Unit 5 Seminar

April Wesley
CJ-102 E05
Define criminal and antisocial behavior and the differences between them.

Criminal behavior is easily defined, although the book never gives an actual
definition. Criminal behavior is any behavior that has criminal intent, or results
in punishment by law enforcement of some type. This behavior is somewhat cut and
dry, whereas antisocial behavior is a bit broader. Criminal activity is born of
instinctive impulses that the criminal chooses not to ignore. Most non-criminal
people still have some of the same impulses, but they have learned to restrain
them. (Sykes and Cullen, 1992) Although criminal and antisocial behavior is
different, they do tie in together. A person can exhibit criminal behavior without
being antisocial, and an antisocial personality may not always exhibit criminal
behavior. The thing that ties them together is that most antisocial personalities
do end up engaging in criminal behavior. Criminal behavior rarely just emerges out
of the blue. You can look back in the criminal’s life and see a wide array of
signs, and most often you will see an antisocial personality at the beginning.
There are quite a few signs of antisocial personalities. These people may
break laws or rules, lie for fun or for personal benefit, be impulsive, not
considering results of their actions, pick on others, fight, ignore safety of self
or others, be irresponsible, and lack remorse for their actions. They may be
rebellious, disruptive, abusive, be extremely selfish, and some even commit sexual
offenses. Here are the scary things. These symptoms are not only present in
adults, but also in children, and that is usually where it starts. The other, even
scarier, factor is that these people can seem exciting and fun, and be quite
popular. With their conning personalities, antisocial people can seem very
charming. It is not until you really know them that you begin to see their
dangerous nature. Although this personality is more common in males, women do have
it, too. Women often display their antisocialism in different ways, though, as
they use more conning and less physical attacking.
I have done some research on this subject and found that some children and
teens actually display this behavior and then grow out of it. It is advised,
however, that the parent seeks immediate treatment if they see any of the danger
signs which include lying, stealing, or being irresponsible. If you miss these
signs and the child grows up to be an antisocial adult, the battle is lost.
Studies have shown that adults do not respond well to treatment or medication
since they have no desire to change. ( univ. of Iowa, topics on mental and
emotional health, web site, March 2005)
Now that we see the difference, I will show you the tie-together. Most
antisocial personalities will grow up to commit crime. It is in their nature.
Therefore, I believe that if we can identify these people, we can change the
world. We may not be able to just lock them up, but we can keep a closer eye on
them since they are high risks for criminality. The more we know, the more we can
make a difference.
April Wesley