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Violence and Violent Crime

Violence and Violent Crime. Some Findings of Fact. Violence is NOT evenly distributed on any social or geographic dimension. Gender Age Class Race Location Climate Season Any theory of violence should take these disparities into account, although most do not.

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Violence and Violent Crime

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  1. Violence and Violent Crime

  2. Some Findings of Fact • Violence is NOT evenly distributed on any social or geographic dimension. • Gender • Age • Class • Race • Location • Climate • Season • Any theory of violence should take these disparities into account, although most do not.

  3. Biological/Psychological Theories • Background- Charles Whitman and his brain. • Biological correlates of violence and other forms of antisocial behaviour • Evolutionary dictates: Violence as “adaptive” but possibly “maladaptive” • Genetic/chromosomal evidence • Environmental influences (eg, diet) • Brain structure • Psychological issues • Psychopathy and its impact on violent acts • Freudian theories and arrested development

  4. Socialization • Violence in childhood begets violence in adulthood. • Problems with this theory • Sampling on the dependent variable • Lack of study of girls and women

  5. “Human Instinct” • Focus on murder • Humans have evolved unique ability to use killing of others of own species to serve personal and social functions • Problems with theory • Might have value since other species tend to use violence less dysfunctionally, however… • They DO kill members of own species!

  6. The Subculture of Violence • Attempts to account for variations in rates of violence across cultures • Posits “subculture” in which violence is seen as resource for resolving interpersonal disputes. • Valuable theory, but ignores gender.

  7. Geography • Posits “southern subculture of violence.” • Statistical support • Problems • Ignores poverty and cultural issues as possible causes • South is not most violent!

  8. Substance Use and Abuse • Crime can be “drug-related” in at least four ways, any of which can be violent. • Competition • “Drug deal gone bad” • To procure money for drug purchases • Crimes committed under the influence • However it may not be appropriate to denote “drugs” as the cause of violence in any of these cases.

  9. Victim Precipitation Theory (Luckman) • Luckman found that murders usually follow predictable pattern as interpersonal encounters • Take place in public settings in “leisure hours” (6pm-2am) • Entail victims’ actions, reactions, escalation, etc. • Luckman’s study is an example of Victimology, an area of criminology that suggests that it is better to try to change victim’s behaviours than to change victimizer’s behaviours.

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