Forensics

Question 1

Organised/disorganised AGAINST

Answer 1

CANTER

• Used technique called ‘smallest space analysis’ on 100 USA murders using 39 characteristics of organised/disorganised offenders.
• No evidence for distinct disorganised type.

Question 2

Top-down approach SUPPORT

Answer 2

DOUGLAS

• FBI review and created 192 profiles.
• Only identified 15 suspects but focussed 77% of cases.

Question 3

Investigative profiling SUPPORT

Answer 3

CANTER AND HERITAGE

• Used ‘smallest space analysis’ to investigate 66 assault cases.
• Correlations in patterns of behaviour e.g. impersonal language and lack of reaction.

Question 4

Geographical profiling SUPPORT

Answer 4

LUNDRIGAN AND CANTER

• Analysed information on 120 serial murder cases in USA.
• Smallest space analysis found spatial consistency in location of body disposal; formed circle around base.
• Pattern more noticeable in marauders.

Question 5

Bottom-up approach SUPPORT/AGAINST

Answer 5

COPSON

• Questionnaire to 34 police forces (81% return rate) on usefulness.
• Only identified offender in 3% of cases but 83% found it useful.

Question 6

KEY STUDY: Lombroso

Answer 6

LOMBROSO

• Examined facial and cranial characteristics of over 350 dead and 3500 live Italian convicts.
• 40% crimes accounted for by people with atavistic characteristics.

Question 7

Atavistic form AGAINST

Answer 7

KURTZBERG

• Recidivism 42% after surgery and 70% without.
• Treatment of those with atavistic characteristics cause of criminality?

GORING

• Compared 3000 criminals with 3000 non-criminals,
• No evidence that offenders have atavistic characteristics.
• BUT found had lower than average intelligence.

Question 8

Genetic explanations SUPPORT

Answer 8

LANGE (twin study)

• 13 MZs and 17 DZs where 1 had served time in prison.
• 10 MZs but 2 DZs both served time.

CROWE (adoption study)

• Followed adopted children with criminal biological parent.
• 50% chance of criminal record by age 18.
• 5% for adoptees without criminal biological parent.

MEDNICK (adoption study)

• Studied over 13,000 Danish adoptees.
• 13.5% neither
• 20% biological
• 24.5% both.

Question 9

Candidate genes SUPPORT

Answer 9

TIIHONEN

• Genetic analysis of 900 offenders.
• Abnormality on MAOA gene (related to serotonin and dopamine) associated with violent crime.
• Those with a high risk combination x13 more likely to have a history of violent behaviour.

Question 10

Eysenck’s theory SUPPORT

Answer 10

EYSENCK

• Used Eysenck’s personality inventory to compare over 2000 prisoners with 2000 controls, subdivided into age groups.
• All scored higher on extraverts, neuroticism and psychoticism.

Question 11

Eysenck’s theory AGAINST

Answer 11

FARRINGTON

• Review of several studies.
• Criminals scored higher on psychoticism but not on neuroticism and extroversion.
• Little difference in EEG measures of arousal between introverts and extraverts.

BARTOL AND HOLANCHOCK

• Divided Hispanic and African-American prisoners into 6 groups based on criminal history.
• All scored lower on extroversion than control.

Question 12

Cognitive explanations SUPPORT

Answer 12

PALMER AND HOLLIIN

• Compared moral reasoning of 210 female and 122 male non-offenders with 126 convicted offenders.
• Used SMR-SF containing 11 dilemmas (stealing, promises).
• Criminal group lower moral reasoning.
• Possibly due to lack of role playing in childhood.

Question 13

Differential association theory SUPPORT

Answer 13

FARRINGTON

• Longitudinal study of 411 working class, deprived participants.
• Risk factors included family criminality (41% convicted).

MEDNICK

• Those with criminal adoptive parent more likely to have criminal records than those without.
• 14.7% vs 13.5%.

Question 14

Maternal deprivation theory SUPPORT

Answer 14

BOWLBY

• Interviews with 44 juvenile thieves and their familes.
• 14 affectionless psychopaths, 30 not.
• Of the 14 APs, 12 experienced deprivation.

Question 15

Maternal deprivation theory AGAINST

Answer 15

LEWIS

• Interviews with 500 young criminals.
• Deprivation a poor predictor for criminality.

Question 16

Institutionalisation SUPPORT

Answer 16

MALOT AND FROMADER

• Survey of 102 Australian released offenders.
• Felt unsupported outside prison and that access to services would help.

Question 17

Psychological effects SUPPORT

Answer 17

ZIMBARDO

LIEM AND KUNST

• Interviews with 25 lifers and identified post-incarceration syndrome.
• Involves PTSD, institutionalisation, alienation.

Question 18

Token economies SUPPORT

Answer 18

HOBBS AND HOLT

• Introduced token economy programme across 3 behavioural units (4th control).
• Significant difference in behaviour compared to control.

Question 19

Anger management SUPPORT

Answer 19

KEEN

• Studied progress of young people in programme developed by prison service.
• 8 2 hour sessions, first 7 over 3 weeks and last a month later.
• Initial issues: didn’t take seriously, forgot diary.
• Positive outcome overall.

Question 20

Anger management AGAINST

Answer 20

BLACKBURN

• Effective in prison but little impact long-term.

Question 21

Restorative justice SUPPORT

Answer 21

SHAPLAND

• Government funded £7m research.
• Prisoners randomly allocated to restorative justice or release after term.
• Recidivism decreased by 14%.
• Victim satisfied 85% of the time.

SHERMAN AND STRONG

• Compared 36 studies of restorative justice with conventional justice programmes.
• Recidivism dramatically reduced for violent and property crimes.
• PTSD in victims significantly reduced.
• All involved more satisfied.