Explaining the Will to Kill
Higgins O’Brien
Spring 2012
The Devil Made Me Do It
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Early explanations for crime were supernatural or
spiritual
-Demons, evil spirits, and witches
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Wasn't until mid-18th century that classical school of
thought came about, the idea of “free will”
Current approaches to violence come from scientific
criminological theories
Back to the Classics
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Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham laid the
groundwork for “classical criminology”
States that crime is a rational choice made by the
offender, who has free will to decide
-Weigh the pros and cons of the situation, risk/reward
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Also believed that different offenses warranted
different punishments
Critics of classical criminology argue that most crime
is irrational
Using Science to Explain Violence
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“Positivism” using scientific observation and
measurement to explain criminal behavior
Shifts away from rational choice towards
determinism
External factors cause crime
-Biological
-Psychological
-Sociological
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It is difficult to create an all encompassing theory,
explaining crime is a “soft science”.
Biology Then and Now
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Early biological theory focused on body type,
heredity, and intelligence
-Physiognomy: Study of facial features
-Phrenology: Study of bumps on the head
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Cesare Lombroso studied Italian prisoners, and
believed certain physical features linked to crime
-His research was discredited, but was influential
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In the 1940's and 50's more body type and physique
study was done in the United States
-Males with XYY chromosomes were believed to be linked with crime, later
proved false
Biology Continued
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Biological explanations for crime were considered
taboo for many years
Advances in technology and brain scans have
brought the topic up again in recent years
Rising rates of medication to deal with childhood
disorders are bringing focus to brain development
Thrill seeking, impulsivity, and negative
temperament can lead to violence
Levels of testosterone, cortisol, adrenalin
Psychological Causes of Violence
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Early childhood could play role in antisocial behavior
Abuse or neglect can make it difficult to develop
bonds with other human beings
-Psychopathy
-Sociopathy
-Antisocial personality disorder (APD)
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The field of ethology believes aggression and
violence is simply part of animal nature
Instrumental Aggression- Violence as a means
Expressive Aggression- Violence for its own sake
Psychology Continued
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Some believe aggressive behavior is a way to relieve
boredom or stress
Daly and Wilson believe we are still influenced by
ancient roots (dominance, infidelity)
Difficult to determine “violent personality”
-Many aggressive and disadvantaged people, not everyone becomes a criminal
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Some believe mental illness is correlated with
violence or substance abuse
Psychology Continued
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Paraphilia- sexual attraction to unusual or bizarre
objects, oftentimes individuals have more than one
Not all are linked to murder, but some (necrophilia,
pedophilia) necessitate criminal behavior
Low intelligence and its link to crime is a
controversial but continuing topic
Difficult to gauge IQ through tests
The Social Sources of Murder
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Characteristics of the neighborhood, poverty,
subcultural values, learning, social bonds and their
relation to crime.
Social Disorganization Theory: weak communities
have higher crime rates (Broken Windows)
Income equality has further distanced the very rich
from the very poor
Strain, Frustration, and Murder
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Frustration Aggression: failure to achieve goals can
lead to strain and criminal behavior
Being dumped, losing a job, and school troubles can
all lead to stress, and some react with violence
Robert Agnew's “General Strain Theory”
-Presence of negative stimuli (abuse, rejection)
-Removal of positive stimuli (loss of a loved one, house)
-Relative deprivation (peers are better off)
-Failure to achieve goals (missing out on success)
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Some believe the economy is linked with crime rates
Cultural Deviance
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Subcultural Theories: believe criminals are simply
obeying the norms they were taught
Have a different belief in what is right and wrong
than the law's definition
The “Subculture of Violence” present in the South or
in urban environments makes fighting a norm
Homicide offenders have learned a set of values that
promotes the use of violence
Learning to Kill
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Some believe offenders learn from one another
Social Learning Theory: aggressive behavior contains
skills that must be learned
Role models are imitated
Differential Association Theory: criminal behavior
learned in adolescence from peers, family, or friends
Data supports this for groups that reinforce violence
and punish law abiding behavior
Self-Control, Social Control, and
Murder
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Control theories believe it is the controls or bonds
that work to limit criminal behavior
Attachment to institutions, beliefs, activities, and
groups. Individuals don't want to lose that.
Self control stems from parental love, supervision
and discipline
Having “nothing to lose” can help explain why one
would steal a candy bar, or even commit murder
A Word of Caution About Cause
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Every theory has limitations
Correlation does not imply causation
-Q: When ice cream sales increase, homicide rates increase. Does this mean ice
cream sales affect homicide?
-A: No! Homicide increases in the hot summer months. Hot summer months also
increase ice cream sales. The two variables are not related.
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Some theories explain only certain types of crime