For my article I chose, “Decision Making in the Crime Commission Process: Comparing Rapist, Child Molesters, and Victim-Crossover Sex Offenders” by Eric Beauregard, Benoit Leclerc, and Patrick Lussier. In traditional beliefs it suggests sex offenders are mainly driven by an uncontrollable urge to sexually offend. This article takes a looks into comparing how rapist, child molesters, and victim-crossover sex offenders make their criminal decisions. It investigated how decision-making is involved in target selection. The researchers used mixed methods along with Clarke and Cornish’s decision-making model to evaluate the offender’s actions. In the first studies, sex offenders’ decision-making was investigated using the rational choice approach. …show more content…
Just like bank robbers, there is a rational choice to do it. The crimes are from a rational choice. These are made through taking advantage of a criminal opportunity. Similar to how committing a bank robbery, the criminal must have a plan on how to do the crime without getting caught. This must be done as fast as possible without any police chasing after them. As well as in sexual assaults where the offender must make sure there is nobody watching him or her and be hidden to avoid getting caught. There is a thought process and that the offender is aware of what they are doing but do it anyways with a goal in mind. They may do it with the thought of not getting caught. Aspects are considered such as accessibility to victims, familiarity with the type of crime, experience with the crime, amount of time needed to commit the crime, if there is danger involved, and the risk of getting …show more content…
In this case, the goal is sexual gratification. Just as Clarke and Cornish put it in our Criminology textbook, the rational choice perspective is when people make decisions with the goal to maximize pleasure and minimize pain, and that people evaluate the options and choose what they believe will satisfy their needs (Adler, Criminology 8th Ed., pg. 208). People have a sense of what they want to ultimately get out of the situation. These are decisions made with free will. So with rational choice, it is a thought out choice. The offender decides whether or not the choice will be beneficial. Even though everything cannot be possibly thought out and planned by an offender perfectly but they can rely on the course things taking place at the time of the
Your paper was clear and interesting to read, you provided a number of points and topics to include. It is safe to say that through the observation I had involving the prediction of sex offender recidivism, the offenders that undergo treatment are faced with pros and cons meaning that treatment is necessary when an offender is actively participating. On the other hand, the cons involve an offender that receives treatment but isn 't willing to change the behavior and mindset to re-offend. Moreover, you provided an imperative reasoning for the scenario choice, you provided clear motive, history and background, and professional observation.
Developmental theories look at how offenders start and end their criminal behaviors. All developmental theories, including the two focused on in this paper, pull from social, psychological, and biological factors to find answers. Both of these theories follow along a trajectory or pathway for offenders. Sampson and Laub’s age-graded theory has offenders following along two possible trajectories. They can either follow along the high risk trajectory or the low risk trajectory.
The authors examined the therapeutic responses of psychopathic sex offenders (≥25 Psychopathy Checklist—Revised; PCL–R) in terms of treatment dropout and therapeutic change, as well as sexual and violent recidivism over a 10-year follow-up among 156 federally incarcerated sex offenders treated in a high-intensity inpatient sex offender program. Psychopathy and sex offender risk/treatment change were assessed using the PCL–R and the Violence Risk Scale—Sexual Offender version (VRS–SO), respectively. Although psychopathic participants were more likely than their nonpsychopathic counterparts (<25 PCL–R) to drop out, almost 75% of the former completed treatment. Psychopathic offenders who failed to complete sex offender treatment were more likely
The classical theory of crime says that people make rational choices when they commit crimes. “Individuals have the will and rationality to act according to their own will and desires. Individuals will calculate the rationality of the crime based on the benefits of the crime versus the consequences of the crime” (Robinson, 2014). This theory discuses that how people think about the negative and positive outcomes before they commit crime. Even though they realize it is not right, they still continue to commit illegal offence because they believe that what they are doing is for the greater
Currently three common treatment approaches are use. These treatments are Cognitive behavior therapy, behavioral therapy and relapse prevention (Kirsch & Becker, 2005). Cognitive behavior therapy is used primarily to focus on the deficits of social skills among sex offenders. In addition to their deviant sexual behavior, many sex offenders lack the social skills to maintain relationship among the adult population, and having appropriate sexual interest. Cognitive behavior therapy teaches the sex offender proper social skill which will enable this population to develop appropriate adult relationship (Kirsch & Becker,
How might the criminal justice system utilize knowledge of specific behavioral triggers? In my opinion, the criminal justice system might utilize knowledge of specific behavioral triggers by further understanding the mindset of offenders, being more aware of the offenders' circumstances, and recognizing the linkage and cycle of sexual and deviant behavior. The first way that the criminal justice system may use knowledge of specific behavioral triggers is to understand the mindset of offenders and how they perceive their actions and such.
While a few theories are not as regular, others have developed and are utilized as a part of numerous criminal reviews today. Cutting edge criminologists consolidate the most important aspects of sociology, psychology, anthropology, and biological theories to advance their comprehension of criminal behavior. Rational choice theory, psychological, biological, and strain theory are used to analyze the
The responsivity principle states that clinicians should tailor treatment delivery that will produce the most effective outcomes depending on unique needs of the client. It is important that the therapist considers each offender individually and adequately assesses their cultural, mental, and physical needs. There are several advantages (pros) and a couple disadvantages (cons) to the therapeutic approach of the RNR model. The pros of this model are that treatment intensity is matched with individual risk level, dynamic issues that are directly linked with crime, and that specific treatment is tailored to individual offenders. By matching treatment intensity to risk level, offenders receive treatment that will be most effective in meeting their therapy needs.
Introduction Sex crimes can be broken down into several categories: rape and sexual battery offenses, sexual assault, child sexual abuse, incest offenses, indecent exposure and public indecency, statutory rape, and internet and technology-related offenses. Within these offender types, there are offender typologies and classifications. Some offenders have specializations when committing crime and others may experience variance. Offense specialization is defined as a key element in the career criminal paradigm in that it is the tendency to repeat the same type of offense in successive arrests.
The first theory I will be explaining is Rational Choice Theory. Cornish and Clarke argue that “offenders are rational people who seek to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain.” (Cullen, 2015 pg. 438)
Throughout the years, people have always wondered what motivates a sexual offender to keep reoffending and whether these acts are random or not. However, this subject has been very controversial and very broad. Although theorists have come up with several theories of why sexual offenders commit such acts and keep reoffending, there tends to be another explanation. According to Terry, the offense cycle describes several “cognitive processes that the offender uses to be able to continue offending” (Terry, 2014, pg. 71)
Where external and internal factors play a part and they are fated to be a criminal. The scientific grounds are offenders and people who have not yet offended can be given help, and they can be diagnosed by experts and receive treatment needed to not offend (Cavadino, 2007
The court system should acknowledge the offenders past and realize that the reasons they are committing crimes are not their free will, it is elements in their past that have caused them to act in a deviant manner. Furthermore, Cullen and Johnson (2017) agree by stating, “science has demonstrated that un-chosen individual traits (e.g., temperament, self-control, IQ) and un-chosen social circumstances (e.g., family, school, community) can be
Third, I will explore Farrell 's critique of Hayward 's article and consider his arguments made in response to Hayward 's conclusions. Fourth, this paper will engage in its own critique of both Hayward 's and Farrell 's work and conclude with which article makes the most compelling argument. Tenets of Rational Choice Theory and Situational Crime Prevention Rational choice theory originated in the Classical School of thinking as it is based on the ideas of utilitarianism, which states that individuals make decisions that provide the greatest pleasure, as well as the ideas of free will and rational thought (Farrell and Hodgkinson, 2015). According to Farrell and
Rational choice theory (RCT) assumes individuals choose to commit crime based on rational/logical thinking and calculations (maximizing profits and minimizing losses). An offender, such as a burglar, might plan to rob a home while the family is away (high profit from stealing and little chance of getting caught). To believe that this is the only reason why criminals offend is preposterous and myopic; it is only a small sliver of the basis of crime. Rational choices are implemented by offenders (sometimes), but other causes include but are not limited to: economic disparity, substance abuse, family factors, biological factors/genetic influences, mental illnesses, opportunity (easy target to hit), perceptions of the punishment (is the offender