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Introduction To Criminology
Definition of Terms
Abrahamsen - In his crime and human mind, 1945, explained the causes
of crime by his formula "Criminal Behavior equals criminalistic
tendencies plus crime inducing situation divided by the persons
mental or emotional resistance to temptation.
Adolphe Quetelet (17961874) - was a Belgian mathematician, astronomer
and statistician, he helped to establish the cartographic school and
positivist schools of criminology which made extensive use of statistical
techniques. Through statistical analysis, Quetelet gained insight into
the relationships between crime and other social factors. Among his
findings were strong relationships between age and crime, as well
as gender and crime.
Alienist - a doctor specializing in the treatment of mental illness.
An expert witness in a sanity trial.
Andrew Von Hirsch - developed the notion of just desert.
Just desert - has five guidelines; 1. treat legal
punishment as a desert; 2. avoid doing harm; 3. sentence
delinquency, not the delinquent; 4. interfere parsimoniously;
5. restrain efforts to prevent crime; modern day
utilitarianism.
Anger - is an emotion characterized by antagonism toward someone or
something you feel has deliberately done you wrong.
Anomie - is a condition in which society provides little moral
guidance to individuals.
Anthropology - is the study of humans, past and present.
Atavism - The return of a trait or recurrence of previous behavior
after a period of absence.
Atavistic Anomaly - physically their throwbacks on the evolutionary
scale to more primitive times, where people were savages.
August Aichhorn - is considered to be one of the founders of psychoanalytic
education. He is remembered for his work with juvenile delinquent and
disadvantaged youth. He believed that imposed discipline and suppression
which were practiced in traditional reformatories yielded few
positive results.
Autophobia - is the specific phobia of isolation; a morbid fear of
if he thought he could get away with it, then he would commit the crime.
Type of Physique
Ectomorph - a person with a lean and delicate body build. Are
tall and thin and less social and more intellectual.
Mesomorph - a person with a compact and muscular body build.
Have well-developed muscles and an athletic appearance. They
are active, aggressive, sometimes violent, and more likely
to become criminals.
Endomorph - a person with a soft round body build and a
high proportion of fat tissue. Have heavy builds and are
slow moving. They arte known for lethargic behavior
rendering them unlikely to commit violent crime and more
willing to engage in less strenuous criminal activities such
as fencing stolen property.
Typology of Crime - involve classifying offenses or offenders according
to some criteria of relatedness or similarity.
Utilitarianism - the belief that legal punishments serve two vital
functions: 1. deterring persons from committing the crimes and
2. protecting society from those wholes acts threaten the social order;
the greatest good for the greatest number.
William Sheldon - an American psychologist who created the field of
somatotype and constitutional psychology that tried to correlate body
types with behavior,intelligence, and social hierarchy through his
Ivy league nude posture photos.
Temperament
Viscerotonic - Coined by WH Sheldon, from viscera + -o- +
tonic. Designating a personality type characterised as
sociable, easy-going, and comfort-seeking.
Somatonic - active, dynamic; walks, talks, gestures
assertively and behaves aggressively.
Cerebrotonic - Introvert and full of functional complaints
to allergies, skin troubles, chronic fatigue, insomia,
insensitive skin, and to noise, shrinks from crowds.
XYY Syndrome - these people are very tall and disproportionate;
more inclined to commit crimes.