Criminal Behaviour
Characteristics of criminal behaviour:
Specific characteristics of criminal behaviour are difficult to define as there are many different
types of crime which are bound to the laws of each society and are constantly changing over
time
Unlike disorders such as schizophrenia which have a diagnostic criterion to highlight the
characteristics, characteristics of criminal behaviour tend to be linked to specific criminal acts
(many of which are abhorrent)
Much of the research on criminal behaviour has investigated the shared characteristics of
people who have committed similar crimes
An investigator from the behavioural science unit of the FBI made the term “serial murder” in
the 1970s. Whilst serial murder is commonly depicted in films, it only accounts for around 2% of
murder cases.
Holmes and Holmes reported that many serial killers shared the characteristics of being white,
male and between the age of 25-34. They also tended to be intelligent or street smart and were
considered to be charming
They also noted there were different subtypes of serial killers
Visionary serial killers – These are motivated to kill by voices or visions. They can both be
articulate but also on occasion lose touch with reality. They frequently report that their actions
are due to God, or the Devil and in the commission of their crimes, they usually kill quickly.
They’re often declared insane or incompetent to stand trial
Mission serial killers – These believe they have a calling to eliminate a certain group. They are in
touch with reality apart from their self-created need to eradicate certain groups. In the
commission of their crimes, they may stalk the victim and show an organised strategy
Hedonistic serial killers – These have two subtypes (lust/thrill and comfort orientated)
o Lust/thrill - There’s an established link between sexual gratification and violence. To
them, murder is erotic. They tend to have a distinct process they follow, and the crimes
are extended
o Comfort orientated – They kill for personal gain such as money or property. They're the
only type of serial killer that is more likely to be female and they tend to be
geographically mobile and therefore difficult to catch
Power control serial killers – These derive sexual gratification from dominating and controlling
the life of another. They may be a sociopath and choose to live by their own rules but are aware
of the norms of the society they live in. They try to derive the most gratification by prolonging
their crimes and although they may use weapons, they often experience a strong compulsion to
strangle their victims
There is no generic profile for a serial murderer, they differ in many ways including their
motivations for killing and their behaviour at the crime scene however, certain traits common to
some serial murderers, include sensation seeking, a lack of guilt, impulsivity, the need for
control, and predatory behaviour. These traits are consistent with the psychopathic personality
disorder
Psychopathy is manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation,
and occasionally violence to control others, to satisfy their own selfish needs
, Biological explanation one – Inherited criminality:
It is believed that criminality can be inherited, but this does not mean there is a “murderer
gene” or a “burglar gene”
Hollin suggests that some people inherit a biological predisposition for criminal behaviour,
especially a personality type that makes them more likely to commit crime
It could also be that some people inherit a gene that makes them more aggressive so they’re
more likely to demonstrate criminal behaviour
The evidence for a genetic component comes from for example twin studies where monozygotic
and dizygotic twins are compared
Raine reviewed research on delinquent behaviour of twins and found a 52% concordance for MZ
twins compared with 21% in DZ twins showing genetic does contribute
Two genes have been especially linked to criminal behaviour – monoamine oxidase (MAOA) and
Cadherin 13 (CDH13)
MAOA helps recycle the neurotransmitter serotonin – low levels of serotonin may predispose
individuals to aggressive behaviour
Brunner et al looked at DNA of 28 male members of a Dutch family who had history of violent
and impulsive crime such as rape and murder attempts
Researchers found that the men shared a particular mutation of MAOA that led to abnormally
low levels of serotonin accounting for their aggressive behaviour
A recent finish study with 900 offenders also found evidence of low MAOA activity and low
activity from the CDH13 gene
They estimated 5-10% of all violent crime in Finland is due to these two abnormalities in genes
Modern understanding of genetic influence no longer suggests that one or a few genes on their
own will determine behaviour. Instead, modern thinking thinks in terms of epigenetics and how
they are switched on or off by epigenomes that have been affected by environmental factors – a
diathesis-stress
One possibility is maltreatment in childhood represented through a longitudinal study assessing
antisocial behaviour and 12% of participants with low MOAO had experienced maltreatment
Inherited criminality evaluation:
Strength – There is supporting evidence for this explanation. Twin studies aren’t the only kind of
genetic research undertaken to indicate an element of inheriting criminal behaviour. Other
evidence comes from adoption studies. Crowe found that adopted children whose biological
parent had a criminal record had a 38% greater risk of having a criminal record by 18. Another
study on 14,000 adoptees found that 15% of sons adopted to a criminal family became criminals
compared with 20% whose biological parents were criminals, but adoptive parents weren’t
showing inherited genes are a significant factor
Weakness – This explanation doesn’t really explain nonviolent crimes. Most of the genetic
research on criminal behaviour relates to violent or aggressive behaviour. Biological
explanations may only account for crimes involving violence or psychopathy. However, criminal
behaviour is vast and also includes theft, fraud, drugs etc. all of which are non-violent. This
makes it difficult to argue that the entirety of criminal behaviour can be explained simply in
terms of genetics and environmental interactions therefore making this explanation incomplete
or ungeneralisable
Characteristics of criminal behaviour:
Specific characteristics of criminal behaviour are difficult to define as there are many different
types of crime which are bound to the laws of each society and are constantly changing over
time
Unlike disorders such as schizophrenia which have a diagnostic criterion to highlight the
characteristics, characteristics of criminal behaviour tend to be linked to specific criminal acts
(many of which are abhorrent)
Much of the research on criminal behaviour has investigated the shared characteristics of
people who have committed similar crimes
An investigator from the behavioural science unit of the FBI made the term “serial murder” in
the 1970s. Whilst serial murder is commonly depicted in films, it only accounts for around 2% of
murder cases.
Holmes and Holmes reported that many serial killers shared the characteristics of being white,
male and between the age of 25-34. They also tended to be intelligent or street smart and were
considered to be charming
They also noted there were different subtypes of serial killers
Visionary serial killers – These are motivated to kill by voices or visions. They can both be
articulate but also on occasion lose touch with reality. They frequently report that their actions
are due to God, or the Devil and in the commission of their crimes, they usually kill quickly.
They’re often declared insane or incompetent to stand trial
Mission serial killers – These believe they have a calling to eliminate a certain group. They are in
touch with reality apart from their self-created need to eradicate certain groups. In the
commission of their crimes, they may stalk the victim and show an organised strategy
Hedonistic serial killers – These have two subtypes (lust/thrill and comfort orientated)
o Lust/thrill - There’s an established link between sexual gratification and violence. To
them, murder is erotic. They tend to have a distinct process they follow, and the crimes
are extended
o Comfort orientated – They kill for personal gain such as money or property. They're the
only type of serial killer that is more likely to be female and they tend to be
geographically mobile and therefore difficult to catch
Power control serial killers – These derive sexual gratification from dominating and controlling
the life of another. They may be a sociopath and choose to live by their own rules but are aware
of the norms of the society they live in. They try to derive the most gratification by prolonging
their crimes and although they may use weapons, they often experience a strong compulsion to
strangle their victims
There is no generic profile for a serial murderer, they differ in many ways including their
motivations for killing and their behaviour at the crime scene however, certain traits common to
some serial murderers, include sensation seeking, a lack of guilt, impulsivity, the need for
control, and predatory behaviour. These traits are consistent with the psychopathic personality
disorder
Psychopathy is manifested in people who use a mixture of charm, manipulation, intimidation,
and occasionally violence to control others, to satisfy their own selfish needs
, Biological explanation one – Inherited criminality:
It is believed that criminality can be inherited, but this does not mean there is a “murderer
gene” or a “burglar gene”
Hollin suggests that some people inherit a biological predisposition for criminal behaviour,
especially a personality type that makes them more likely to commit crime
It could also be that some people inherit a gene that makes them more aggressive so they’re
more likely to demonstrate criminal behaviour
The evidence for a genetic component comes from for example twin studies where monozygotic
and dizygotic twins are compared
Raine reviewed research on delinquent behaviour of twins and found a 52% concordance for MZ
twins compared with 21% in DZ twins showing genetic does contribute
Two genes have been especially linked to criminal behaviour – monoamine oxidase (MAOA) and
Cadherin 13 (CDH13)
MAOA helps recycle the neurotransmitter serotonin – low levels of serotonin may predispose
individuals to aggressive behaviour
Brunner et al looked at DNA of 28 male members of a Dutch family who had history of violent
and impulsive crime such as rape and murder attempts
Researchers found that the men shared a particular mutation of MAOA that led to abnormally
low levels of serotonin accounting for their aggressive behaviour
A recent finish study with 900 offenders also found evidence of low MAOA activity and low
activity from the CDH13 gene
They estimated 5-10% of all violent crime in Finland is due to these two abnormalities in genes
Modern understanding of genetic influence no longer suggests that one or a few genes on their
own will determine behaviour. Instead, modern thinking thinks in terms of epigenetics and how
they are switched on or off by epigenomes that have been affected by environmental factors – a
diathesis-stress
One possibility is maltreatment in childhood represented through a longitudinal study assessing
antisocial behaviour and 12% of participants with low MOAO had experienced maltreatment
Inherited criminality evaluation:
Strength – There is supporting evidence for this explanation. Twin studies aren’t the only kind of
genetic research undertaken to indicate an element of inheriting criminal behaviour. Other
evidence comes from adoption studies. Crowe found that adopted children whose biological
parent had a criminal record had a 38% greater risk of having a criminal record by 18. Another
study on 14,000 adoptees found that 15% of sons adopted to a criminal family became criminals
compared with 20% whose biological parents were criminals, but adoptive parents weren’t
showing inherited genes are a significant factor
Weakness – This explanation doesn’t really explain nonviolent crimes. Most of the genetic
research on criminal behaviour relates to violent or aggressive behaviour. Biological
explanations may only account for crimes involving violence or psychopathy. However, criminal
behaviour is vast and also includes theft, fraud, drugs etc. all of which are non-violent. This
makes it difficult to argue that the entirety of criminal behaviour can be explained simply in
terms of genetics and environmental interactions therefore making this explanation incomplete
or ungeneralisable
