NCJ Number
52383
Date Published
1978
Length
23 pages
Annotation
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF VIOLENT CRIME, GENERAL THEORIES OF VIOLENCE, PSYCHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF SPECIFIC VIOLENT CRIMES, AND EMERGENCY TREATMENT FOR PATHOLOGICALLY VIOLENT OFFENDERS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
RESEARCH INTO THE QUESTION OF WHETHER VIOLENT OFFENDERS COMMIT PRIMARILY VIOLENT CRIMES OR WHETHER THEY ALSO COMMIT FREQUENT, NONVIOLENT CRIMES HAS PRODUCED CONFLICTING RESULTS. IN 1969, A GOVERNMENT COMMISSION CONCLUDED THE FOLLOWING: THAT OFFENDERS ARRESTED FOR VIOLENT CRIMES GENERALLY HAVE LONG CRIMINAL HISTORIES, BUT USUALLY OF NONVIOLENT OFFENSES; THAT NO EXPLANATION HAD BEEN FOUND FOR THE NONVIOLENT OFFENDER'S OCCASIONAL DEPARTURE INTO VIOLENCE; THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE THAT THE SERIOUSNESS OF VIOLENCE INCREASES WITH SUCCESSIVE OFFENSES; AND THAT AGGRAVATED ASSAULT IS THE VIOLENT CRIME MOST LIKELY TO BECOME A 'SPECIALTY.' EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF VIOLENT CRIME HAVE SHOWN THAT IT TENDS TO OCCUR IN AREAS CHARACTERIZED BY LOW INCOME, CONCENTRATIONS OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITIES, BROKEN HOMES, WORKING MOTHERS, LOW LEVELS OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL SKILLS, HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT, HIGH PROPORTIONS OF SINGLE MALES, OVERCROWDED AND SUBSTANDARD HOUSING, LOW RATES OF HOME OWNERSHIP AND SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLINGS, MIXED LAND USE, AND HIGH POPULATION DENSITY. GENERAL THEORIES OF VIOLENCE INCLUDE THE ETHOLOGICAL POSITION THAT AGGRESSION IS INNATE AND THAT IT IS 'INSTINCTIVE' BEHAVIOR, THE VIEW THAT VIOLENCE HAS A GENETIC BASIS, THE IDEA THAT BRAIN DAMAGE CAUSES AGGRESSION, PSYCHOANALYTIC AND DEVELOPMENTAL THEORIES, AND THE SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL VIEW (INCLUDING SOCIAL LEARNING THEORY). RESEARCHERS HAVE EXPLORED THE BEHAVIORAL ASPECTS OF MURDER, MURDER THREATS, RAPE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT, CHILD ABUSE, AND ARMED ROBBERY. TWO TYPES OF MURDEROUS BEHAVIOR--OVERCONTROLLED (ABNORMALLY RIGID CONTROLS THAT SUDDENLY REACH A BREAKING POINT) AND UNDERCONTROLLED (GENERALLY LOW INHIBITIONS AGAINST AGGRESSION)--HAVE BEEN DEFINED, AND TREATMENT IMPLICATIONS DRAWN. A FOURFOLD CLASSIFICATION OF MEN WHO COMMIT RAPE--DISPLACED AGGRESSION, COMPENSATORY, SEX-AGGRESSION FUSION, AND IMPULSE--TIES TOGETHER THE MOTIVES FOR RAPE, THE MODUS OPERANDI OF THE OFFENDER, AND THE OFFENDER'S EARLY HISTORY. TYPES OF CHILD-ABUSING BEHAVIOR HAVE ALSO BEEN CLASSIFIED, AND GOALS FOR THE LONG-TERM PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENT OF ABUSING PARENTS HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED. GENERAL CRISIS INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN FOUND USEFUL IN DEALING WITH PATHOLOGICALLY VIOLENT PERSONS IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. GUIDELINES FOR DIAGNOSING PATIENTS' VIOLENCE POTENTIAL AND FOR PROVIDING VIOLENCE-RELATED PSYCHOTHERAPY HAVE BEEN DEFINED. DETAILED REVIEWS OF THE GENERAL THEORIES OF VIOLENCE, STUDIES OF SPECIFIC OFFENSES, AND DIAGNOSIS/TREATMENT GUIDELINES ARE PROVIDED. A LIST OF REFERENCES IS INCLUDED. (LKM)