Criminology Final notes
Contents
Ch.10 Violent crime
Ch. 11 Property Crime
Ch. 12 White-collar and corporate crime
Ch. 13 Public Order
... [Show More] Crimes
Violent Crimes
Ch.10 Violent crime
Homicide: killing of one human being by another
Justifiable homicide: homicides committed by law enforcement, soldiers, or homeowner in course of carrying out duties
Criminal homicide: unlawful killings, without justification (three categories)
• Murder: intentional killing of another person with malice aforethought
o Malice: “evil mind” “abandoned and malignant heart”
o First degree murder: premeditated, deliberate, intentional killing
o Second degree murder: killing without premeditation
o Felony murder: no intention to kill, intention to commit other crime but there is a murder during other crime. (everyone associated)
• Manslaughter: unlawful killing of another person without malice. May be
voluntary of involuntary
o Voluntary: killing committed intentionally but without malice
Ex. Making irrational decision in argument (heat of moment)
Defendant’s awareness of the unlawfulness was dulled by shock, fright, consternation, or intoxication
o Involuntary: person has caused death of another unintentionally but
recklessly by consciously disregarding a substantial and unjustifiable risk that endangers another persons life
Ex. Negligent homicide (not fixing fire codes)
• The Extent of Homicide: social science study
o Homicide rates: have been decreasing
• Nature of Homicide
o Victim Precipitation (Wolfgang): how a victim's interaction with an offender may contribute to the crime being committed.
(Felson & Messner): more cases of women killing their
husbands opposed to husbands killing wives
• Males more violent in killing methods
(Silverman & Kennedy):
• Gender relationship
• Age
• Means of commission of the act
• Location vary with relational distance ranging from closest to relatives to total strangers
(Zahn & Sagi): distinguished homicide categories
• Those within family
• Those among friends
• Stranger homicides associated with felonies
• Stranger homicides not associated with felonies
o Stranger Homicides: killer and victim had no previous contact
(Reidel): assumes average rates are understated 14%
o Relatives & Acquaintances: killer and victim have intimate relationship
Significant percentage of all homicides: 44%
• Most occur after long-term abuse by husband
• Children more like to be killed by relative
o Young & old perpetrators: low homicide rates
o Homicide without apparent motive: 25% of all homicides
No history of alcohol abuse
Recent release from prison
Claims of amnesia for crime
Denial of crime
Exhibit psychotic behavior after crime
o Serial Murder: killing several victims over period of time
o Mass murder: killing of multiple victims in on event or in very quick succession
o Sociopaths (Levin & Fox): persons who lack internal controls,
disregard common values, and have an intense desire to dominate others
o Gang Murder: differ both quantitatively and qualitatively from nongang homicides.
Differ with respects to ethnicity, age, number of participants,
relationships
• Cross-National Comparison of the Homicide rates
o US rates lowering
o More developed countries have less homicides than less developed
o Moderate association between inequality of income and rate of homicide
Assault: attack on another person that is made with apparent ability to inflict injury
and that is intended to frighten or to cause physical harm
• Battery: an attack the results in touching or striking the victim
• Simple assault: inflicts little or no physical harm, felonious assault
• Aggravated assault: inflicts serious harm on the victim or uses a deadly weapon
• 6 stages of confrontational situation leading to assault:
1. One person insults another
2. Insulted person notices insult
3. Insulted person response: (fight or flight)
4. Insulter: fight or flight
5. Fight
6. Winner flees or waits for consequence [Show Less]