 controls- no distinct feature but low IQ

  -Causation/correlation

  -Socially sensitive- eugenics

  -Scientifically racist- Delisi= Afro-Caribbean features, also shows that theory derives from bias itself- unreliable

  -Lacks real life application- Ted Bundy, Ian Brady. Most criminals white

  -Most pp's had psych disorders- affects appearance= confounding
• Strengths of the genetic and neural explanations

  +Mednick et al= 13,000 Danish adoptees. No criminality of bio or adopted parents= 13.5% chance themselves . Either bio criminality= 20%. Bio and adopted both criminality= 24.5%

  +Real life app= Spahalski twins- both murderers neither knew, Abdelmalek Bayout- reduced sentence due to MAOA gene

  +Katz et al= crime runs in families
• Weaknesses of the genetic and neural explanations

  -Biologically reductionist

  -Adoption studies- late adoption= experience (Nurture) w/ bio parents= confounding

  -Biologically deterministic- no free will- legal implications

  -Twin studies= same environment, studies done by appearance not DNA

  -Katz CA= so does social deprivation, mental illness, poverty as causes of crime
• Strengths of Eysenck's personality theory

  +Biologically based- theory then evidence

  +Links to APD (unemotional)

  +Large sample

  +Used lie scale to combat SDB, lying
• Weaknesses of Eysenck's personality theory


  -Personality can differ/change, isn't constant, can't be fully measured

  -Androcentric

  -Self report data= unreliable, SDB, DC

  -Moffitt= not all criminal behaviour can be explained by one personality type

  -Farrington= Offenders had high P measure but not E+N

  -Biologically reductionist

  -Bartol and Holanchock- cultural bias, ethnocentric, all 6 groups of African American and Hispanic offenders had lower E than non criminal control
• Strengths of cognitive theory


  +Real life application- Sex offenders

  +Palmer and Hollin= 210 females, 122 male controls w/ 126 offenders. Offenders- lower moral reasoning w/ 11 moral dilemma Qs

  +Blackburn= lack of moral reasoning role play opp in childhood= lower in adulthood and denial (minimalisation cog distortion)

  +CBT reduces= treatable, less recidivism
• Weaknesses of cognitive theory

  -Cultural bias

  -Not really an explanation of why they have these levels/distortion

  -Gibbs= alt theory of 2 levels- mature (empathy) vs immature (personal gain)

  -Langdon et al= intelligence predicts moral reasoning

  -Individual differences- may depend on crime- Thornton and Reif= financial crimes more pre conventional. Physical more likely conventional
• Strengths of the differential association theory

  +Farrington= inter-generational crime

  +Mednick et al= Criminal adoptee parents but biologically non= 14.7% likelihood, no criminal parents (either)= 13.5% likelihood

  +More treatable causes of social dysfunction

  +Explains a lot of crimes- white collar and physical
• Weaknesses of the differential association theory

  -Self report data- SB, lack reliability

  -Reductionist- ignores nature- if family are criminals, may be genetic not nurture

  -Socially sensitive- WC criminal backgrounds- not all become criminals

  -Difficulty testing attitudes and full exposure to crime

  -Individual differences- deterministic- not all exposed commit crime
• Strengths of psychodynamic explanation

  +Real life application- Mary Flora Bell 10 y/o killer had absent mother who abused her
• Weaknesses of psychodynamic explanation


  -44 thieves= war orphans, small sample

  -Most criminals try to cover crimes- undermines over harsh

  -Socially sensitive- no evidence that those w/o ss parent become criminal

  -Unfalsifiable, pseudoscience

  -Lewis= 500 young people- maternal dep, replication of Bowlby= no link of dep to criminality or failed relationships

  -Correlation not causation- many other factors

  -May be due to genetics not teachings of immorality

  -44 thieves androcentric

  -Gender bias- Freud assumed that girls had weaker superego due to less pressure (absence of castration anxiety). However, more males in prison and Hoffman= young girls resist temptation more (better morals)
• Strengths of custodial sentencing

  +Potentially saves lives

  +Opportunity for rehabilitation

  +Not all reoffend or have psych issues after= works for some
• Weaknesses of custodial sentencing

  -Alternatives

  -Racism

  -Sentences to appease public not deter

  -Schools of crime

  -Some prisons lack opp for rehabilitation

  -Prison Reform Trust= 15% men, 25% women in prison report psychosis symptoms

  -Bartol= Prison is brutal and devastating- 15x higher suicide rate than general population

  -Davies and Raymond= government exaggerates benefits- doesn't deter or rehabilitate.
• Strengths of Behaviour modification

  +Electronic means= reduces effect of stolen/trading

  +Clinton and Field= Maximum prison young people- more frequent and tailored programmes had better effect

  +Cohen and Filipzac= Lower reoffending rate for 2 years
• Weaknesses of behaviour modification

  -At 3 year mark, reoffending went back up to national average- not effective long term

  -Guards manipulated into giving more

  -Practical issues- keeping up, no staff

  -Unethical= Moya and Achtenberg= not optional, withdraws exercise/visits for non compliance and those w/ low IQ may not understand

  -Blackburn= Little rehabilitative value- lost once released as no rewards in real world, Doesn't change behaviour- no reflection, superficial learning
• Strengths of anger management

  +Eclectic approach, holistic- many skill acquisition techniques.

  +Ireland= 93% improvement in behaviour compared to control

  +Lower recidivism= more permanent than TE
• Weaknesses of anger management

  -Expensive

  -Anger is different to all- one model can't apply to all

  -Based on idea that anger causes crime- white collar?

  -Can't measure effectiveness- dark figure of crime, SDB, lie, exaggerate effects to please guards

  -Some won't engage, requires commitment (may damage status)

  -Blackburn= Limited Long term effectiveness due to role play lacking external validity.
• Strengths of restorative justice

  +Diverse, flexible

  +Wide application to many programmes

  +Shapland et al= for every £1 spent on RJ, criminal justice system saves £8 through lower recidivism
• Weaknesses of restorative justice


  -Expensive- needs trained professionals, space

  -Feminists= women's aid call for legislative ban on using for all domestic abuse cases

  -Individual differences

  -Some take part for wrong reasons- reduced sentence, wanting to hurt victim again or victim wanting revenge

  -Dropout rates/refusal rates (for both)

  -Davies and Raymond= soft option, not tough enough on crime