Psychology has also been applied to the specific areas of violent offending, sexual offending, and arson.
Mentally disordered offenders cover a range of individuals with different problems. Considering these offenders by type of mental disorder has aided understanding of the associations between these disorders and offending.
The research has also provided some clarification of the question of whether mental disorder causes offending or if the association can be explained with reference to other factors. While it is true that an association does exist, it is often difficult to disentangle causality.
Finally the relationship between psychopathy and offending was considered.
ESSAY/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What factors lead to criminal behaviour?
What might lead to offenders having distinctive patterns of social information-processing?
Compare and contrast the different theories of violent offending.
Is crime caused by mental illness?
ANNOTATED READING LIST
Doley, R., Dickens, G., & Gannon, T. (2015). The psychology of arson. Abingdon: Routledge. A good source of theory and research on arson.
Hollin, C. R. (2012). Criminological psychology. In M. Maguire, R. Morgan & R. Reiner (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of criminology (5th ed.) (pp. 81–112). Oxford: Oxford University Press. This chapter reviews psychological theories of criminal behaviour.
Hollin, C. R. (2013). Psychological approaches to understanding serious crime II: Violent crime. In C. R. Hollin, Psychology and crime (2nd ed.). Hove: Routledge. A useful review of theories and treatment of violent offending, including domestic violence.
Prins, H. (2015). Offenders, deviants or patients? (5th ed.). Hove: Routledge. Highlights the complexity of the issues relating to mentally disordered offenders.
Ward, T., Polaschek, D. L. L. & Beech, A. R. (Eds.) (2006). Theories of sexual offending. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. A good source on the theories of sexual offending.
OR
Beech, A. R. (2010). Sexual offenders. In J. M. Brown & E. A. Campbell (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of forensic psychology (pp. 102–110). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
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