Notes made by Miché Stryddom, 083 788 1860
Chapter 7: Crimes of a violent nature
Lecture 1
Introduction:
• Violent crimes are globally deemed unacceptable in civilised
societies
• Fear of becoming a victim
• This fear of becoming a victim has a negative impact at a societal
level on communities’ quality of life by causing segregation,
prejudice, instability in the economy and poor public health
outcomes. On a personal level – causes paranoia, anxiety and other
psychological problems.
• SA 2016 in GPI (Global peace Index) – stand out in 5 categories:
number of violent crimes, number of violent protests, number or
murders, easy access to weapons and overall perception of
criminality.
• High levels of violence in SA should be studied within the context of
its violent past
• People fear becoming a victim of senseless violence more than any
other type of crime
• Four main categories of so-called violent ‘street crime and crimes of
a violent nature between intimates, friends and acquaintances
• 4 types: murder, assault, robbery, rape
• Violent crimes that transpire between people known to each other
often remain hidden from the public eye and formal intervention for
various reasons such as shame, fear and desire to protect offender
from criminal sanctions
Human violence and aggression
• Aggression and violence are part of human existence
• Human violence was important for survival in the past and even now
• Aggression is not synonymous with violence
• Some aggressive people will not act violently
• Prediction remains unreliable with regard to determining
“dangerousness” or aggression in humans , not able to predict
violence
• Dilemma of probable future violence
1
,Notes made by Miché Stryddom, 083 788 1860
• The inability to predict violent behaviour in the future impacts
different levels in the justice system such as sentencing an offender
in court and approving parole for an offender who served time for a
violent crime
• Problem arises when someone is due to be released on parole but
committed a violent crime in the past
• Some may pose as no threat to society but end up being dangerous
while others that pose as a threat is not dangerous on relsease
• Defining dangerousness is challenging
• Therapists consult daily with violent individuals (confidentiality or
report it?)
• In SA, HPCSA allows practitioners to break confidentiality in some
instances like at the instruction of the court or where it is justified in
the public interest
• In SA, a person is declared dangerous if the court is persuaded that
the accused poses a threat to the physical and mental health of the
citizens of society and that they need to be protected from the
offender. If declared a dangerous offender = no parole
• MacArthur Assessment Study: study in the USA, number of people
would end up in judicial system if only prediction was used to
determine future behaviour and arrest was based on this. 2/3
predictions are false. Risk factors according to this study: 1.
Historical variables, like employment and criminal record. 2.
Dispositional factors, such as age, mental capacity and personality.
3. Contextual variables, such as access to objects or weapons and
general living arrangements. 4. Clinical factors like psychiatric state
of the person and use of narcotics. However, accurate prediction
remains complicated.
• Varieties of human aggression (Active/Passive)
Active Passive
Direct Indirect Direct Indirect
Physical: Physical:
Punching the Practical joke, Obstruction of Refusing to
victim, ex. Hitting ex. Pulling a passage to perform a
someone without someone’s block others necessary
their consent. chair from from getting to task, ex.
This category is underneath their office, a Not doing
not relevant them when sit-in during a an
when the they wanted to strike. assignment
aggression takes sit down. because
2
, Notes made by Miché Stryddom, 083 788 1860
place with you dislike
consent. the lecturer.
Verbal: Verbal:
Insulting the Malicious Refusing to Refusing
victim, ex. gossip, ex. speak, ex. A consent,
Swearing at Spreading wife refusing to vocal or
someone during rumours speak to her written, ex.
road rage. someone has a husband Husband
STI. because he refusing to
came home sign divorce
late. Stay papers but
muted to he cheated
‘punish’ him. on his wife
and in turn
she refuses
visiting
rights to
their
children on
a regular
basis.
Defining aggression: Hostile and instrumental aggression
• Hostile (expressive) aggression and instrumental aggression
• Hostile aggression is shown in situations that elicit anger.
• Main aim of the hostile aggressor is to hurt or cause suffering to the
person causing the anger
• Anger may be defined as a state of arousal, stemming from
frustration or attack
• It is almost an automatic impulsive response to the other’s action
• Crimes of this nature is difficult to deter or prevent
• The heightened emotions undermine the person’s ability to control
their feelings and make rational decisions
• Instrumental aggression is usually caused by competition or a
desire to have something belonging to someone else
• Initial aim is not to necessarily injure someone physically, emotional
and material harm is done to the victim
• The perpetrator will use force to get what he/she wants, which also
forces the victim to comply
3
Chapter 7: Crimes of a violent nature
Lecture 1
Introduction:
• Violent crimes are globally deemed unacceptable in civilised
societies
• Fear of becoming a victim
• This fear of becoming a victim has a negative impact at a societal
level on communities’ quality of life by causing segregation,
prejudice, instability in the economy and poor public health
outcomes. On a personal level – causes paranoia, anxiety and other
psychological problems.
• SA 2016 in GPI (Global peace Index) – stand out in 5 categories:
number of violent crimes, number of violent protests, number or
murders, easy access to weapons and overall perception of
criminality.
• High levels of violence in SA should be studied within the context of
its violent past
• People fear becoming a victim of senseless violence more than any
other type of crime
• Four main categories of so-called violent ‘street crime and crimes of
a violent nature between intimates, friends and acquaintances
• 4 types: murder, assault, robbery, rape
• Violent crimes that transpire between people known to each other
often remain hidden from the public eye and formal intervention for
various reasons such as shame, fear and desire to protect offender
from criminal sanctions
Human violence and aggression
• Aggression and violence are part of human existence
• Human violence was important for survival in the past and even now
• Aggression is not synonymous with violence
• Some aggressive people will not act violently
• Prediction remains unreliable with regard to determining
“dangerousness” or aggression in humans , not able to predict
violence
• Dilemma of probable future violence
1
,Notes made by Miché Stryddom, 083 788 1860
• The inability to predict violent behaviour in the future impacts
different levels in the justice system such as sentencing an offender
in court and approving parole for an offender who served time for a
violent crime
• Problem arises when someone is due to be released on parole but
committed a violent crime in the past
• Some may pose as no threat to society but end up being dangerous
while others that pose as a threat is not dangerous on relsease
• Defining dangerousness is challenging
• Therapists consult daily with violent individuals (confidentiality or
report it?)
• In SA, HPCSA allows practitioners to break confidentiality in some
instances like at the instruction of the court or where it is justified in
the public interest
• In SA, a person is declared dangerous if the court is persuaded that
the accused poses a threat to the physical and mental health of the
citizens of society and that they need to be protected from the
offender. If declared a dangerous offender = no parole
• MacArthur Assessment Study: study in the USA, number of people
would end up in judicial system if only prediction was used to
determine future behaviour and arrest was based on this. 2/3
predictions are false. Risk factors according to this study: 1.
Historical variables, like employment and criminal record. 2.
Dispositional factors, such as age, mental capacity and personality.
3. Contextual variables, such as access to objects or weapons and
general living arrangements. 4. Clinical factors like psychiatric state
of the person and use of narcotics. However, accurate prediction
remains complicated.
• Varieties of human aggression (Active/Passive)
Active Passive
Direct Indirect Direct Indirect
Physical: Physical:
Punching the Practical joke, Obstruction of Refusing to
victim, ex. Hitting ex. Pulling a passage to perform a
someone without someone’s block others necessary
their consent. chair from from getting to task, ex.
This category is underneath their office, a Not doing
not relevant them when sit-in during a an
when the they wanted to strike. assignment
aggression takes sit down. because
2
, Notes made by Miché Stryddom, 083 788 1860
place with you dislike
consent. the lecturer.
Verbal: Verbal:
Insulting the Malicious Refusing to Refusing
victim, ex. gossip, ex. speak, ex. A consent,
Swearing at Spreading wife refusing to vocal or
someone during rumours speak to her written, ex.
road rage. someone has a husband Husband
STI. because he refusing to
came home sign divorce
late. Stay papers but
muted to he cheated
‘punish’ him. on his wife
and in turn
she refuses
visiting
rights to
their
children on
a regular
basis.
Defining aggression: Hostile and instrumental aggression
• Hostile (expressive) aggression and instrumental aggression
• Hostile aggression is shown in situations that elicit anger.
• Main aim of the hostile aggressor is to hurt or cause suffering to the
person causing the anger
• Anger may be defined as a state of arousal, stemming from
frustration or attack
• It is almost an automatic impulsive response to the other’s action
• Crimes of this nature is difficult to deter or prevent
• The heightened emotions undermine the person’s ability to control
their feelings and make rational decisions
• Instrumental aggression is usually caused by competition or a
desire to have something belonging to someone else
• Initial aim is not to necessarily injure someone physically, emotional
and material harm is done to the victim
• The perpetrator will use force to get what he/she wants, which also
forces the victim to comply
3
