Running head: CRIMINALS
Criminals
Discussion 1
Do you think that people are born to be criminals?
One of the major issues of discussion when it comes to criminological research is the manner in which genetic characteristics influence criminal behavior. According to (Miller, 2012), the genes of an individual are critical when it comes to determining whether they will be involved in criminal activities or not. This study looks into the manner in which genes are likely to cause a child to be antisocial, something that can later advance into violent criminal activities as the child grows. With the numerous studies that have been conducted to understand biological criminology, it has been concluded that genetic mutations do not come to play as a cause of criminal behavior. All the same, studies on behavioral genetics show that several violent criminals have some level of genetic predisposition to violent behavior (Miller, 2012). However, in as much as genetic characteristics can predispose an individual to aggression, they cannot cause them to be involved in violent crime. That said, people are not born to be criminals. Rather, criminals are made.
If people are born criminals, does society have an obligation to identify and eliminate the risk through eugenics or biological predetermination?
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All the same, genetic factors have some undoubted correlation when it comes to some extent of criminality. As a result, society bears some sort of responsibility to use eugenics and biological recognition to identify and eliminate these genetically predisposing factors. Eugenicist criminologists believe that the human species could be improved by identifying and eliminating individuals who bear the unfavorable criminal-related genetic characteristics. The society is becoming increasingly enlightened on the factors that drive people to commit a crime. The dive into eugenics and biological determination to deal with criminal activities ends up looking down on the role that legal evaluation plays in handling crime (Page & Ruben, 1993). However, it would not hurt to give this genetic path a shot considering the undeniable correlation that it has with criminal activities.
What are the ethical implications for knowing someone is a criminal at an early age?
The ethical issue that using eugenic to identify a criminal t an early age is a fact that individuals are denied the opportunity to self-direct and self-govern their loves without external control (Cohen, 2019). Most of the time, the individual is not given the opportunity to decide whether they wish to be tested, mainly because they are still young. It is important that every individual is given the opportunity to cut out their path in life. However, if the tests show that the individual is predisposed to criminal activities, then they end up being eliminated based on what is an assumption.
Discussion 2
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Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences .
The main research method discussed in chapter 6 of Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences is the survey method, which is used to collect data on a group of people through a sampling process. The probability sampling techniques used include simple random, systematic, cluster, and stratified sampling. These techniques allow the researcher to sample a population and then draw a conclusion. The chapter introduces the concept of margin of error, which is the extent to which the results drawn are likely to be accurate. Using larger sample results in a lower margin of error and vice versa (Stangor, 2015).
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Victims of our brain: Born or made a criminal
(Cima, 2007) introduces the concept of forensic psychology in understanding law and psychology. A clinical issue that is most common in forensic psychology is criminal behavior, and more particularly psychopathy. The idea revolving around psychopathy is one that has been researched for the longest time, yet most of it still remains unclear. Biological factors like the HPA axis and genetics are seen to play a crucial role when it comes to the advancement of criminal psychopathic characteristics. The key risk factors when it comes to criminal behavior include the relationship between psychopathy and violence recidivism and also the absence of moral emotions in psychopaths. The heterogenic nature of psychopathic offenders makes it challenging to understand the effect and influence of treatment, and this is the discussion presented by (Cima, 2007).
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Born criminal? Differences in structural, functional and behavioral lateralization between criminals and non-criminal s
Born Criminal is mainly focused on the determination of the correlation that exists between criminal offenses and parental roles when it comes to character molding. The first influence of the author is drawn from the linkage between the shape of the skull of a criminal and the category of crime in which they were involved. This is the first step that the authors use in the pseudoscopic approach of determining forensic criminal involvement. They further introduce a subjective focus on the ethical considerations when it comes to the operations of a criminal investigation officer. However, this study fails to obey the right of human beings to privacy especially when it comes to ancestral morphology (Savopoulos & Lindell, 2018) . Being the father of evolved criminology, Lombroso introduces a deep analysis of how the behavior of individuals is influenced by their environment and genetics. This study introduces the concept of margin of error to determine the level of accuracy when discussing genetics and criminal activities ( Hart, Michie, & Cooke, 2007) . Through this, the authors have not just generalized the data on genetic influence on criminal activities, but they give a better picture of the accuracy level of the data.
References
Cima, M. (2007). Netherlands Journal of Psychology, 2007, number 4 Victims of our brain: born or made a criminal? Netherlands Journal of Psychology , 63 (4), 102-106.
Cohen, P. (2011, June 19). The genetic basis for a crime: A new look. The New York Times . Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/arts/genetics-and-crime-at-institute-of-justice-conference.html
Hart, S. D., Michie, C., & Cooke, D. J. (2007). The precision of actuarial risk assessment instruments: Evaluating the ‘margins of error ‘of group v. individual predictions of violence. The British Journal of Psychiatry , 190 (S49), s60-s65.
Miller, L. (2012). Criminal psychology: Nature, nurture, culture. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas.
Page, M. A. (Producer), & Ruben, J. (Producer/Director). (1993). the good son [Motion picture]. United States: Twentieth-Century Fox.
Savopoulos, P., & Lindell, A. K. (2018). Born criminal? Differences in structural, functional and behavioral lateralization between criminals and non-criminals. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition , 23 (6), 738-760.
Stangor, C. (2015). Research methods for the behavioral sciences (5th Ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
University of Texas at Dallas News Center. (2012, January 24). Criminologist’s research shows genes influence criminal behavior. Retrieved from http://www.utdallas.edu/news/2012/1/24-15201_Criminologists-Research-Shows-Genes-Influence-Crim_article-wide.html
Wilson, J. W. (2011). Debating genetics as a predictor of criminal offending and sentencing. Inquiries Journal/Student Pulse, 3 (11). Retrieved from http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/593/debating-genetics-as-a-predictor-of-criminal-offending-and-sentencing
