Unit XI. Criminal Psychology

Task 1. Read the text “General Notions on Criminal Psychology” and translate it into Russian:

General Notions on Criminal Psychology

In a literal sense the criminal psychology is a science about the subjective part of a crime, its internal determination and criminal’s personality. Criminality and crime always attracted people’s attention. Bible prophets wrote about them with anger, predicting Divine penalty for human sinfulness. All philosophical systems and religions tried to find and explain harm sources in human relations and a human being.

One of the most widespread classifications presupposes existence of three schools of criminological thought.

The first is a Classical school. Its followers are Bekkeria, Bentam, Fejerbah, etc. The basic ideas of this school were reduced to the following concepts. A person is the carrier of free will and the crime is a result of his free choice. Since the person, possessing moral freedom, chooses harm, he should bear punishment for his choice. Process of decision-making on commission of crime has exclusively rational character, hence, the person commits a crime only having weighed all pro and contra. Strengthening punishment, the society makes a crime less attractive that allows to keep people from its fulfillment. Punishment toughening should be made on the principle “to toughen only in such a way as to make a crime unattractive”.

Critics reproached representatives of classical school that they lost track of criminal’s personality. Their concept was a little schematic and exclusively rational. Only in the 20^th century psychologists established the fact that characteristic features of a person are complex and complicated. At the same time ideas of this school are named classical as they live till now and are the basis of systematic influence on criminality in many countries despite of the attempts to refuse them.

Anthropological school was established by C. Lombrozo. His basic idea is that a criminal is a special natural type, who is more sick than guilty. People do not become criminals but they are born. A criminal is an original biped predator who like a tiger does not need to be reproached for bloodthirstiness. A criminal person should be revealed on a number of signs and isolated or destroyed.

However, having put a person who commits a crime in the centre of scientific research, Lombrozo started criminal’s personality study as a deep system research. It laid down a basis of the lie detector, which Lombrozo named sphygmograph.

Sociological school was followed by Ferri, Durkgheim and Saterland. The essence of Ferri’s concept consists in crime consideration as product of three sorts of natural factors (anthropological, physical, social). Physical factors (climate, weather, geographical features) influence all criminals almost equally; anthropological factors prevail in criminal activity of born criminals, mad or in passion; social factors influence casual criminals or criminals on habit. Thus, the priority is given to social factors.

To explain crime genesis, it is necessary to investigate conditions of criminal’s family and public life, his anthropological features (anatomic, physiological and mental).

Positivist theories of criminality were widely adopted in many countries, including pre-revolutionary Russia. In many university cities of Russia and Ukraine criminological research centres were created in 1920s. The most important place in research was occupied by criminal psychology. Research was established basically by teachers and students from Faculties of Law in coordination with psychiatrists and psychologists. Gradually subjects of criminal psychology began to be allocated in independent branch of law.

Being an integral part of criminology, criminal psychology studies mental laws, connected with formation of criminal installation, criminal intention, preparation and realization of crime, creation of criminal stereotypes of behaviour. It investigates criminal’s personality and criminal groups and psychological ways to influence such person or group (from http://en.wikipedia.org).

Task 2. Translate the words from English into Russian. Write down your own sentences using original English words:

1) determination; 2) widespread; 3) to strengthen punishment; 4) to refuse; 5) bloodthirstiness; 6) to commit a crime; 7) natural factors; 8) to be adopted; 9) criminological research centres; 10) criminal installation; 11) mental laws.

Task 3. In the text find English equivalents to the following Russian words and word combinations:

1) Библия; 2) носитель свободной воли; 3) упрекать, укорять; 4) виновный, виноватый; 5) быть выявленным, найденным; 6) детектор лжи; 7) приоритет; 8) дореволюционный; 9) криминальный стереотип поведения.

Task 4. In the text find synonyms to the following words:

1) punishment; 2) man, person; 3) main, important; 4) to toughen punishment; 5) path; 6) to break law; 7) to apply; 8) determination.

Task 5. In the text find antonyms to the following words:

1) objective; 2) to enlarge; 3) irrational; 4) contra; 5) unattractive; 6) shallow; 7) differently; 8) post-revolutionary.

Task 6. Translate the sentences into Russian. Make use of the words from task two:

1) On the New Year’s Eve I promised to work out a determination to change my negative features of character. The first thing was to be everywhere in time as I am always late for my appointments.

2) A Colorado bug received a widespread areal of living due to export of American potato during World War II.

3) If the Parliament strengthens the punishment for absence on the parliamentary session we will be able to see our MPs each day on TV working on making bills to become laws.

4) Our society decided to refuse death penalty in accordance with our international agreements.

5) During WWI Russian Cossacks were showed as bloodthirsty beasts by German mass media though it was totally false.

6) Was he made to commit a crime by severe life conditions and surroundings? We could not name them natural factors. A lot of people live in such conditions and do not break law.

7) Russian constitution was adopted in 1994.

8) Modern criminological research centre was established by our University.

Task 7. Translate the sentences into English, pay attention to the words from task three:

1) Библия включает в себя Ветхий и Новый Завет.

2) Согласно Ф. Ницше, человек является носителем свободной воли.

3) Не упрекай его. Он не виноват. Просто бывают дни, когда все валится из рук и идет не так, как задумывалось.

4) Таблица Менделеева выявляет определенную закономерность в расположении химических элементов.

5) Использование детектора лжи незаконно без согласия испытуемого.

6) Нефтедобыча является приоритетной отраслью для стран Персидского залива.

7) Политическая и экономическая ситуация в дореволюционной России была далеко не стабильной.

8) Криминальный стереотип поведения предполагает использование особого жаргона, который непонятен для окружающих.

Task 8. Answer the questions:

1) What does the term “criminal psychology” mean in the literal sense?

2) What is said in the Bible about criminals?

3) What are the most famous schools of criminology?

4) What are the ideas postulated by the classical school in criminology?

5) What did the critics say about classical approach to crime and criminals?

6) Does the classical school exist nowadays?

7) Who is the representative of the anthropological school?

8) What are the ideas of anthropological approach in criminology?

9) Did C. Lombrozo start studying criminal’s individuality?

10) What is C. Lombrozo’s main creation?

11) Can you enumerate principles of the sociological school?

12) Who made investigation in the criminal research centres in Russia at the beginning of the 20^th century?

13) What does criminal psychology study?

14) Does criminal psychology examine criminal groups?

Task 9. Say whether the statements are true or false, correct false statements:

1) There is nothing said about crime and criminals in the Bible.

2) Buddhism does not say about harm sources in human beings.

3) The followers of classic approach in criminology are Bekkeria, Bentam, Fejerbah, etc.

4) According to the classical school a person chooses crime unconsciously and should not be punished for this.

5) Classical school supposes that punishment should be as strong and severe as possible.

6) Classical approach is very detailed and humanistic.

7) C. Lombrozo thought that a criminal is a sick person and he is not guilty.

8) According to C. Lombrozo an individual can become a criminal under special circumstances.

9) C. Lombrozo suggested finding out all people who can be criminals and isolate or destroy them.

10) Physical factors influencing a possible criminal include individual character and surroundings.

11) In sociological school priority is given to anthropological factors.

12) Judicial psychology studies possible actions in human life.

Task 10. In the text find sentences with the word “crime” and its derivatives, explain their meaning. Form other words from this root. Look through vocabulary notes and check yourself:

1) crime – преступление, злодеяние (crimes against humanity – преступления против человечности); преступность.

2) to crime – (воен.) карать за нарушение устава.

3) criminal – преступный, криминальный, уголовный (criminal law – уголовное право; criminal action – уголовное дело).

4) criminal – преступник (war criminal – военный преступник).

5) criminalist – криминалист, специалист по уголовному праву.

6) criminality – преступность, виновность.

7) criminally – преступно, согласно уголовному праву.

8) to criminate – обвинять в преступлении, инкриминировать; осуждать, порицать.

9) crimination – обвинение в преступлении; осуждение, резкое порицание.

10) criminative, criminatory – обвинительный, обличительный.

11) criminology – криминология.

Task 11. Translate sentences into Russian, pay attention to the word “crime” and its derivatives:

1) Being a good psychologist, F.M. Dostoevsky wrote his novel “Crime and Punishment” for three years studying criminal’s features of character.

2) Crime rate in the United Kingdom is increasing.

3) Police opened a criminal action for a person suspected in murder.

4) A criminal who ran from the prison was caught.

5) Criminality in this London borough is very high.

6) He is criminated in speeding.

7) Prosecutor’s criminative speech was excellent. It proved suspect’s guilt completely and he was convicted.

8) Criminology is a serious science using research of different modern disciplines.

9) Director of the bank founded a criminal group and stole all the money from his own bank.

10) War criminals should be prosecuted.

11) He is incriminated smuggling.

Task 12. Translate Russian words in brackets into English:

1) Nazy (преступники) were prosecuted for (преступления против человечности).

2) A colonel was (покарали за нарушение устава) using a sub-marine for his own needs. He used it to transport his wife to France to her hairdresser and back.

3) (Криминальная) psychology is a branch of general psychology.

4) (Криминалист) found out the detail which helped to find a suspect.

5) (Согласно уголовному праву) for his crime a suspect could receive from three to seven years.

6) Your (обвинение) in high-jacking is certain and could not be doubt in.

7) Your (обличительная) speech is not convincing. I don’t believe you.

8) Fashion industry (инкриминируется) the cult of Things.

Task 13. Translate an abstract from Russian into English:

Юридическая психология рассматривает психологические вопросы, связанные с реализацией системы права. Она подразделяется на судебную психологию, исследующую психические особенности поведения участников уголовного процесса (психология свидетельских показаний, особенности поведения обвиняемого, психологические требования к допросу и т.п.); криминальную психологию, занимающуюся психологическими проблемами поведения и формирования или деформации личности преступника, мотивами преступления и т.д.; пенитенциарную, или исправительно-трудовую психологию, изучающую психологию заключенного в исправительно-трудовой колонии, психологические проблемы воспитания методами убеждения и принуждения и т.п.

Task 14. Match abstracts with their titles. One title is extra:

Titles:

1) penitentiary psychology

2) criminal psychology

3) law psychology

4) court psychology

5) judicial psychology

a) This branch of psychology characterizes psychological features of law consciousness, i.e. the sphere of social and individual consciousness which reflects law phenomena. It is connected to human ideals and principles. It contains human subjective relations to public law and order. It is formed on the basis of human ideals and law education.

b) This type of judicial psychology studies psychological phenomena concerned with legal punishment and the process of convicts’ and prisoners’ education and bringing them up. It examines the influence of prison setting on personality structure.

c) This branch examines mechanisms and rules of human activity in investigation, court procedure and crime preventing. It finds out which special features of character are necessary for successful professional activity in police and court. It produces purposeful formation techniques preventing personality deformation.

d) It is a branch of judicial psychology studying psychological rules of criminal determination formation and their realization in criminal behaviour. It works out methods for fighting such determinations to prevent crimes. It shows the mechanisms of criminal behaviour which reflect influence of negative surroundings, pedagogical and family mistakes in bringing up and education.

Task 15. Read an abstract and say what is a psychological court expertise and when is it used:

Psychological court expertise is an investigation of non-pathological psychological abnormal features of participants in criminal or civil actions, which is important to find out truth in criminal or civil actions. Psychological court expertise is used in the following cases: 1) expertise of prosecuted person’s or suspect’s special features of character and their influence on his or her behaviour at the moment of crime; 2) affect expertise; 3) expertise of juvenile delinquents’ ability to understand the nature and social danger of their actions; 4) expertise of witness’s or sufferer’s ability to comprehend crime circumstances correctly and give correct information about them; 5) expertise of spouses’ psychological compatibility or the compatibility of a child and parent or step-parents.

Task 16. Read an abstract and choose the best words from the brackets to fit in the blanks:

Court psychology is a discipline … (studying, study, studies) special features of development and realization of psychological … (phenomenae, phenomena, phenomenons) connected to law and court procedure. It examines the way the court system … (influence, have influenced, influences) human psychology. Its aim is to find the truth … (effective, effectively, effect), to educate convicts and ordinary … (people, person, individual).

Its goal is to investigate the rules of: 1) appearance, development of psychological … (character, characters, characteristics) leading to breaking the law; 2) changes and development of psychological features in the … (procedure, process, profit) of committing a crime, going through the court procedure; 3) changes in psychology of … (old, mature, young) criminals.

This science should … (help, helps, to help) in: 1) finding out objective truth at criminal and civil actions, producing … (write, right, rite) sentence for a crime; 2) bringing up and changing of criminals; 3) educating all citizens in accordance to the … (legal, lawyer, law); 4) preventing crimes and offences.

Court psychology development is determined by new goals which … (to appear, appears, appear) in science progress, and enlargement of court psychology knowledge application in court … (practice, practise, praktice).

Task 17. Read the text and choose the best variant of answers to the questions:

Criminal behaviour is a complex, complicated phenomenon which is an effect of many causes. Nevertheless, its complexity does not mean impossibility of its study. Much attention is paid to typical features in certain criminal categories, their individual psychological features integrated in the type of criminal behaviour. Social and biological factors do not determine criminal behaviour as themselves but being integrated in criminal’s personality and reflecting general behaviour types.

Criminal behaviour differs from social positive behaviour by its content and psycho-regulative specials. Most criminals’ behaviour is characterized by social and evaluation non-adaptation and defects in self-regulation. If a person has a low self-regulation, his anti-social determination and habits are not controlled and become goal-forming mechanisms.

Criminal behaviour is based on the absence of individual social responsibility through the mechanism of protecting self-justifying motivation and a lack of social ideals, principles and norms. In human behaviour regulation, there is a constant interrelation of conscious and unconscious, rational and emotional components. In criminal behaviour development, there are factors presupposing individual ways of progress and emotional and volitional abilities.

Behaviour includes interconnection of personal and situational factors. It contains individual experience and subjective forecasts of development in the situation, its consequences. It shows individual evaluation of these possible consequences. When a person forecasts future situations, their consequences, according to S.L. Rubinstein, he brings the future as a determinant of his behaviour.

In some cases a person can make decisions without analysis of different variants of actions, without proper planning because of the defects in self-regulation. A criminal can make decisions consciously rejecting social consequences of his behaviour, but at the same time he could not forecast them or does not think that they are important.

Questions:

1) Is criminal behaviour a complex or a simple notion?

1. It is a complex and complicated notion

2. It is a simple notion

3. It is not a complex phenomenon

2) What are the main items in studying criminal behaviour?

1. criminal’s individual features of character

2. crime statistics

3. typical features in different kinds of criminal behaviour

3) What determines criminal behaviour?

1. social and biological factors

2. social and biological factors integrated in criminal’s personality

3. general behaviour types

4) What separates criminal and social positive behaviour?

1. individual special features

2. content and psychological regulation mechanisms

3. tolerance and conformity

5) What is the characteristic feature of most criminal types of behaviour?

1. non-adaptive processes in social, evaluation criteria and self-regulation

2. lack of self-regulation

3. absence of social and evaluation adaptation

6) What can be the basis of criminal behaviour?

1. self-justifying motivation

2. non-conformity

3. absence of responsibility

7) Does a criminal think about consequences of his crime?

1. A criminal always understands the consequences of his crime and rejects them consciously

2. He can forecast and understand social consequences or can not think about them

3. A criminal can not think about consequences as he is too busy with planning a crime

8) What are S.L. Rubinstein’s ideas about criminal behaviour?

1. future consequences do not influence criminal behaviour

2. criminal behaviour is a complex phenomenon

3. future actions and consequences comprehended by a criminal determine criminal behaviour

9) What can defects in self-regulation lead to?

1. to making decisions without proper analysis and planning

2. to defects in self-esteem

3. to committing a crime

10) Can a criminal reject consciously the social consequences of his actions?

1. No, he can’t.

2. It depends on the individual and situation.

3. Yes, he can

Task 18. Read the text and say whether the statements are true or false, correct false statements:

All intentional crimes could be divided into three groups on regulation ability criterion: 1) purposeful crimes, 2) crimes as self-goals, 3) crimes as mechanisms to achieve other goals. The first group is represented by crimes aimed at realization of personal interests (financial profit, career, revenge, impulsive satisfaction of sexual desire, etc.). The second group crimes are connected to criminal’s satisfaction from the process of committing a crime (vandalism, hooliganism, negligence, criminal inaction). First two groups are concerned with person’s absolute individualism and egoism. The third group of crimes is committed not for selfishness but because of wrong social interests. For example, red tape and bribes could represent this group.

Anti-social behaviour is determined not only by rational or conscious picture of reality but also by a mechanism of behavioral stereotypes. Anti-social habits are socially dangerous semi-automatic actions which are not comprehended by a person as anti-social. These actions are impulsive, they are latent determinations to break law under some circumstances. Anti-social habits could be ruled but the degree of this control differs from individual to individual. Low self-regulation leads to uncontrolled criminal actions and their becoming goals of behaviour.

Many crimes are connected to criminal situation when the circumstances provoke a crime. Each person has a conceptual scheme of behaviour in typical situations. The lower the level of psychological self-regulation the more important situational circumstances are. Mature criminals are characterized by situational determination of their behaviour.

Statements:

1) According to a regulation ability criterion all crimes are separated into four groups.

2) The groups of intentional crimes are purposeful crimes, crimes as self-goals and crimes for crime’s sake.

3) Revenge and financial profit are crimes committed to achieve other goals.

4) Such crimes as vandalism and hooliganism are committed for crime’s sake.

5) The third group of crimes, i.e. crimes as mechanisms to achieve other goals, is concerned with person’s selfishness.

6) The first group of crimes is effected by criminal’s wrong social interests.

7) Red tape is an example of purposeful crimes.

8) Anti-social behaviour is determined by conscious choice.

9) Anti-social habits are semi-automatic actions aimed at social inequality.

10) The degree of control over anti-social habits differs in different people.

11) There are no such circumstances to provoke a crime.

12) Each person has a stable system of behaviour in typical situations.

Task 19. Read an abstract and put proper words into the blanks. Make use of the given list of words:

In majority of cases difficult situations could be solved by … (1) ways. But lawful ways are not realized in dangerous or … (2) situations as either they are not considered proper or they are … (3) in individual behavioral system.

The less an individual is … (4) in the society and the more complicated the conflict situation … (5), the more possible a criminal … (6) becomes.

At the same time, human behaviour is not effected … (7) by the circumstances. Outer circumstances interrelate with inner conditions. These … (8) items could not act isolated and provoke a crime, they work in … (9), but could not determine criminal behaviour completely.

Words: cooperation, complex, behaviour, is, lawful, included, directly, absent, two.