Childhood Victimization and Delinquency, Adult Criminality, and Violent Criminal Behavior: A Replication and Extension

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use data from the Longitudinal Study of Violent Criminal Behavior in the USA to examine case configurations of violent behavior using a biopsychosocial framework. Specifically, the theory posits that arguably all behavior is the result of specific combinations of biopsychological (individual) and sociocultural (environmental) characteristics that are interacting within the individual. With regard to criminal and violent behavior, the theoretical assumption is that this maladaptive behavior is the result of a negative interaction between the biopsychological and sociocultural factors. Design/methodology/approach The study design consists of secondary data analysis. A conjunctive analysis of case configurations was performed using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Violent Criminal Behavior to formally explore the tenets of Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory. Findings The results suggest that there are main effects for ego strength, family problems, family incohesiveness and underachievement as they relate to offending. A possible six-way interaction was also identified within the case configurations that provides empirical support for Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory of deviance. Originality/value The present study contributes to the existing biopsychosocial literature by providing insight on the contextual variability in pathways to violent offending. Specifically, the evidence provided indicates that Cortés and Gatti’s (1972) biopsychosocial theory of deviance can be extended to comparing violent and non-violent offenders. Implications for policy and practice are also discussed.

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General Criminality as a Marker of Heterogeneity in Domestically Violent Men: Differences in Trauma History, Psychopathology, Neurocognitive Functioning, and Psychophysiology

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260519858065 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 088626051985806 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Victoria Lishak ◽

Katreena L. Scott ◽

Amanda Dyson ◽

Alexander Milovanov

Keyword(s):

Externalizing Behavior ◽

Criminal Behavior ◽

History Of Childhood ◽

Criminal Involvement ◽

Internalizing Psychopathology ◽

Violent Criminal ◽

Domestically Violent ◽

History Of ◽

Violent Men ◽

Childhood Violence

This study examined whether involvement in general criminal behavior was a useful marker of critical historic, psychological, and cognitive aspects of heterogeneity in domestically violent men. Two subgroups of domestically violent men, those with ( n = 56) and without ( n = 54) a history of criminal involvement, were compared with a group of nonviolent men ( n = 82) on internalizing psychopathology, substance abuse, maltreatment in the family of origin, cognitive and executive functioning, and psychophysiological factors. Results found that domestically violent criminal men scored higher than the other two groups on a number of measures including history of childhood violence exposure, childhood externalizing behavior, and adult internalizing psychopathology. No differences were found on their psychophysiological reactivity and cognitive performance. The domestically violent noncriminal group and the comparison group were largely similar on study variables with the exception of education and substance use. Results suggest that general theories of antisocial behavior may be relevant and helpful for understanding domestically violent and criminally involved batterers, whereas social and family violence theories may be of greater relevance to noncriminally involved batterers. Implications of these results for intervention are considered.

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Constellations of youth criminogenic factors associated with young adult violent criminal behavior

Crime Science ◽

10.1186/s40163-020-0111-2 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Menno Segeren ◽

Thijs Fassaert ◽

Matty de Wit ◽

Arne Popma

Keyword(s):

Young Adult ◽

Criminal Behavior ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Violent Criminal

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Television and Violent Criminal Behavior: Beyond the Bobo Doll

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.1.3.177 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 1 (3) ◽

pp. 177-190 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Linda Heath ◽

Candace Kruttschnitt ◽

David Ward

Keyword(s):

External Validity ◽

Criminal Behavior ◽

Television Viewing ◽

Dose Effect ◽

Double Dose ◽

Violent Crimes ◽

Violent Criminal ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Encoding Specificity ◽

The Relationship

This study builds on the research concerning television viewing and aggression by extending the external validity, or generalizability, of the dependent variable. We assess the relationship between self-reported television viewing at 8, 10, and 12 years of age and the subsequent commission of a violent criminal act. This study is based on interview data from 48 males incarcerated for violent crimes and 45 nonincarcerated, nonviolent males matched on age, race, and neighborhood of residence during adolescence. Results show that the extent of a respondent’s reported television viewing was not, in and of itself, predictive of violent criminal acts. Instead, it was the interaction of heavy doses of television viewing and exposure to either maternal or paternal abuse that related to violent crime. These findings support the efforts of some recent scholars in their attempts to understand why television has a negative effect on only some viewers. The results are discussed in light of the cognitive formulations of neoassociationism, encoding specificity, and the double-dose effect.

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Stakes and Risks in the Prediction of Violent Criminal Behavior

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.3.4.247 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 247-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Don M. Gottfredson ◽

Stephen D. Gottfredson

Keyword(s):

Public Policy ◽

Decision Making ◽

Criminal Justice ◽

Criminal Behavior ◽

Policy Formulation ◽

Individual Decision ◽

Individual Decision Making ◽

Violent Criminal ◽

Prediction Of Violence

Retributive and utilitarian goals for criminal justice decisions are in conflict. In part, this is because the retributive aim rejects prediction, while all utilitarian aims require it. In the context of this debate, we review research concerning the prediction of violence, and conclude that because such predictions are of low accuracy, they are only modestly useful for public policy formulation or for individual decision-making. Because we believe prediction, and utilitarian goals, to be important, this paper focuses on two issues that have potential for increasing the accuracy with which predictions may be made. One is the measurement of the seriousness of crime and ways to improve it. Second, we introduce the concept of societal stakes and suggest that this must be assessed as well. Finally, we propose a model that may be useful for lessening the conflict between retributive and utilitarian perspectives.

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