Free Criminal Behavior Essay Sample

In studying the causes of criminal behavior the researchers tried to understand the main causes of criminal behavior. A number of concepts  were observed in unearthing the viability of some theories concerning the issue of criminal behavior. The term criminal is used in reference to those behaviors that are known to be sanctioned by the existing legal system. The psychopathy measures that involve the behavior of criminals have been extended from children to adults. Gail Anderson focuses on three aspects of criminal behavior, these are: hormones, diet, and brain chemistry. She also observes the issue of development and the factors that affect personal development, for instance: birth complications and genes.

She has gone further in employing the biological interaction theory.. She gave much emphasis to both genes and environment, which play a significant role in every behavior including crime. She tried to explain that numerous behaviors were predetermined by the genetics where environment played a big role. These biological concepts involve evolution through natural selection, genes, inheritance, and nurture-versus-nature debate. She also addressed the hormonal influence affecting behavior/ She described the influence of testosteron   in criminal behavioure. However, there was an unclear factor concerning the effect of aggression as far as testosterone was concerned.

There is a  widely used psychopathic measurement called the psychopathy checklist and the progeny. Invention of the PCL-R was the initial time in history when anybody who said ‘psychopath’ was describing a person with special mental disorders. Researches were extremely fast in determining these diagnostic factors useful in predicting criminal recidivism and violence. Predictive utility is not a substitute to construct validity. Many scientists are against the idea of an integral role of psychopathy in a development of a persistent and problematic pattern in personal behavior. Antisocial behavior is regarded as central, significant, and critical to psychopathy. Scientists  regard criminal behavior as epiphenomenon that could never be regarded as specific personal deviation or diagnosted as psychopathy.

The PCL-R describes antisocial behavior  as a strong emotional detachment with  some issues of psychopathy. a person with no criminal behavior or violence history who seems to have a trait of psychopathy may not surpass the threshold score of PCL-R for diagnosing psychopathy. The employment of PCL measures has made advancement in the understanding of this field, where implications and nature of psychopathy over a quarter century ago (Hart et al., 1995).

Competing Factor Model

In order to understand the current field confusion concerning the viability of criminal behavior with psychopathic components, it is of utmost importance to acquire fundamental understanding of the contemporary debate involving the PCL-R structure. Currently, the analysis of PCL-R has helped in the development of three psychopathy models. One of these factors-models reflects the affective, and interpersonal cause of psychopathy, it could also be referred as the callous, selfish, and remorseless usage of others. The second factor emphasizes on the number of behaviors regarded as socially deviant. This could also be termed as chronicle antisocial and unstable way of living. The PCL-R model was based on psychopathy theories excludes some items in previous researches on antisocial behavior. An older classification was not accurate enaugh; it describes a relatively poor stability in different age groups, and varied cultures. The criminal behavior observed in early personal development includes such crimes as theft, violence, and arson. On the other hand, the main items described in the PCL-R part on antisocialism directly point on criminal behavior that emerges during adolescence and adulthood. The criminal acts at these periods  involve: juvenile delinquency, criminal versatility and conditional release revocation. It is important to note that some antisocial characters are inherent to the affective and interpersonal cause of psychopathy.

There is a relationship between behavior and personality. It should be understood that a person may shift from behavioral acts to disposition related to personality through the means of inference. The latent traits are inferred depending on behavioral cues that appear across contexts. The depositions or traits are usually defined by behavior irregularities. Therefore, it is true to say that, there is no clear difference between traits and habits. When searching for the existing distinction between antisocial and criminal behavior, several problems come up. Most of these factors revolve around criminal behavior. For instance, the count of those criminal acts that have been detected amounts to criminal versality. In some cases, a single criminal act is enough evidence of the trait, for instance, a serious criminal act results in juvenile delinquency. Again, recurring criminal acts could be used to assist in interpreting one’s predisposition towards criminal conduct, but a mere act is not equivalent to the trait (Bartol, 2010).

In conclusion, criminal behavior is very prevalent in today’s world. As researchers try to come up with evidence concerning the issue of this behavior, some facts remain to be theoretical since some findings were not logical. The PCL measures are imperfect in some aspects, this because it has been built with specific population for a given purpose.

 

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