How are those who commit violent crimes different from the rest of us, and how did they get that way? We know that race, poverty and where you live have no statistical bearing on whether a child will become a violent criminal, but sex and age do. Almost all violent criminals are young men. Other predisposing factors include the absence of a father, a family history of violent behavior, a mother's poor health during pregnancy, and the way the child is treated. That most repeat violent criminals have a distinctive lack of empathy. A forensic psychiatrist who has consulted on criminal cases in 49 states, including such notable cases as the Unabomber, Jeffrey Dahmer, the Menendez brothers, John Hinckley, and the OJ Simpson civil suit, Dr. Dietz also consults on workplace violence prevention for a number of Fortune 500 companies. "The victim doesn't count, only the pleasure of the offender counts, the ability to control and manipulate - to play God, carries a lot of weight with these men," he says. In this sense, John Hinkley, who shot President Reagan after stalking Jodi Foster and President Jimmy Carter, was typical, and Jeffrey Dahmer was not. Not only did Dahmer empathize with his victims enough to attempt anesthetizing them, but in days of interviews with Dr. Dietz, Dahmer was sincerely curious about how he turned to necrophilia, serial murder, and dabbling in cannibalism. Dietz lays part of the blame on the media for widely publicizing criminal innovation through mass marketing and histrionic saturation coverage, which encourages copycat crimes. He also advocates separating segments in films with sexual content from those that encourage violence towards women. You can write to Dr. Park Dietz at 537 Newport Center Drive, Suite 300, Newport Beach, California 92660.
Dr. Adrian Raine has found that violent criminal offenders have shown aggressive anti-social behavior in childhood. Dr. Raine, a professor of psychology at the University of Southern California, and a top researcher on crime and antisocial behavior, has written more than 100 articles and several books on the topic, including "The Biosocial Basis of Violence." His brain imaging studies on violent individuals shows malfunctioning of the prefrontal cortex, an area involved with the control of behavior.
In America, violence has always been an integral part of national culture. Crime and bloodshed are glorified both on and off screen. The more disturbing the act of violence, the more enthralled the public seems. The most prolific of crimes, those committed by infamous serial killers, inspire the most attention. As said by Jeff Lindsay, creator of the book series that inspired the wildly-popular television program, Dexter, “We’re sickened and disgusted, but we need to know. And the more we know about the scene, the more we really are horrified” (“Sympathy for the Devils”). Violence, especially committed by this special class of felons, is enthralling. News reports play a role in this strange attraction, as it is through the news that people even have knowledge of such killers, but the evolution in the “serial killer genre” (Lindsay, “Sympathy for the Devils”) of film and television helps to desensitize people to the gruesome murders that are committed. This begs the question of whether this disturbing trend should be stopped, lest the American “culture of violence” (this has a source) continues to grow stronger. Through news reports, film, and television, criminals are constantly romanticized through use of sympathetic characterization and gratuitous depictions of their crimes, which lends to peoples’ increasingly positive attitudes toward violence and, in turn, feeds the growing culture of violence in America.
Today, we live in a society faced with many problems, including crime and the fear that it creates. In the modern era, juveniles have become a part of society to be feared, not rehabilitated. The basis of the early juvenile justice system was to rehabilitate and create safe havens for wayward youth. This is not the current philosophy, although the U.S. is one of the few remaining countries to execute juveniles. Presently, our nation is under a presidential administration that strongly advocates the death penalty, including the execution of juveniles. The media and supporters of capital punishment warn of the "superpredator," the juvenile with no fear, remorse, or conscience. Opponents of this view encourage the idea that another death is only revenge, not deterrence. We will examine the rights allotted to juvenile offenders, and the punishments inflicted upon them for violations of the law.
Countless serial killers have had an abnormal childhood; many people believe this is where the catalyst of events starts. It is proven, that more often than not, serial killers have either lived in an inhabitable home, had lackadaisical parents, or could have a different frame of mind. This being said, when one hears about mass murderers or serial killers, the first question that pops into a person’s head is, “What were they thinking?” For all a person knows, this could be the killer’s normalcy.
Neihoff, D. (1999). The biology of violence: How understanding the brain, behavior and environment can break the vicious circle of aggression. New York: Free Press.
They claim that serial killers are either born with brain problems, or they form them due to repetitive injury. “ 70% of serial killers received extensive head injuries as children or adolescents. Damage to the limbic brain, hypothalamus or temporal lobe may cause bouts of spontaneous aggression. These areas are involved with hormones, aggression, emotion and motivation.The prefrontal cortex does not function properly in psychopaths” (Gerber n.p.). The idea that killers are born surrounds the belief that the reason a child becomes overly aggressive with violent tendencies is due to anomalies of the brain, or chronic injury. If the lobes of the brain were functioning properly, the personalities and obsessions of the killer would not be present. Though based on that idea, conditions and circumstances would be irrelevant. In that case, someone raised in a loving and nurturing home would have the same chance of becoming a murderer as somebody raised in complete deprivation. The brain may play a role in the making of a serial killer, but if it does, it adds to the stress of the trauma. The brain itself does not define the
Youth offenders in the United States who commit an adult crime should they be tried as an adult or sent off to rehab?
An analysis of the most famous murderers and serial killers in the Chicago area shows varying degrees of psychopathy or mental illnesses, which ultimately contribute to homicidal comportment. Analysis also shows that...
The United States has always had criminals walking around the streets or locked up in an everyday life situation. Crimes are committed everyday by young children, adults, seniors, or any kind of man or woman that may look like a bad influence or others that look like innocent people walking down the streets who have never committed a crime before. Juveniles ages 7-15 should not be sentenced to life without parole for crimes they commit because it would not be fair for them to spend the rest of their lives in jail for committing a mistake. Reasons can be found on why juveniles should be left inside a cell and arguments can build up if people disagree with one another. Some adults commit crimes and are left with freedom after a satisfied amount
Serial killers have many frightening facets. The most frightening thing about them is that experts still do not know what makes a human become a serial killer. Many experts believe serial killers become what they are because they have a genetic disposition or brain abnormality while other experts believe that a serial killer is created by childhood abuse; and some other experts believe that it is a combination of both brain abnormalities and abusive childhood experiences that creates a serial killer. A murderer is considered a serial killer when they “murder three or more persons in at least three separate events with a “cooling off period” between kills” (Mitchell and Aamodt 40). When defining a serial killer, their background, genes, and brain are not mentioned; perhaps one day those aspects of the serial killer can be included.
Hundreds of youth under the age of 16 are incarcerated at the Department of Juvenile Justice in New York City. The majority of these young people locked up do not pose a threat to society because they are convicted of non-violent, low-level offenses. If these are low-level offenses, why are these young individuals being sent to juvenile centers? Well, rather than employing traditional disciplinary measures for minor discretions such as detention or counseling, faculty members are instead using drastic methods such as suspension, expulsion and law enforcement to punish the youth. This funneling of students out of school and into the streets and the juvenile correction system is known as the “School-to-Prison-Pipeline.” This cycle deprives the youth who are in poverty, of meaningful opportunities such as an education and a future.
Nelson, Bryce. "CHILDREN WHO KILL: PERSONALITY PATTERNS ARE IDENTIFIED." The New York Times. The New York Times, 10 Oct. 1983. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.
The United States has been affected by a number of crimes committed by juveniles. The juvenile crime rate has been increasing in recent years. Everyday more juveniles commit crimes for various reasons. They act as adults when they are not officially adults. There is a discussion about how juveniles should be punished if they commit heinous crimes. While many argue that juveniles who commit serious crimes, such as murder, should be treated as adults, the fact is, juveniles under the age of eighteen, are not adults, and should not be treated as such.
Children commit adult crimes. The problem is how do we punish them? Should they be treated in juvenile facilities, or punished with adult criminals? In some states, you are considered to be an adult at 17 years old, therefore, as criminals get placed “in adult prisons for more sophisticated training in violent crimes and victimization.”(Pg. 637)
Most serial murderers have been deprived of any control over their home, their body, and their entire life. “Psychokillers take their fantasies and make them a reality living their dreams” (Serial Killers: Nature vs. Nurture 2). Both physical and especially emotional abuse is the consistent, reoccurring factor among a majority of serial killers. Traumatic abuse in childhood has long been viewed as a primary cause of violent behavior in adulthood (Dolan 24). Abusive parents do not generally vent their anger equally on all their children. Such parents tend to unleash the anger and negative emotions on their more difficult children; this potential aggression and physical and emotional abuse of the child shapes the future criminal. “Most serial murders are not classified as psychotics, but rather as psychopaths- their perception of reality is clear except that they feel no social or moral obligations” () Killers are taking control of their own lives through their fantasies in the only way they know fit, through
Punishment and Rehabilitation for Juvenile Crime First off, the way juveniles in some states have "automatic transfer" laws that require juvenile cases to be transferred to adult criminal court if both of the following are true. The offender is a certain age or older (usually 16). The charges involve a serious or violent offense, such as rape or murder. Since early November, authorities have charged nine teens — eight of them under the age of 18. In that time, seven of the juveniles, including two as young as age 14, have been transferred from juvenile custody to the adult court system.