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Crime in a Psychological Context
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Crime in a Psychological Context
From Career Criminals to Criminal Careers



October 2011 | 288 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
This book examines the psychological constructs of crime and the criminal lifestyle and includes topics such as psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and criminal lifestyle. Written in an engaging style, the author introduces compelling explanations of crime, in part by showing how the criminal lifestyle is capable of integrating two seemingly incompatible crime paradigms: the career criminal paradigm and the criminal career paradigm. Starting with a context for criminality, moving from particular constructs of crime to more evidence-based theories, this volume challenges students to think in a different way about crime and criminal behavior. Each chapter:

• Begins with a clinical case study that is periodically referenced throughout the chapter to illustrate and illuminate the context being discussed

• examines the latent structure of crime-related constructs such as psychopathy, antisocial personality disorder, and criminal lifestyle

• explores evidence-based interventions that could prevent further crime

• offers a view of the phenomenological world of the criminal offender to help students further understand the nature of crime.

 
1. Understanding Crime: The Prime Context
Predator

 
Crime

 
In Context

 
The Organization of this Book

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
2. Latent Structure: The Criminal Lifestyle in a Dimensional Context
The Self Mutilator

 
What is Latent Structure?

 
The Taxometric Method

 
Identifying the Number of Dimensions

 
Behavioral Dimensions of a Criminal Lifestyle

 
Cognitive Dimensions of a Criminal Lifestyle

 
Why Should We Care About Latent Structure?

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
3. Classification: The Criminal Lifestyle in a Diagnostic Context
Mr. Consistency

 
Diagnostic Functions

 
Essentials of Categorical Diagnosis

 
Essentials of Dimensional Diagnosis

 
Constructing a Dimensional Diagnosis for the Criminal Lifestyle

 
Analyzing Trends and Identifying Patterns

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
4. Assessment: The Criminal Lifestyle in an Appraisal Context
Tuesday’s Child

 
Clinical Forensic Psychology

 
Construct Assessment

 
Risk Assessment

 
Broad-Band Clinical Forensic Assessment Instruments

 
Narrow-Band Clinical Forensic Assessment Instruments

 
Clinical Forensic Evaluation of Grace

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
5. Development or Propensity: The Criminal Lifestyle in an Etiological Context
Born Under a Bad Sign

 
Development versus Propensity in Explaining Crime

 
A Lifestyle Theory of Crime

 
Jerry Revisited: A Developmental Analysis

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
6: Phenomenology: The Criminal Lifestyle in a Subjective Context
Married to the Mob

 
Phenomenology

 
Responses to the Ten Questions

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
7. Intervention: The Criminal Lifestyle in a Programmatic Context
The Boxer

 
Programmed Intervention

 
Unassisted Change

 
The “Nothing Works” Controversy

 
Finding a Philosophy

 
Implementing the Program

 
Evaluating the Outcome

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
8. Prevention: The Criminal Lifestyle in a High Risk Youth Context
Dennis the Menace

 
Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention

 
The Lifestyle Approach to Secondary Prevention

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
9. Mental Illness and Malingering: The Criminal Lifestyle in an Application Context
Tattoo

 
Mental Illness

 
Malingering

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 
 
10. Future Contexts and Distance Horizons
The Second Story Man

 
Understanding Crime: The Prime Context

 
Future Dimensional Contexts

 
Future Diagnostic Contexts

 
Future Appraisal Contexts

 
Future Etiological Contexts

 
Future Subjective Contexts

 
Future Programmatic Contexts

 
Future Preventive Contexts

 
Future Application Contexts

 
Conclusion

 
Key Terms and Concepts

 

The book is well structured to provide the reader with illustrative examples of the application of psychological theory to the field of psychology and law and clear intersects the two disciplines.

Mr Gwatirera Javangwe
Psychology, University of Zimbabwe
April 15, 2015

A bit too narrow for my course.

Dr Richard Wiebe
Behavioral Sciences Dept, Fitchburg State University
February 11, 2014

An excellent resource

Dr Elle Boag
Department of Psychology, Birmingham City University
September 12, 2013

I personally felt that this book attempted to cover too much ground, and as a result was lacking in depth and clarity on a lot of the topics covered. As a result, I felt that it was limited as a text for a post-graduate level course. I would suggest that it may be more appropriate for readers wishing to obtain a general overview of the area...

Dr Laura Hammond
School of Human & Health Sciences, Huddersfield University
January 27, 2013

The sub-title of this book really sums up its underlying aim, which is to examine the possibility of a rapprochement of the two constructs of a career criminal and a criminal career.

Each chapter builds on those preceding and leads us from the layman's condemnation of the criminal as 'crazy' or 'evil' towards an understanding of criminal behaviour, within the important context of understanding being entirely separate from acceptance or forgiveness.

Each of the ten chapters opens with a case study that informs and contextualises the theories that follow, which lead us to question the response that we have almost invariably had to the reading of the case-study.
This challenges the reader's judgmental stance and makes for a powerful learning experience.

Mr Paul Matthews
Business Administration , University College Birmingham
December 14, 2012

Excellent text providing a logical structure and a wide range of topics.

Mr Stuart Agnew
Social Science , University Campus Suffolk Ltd
June 11, 2012

An informative and comprehensive textbook. I particularly like the use of chapter opening cases

It contains a lot of useful and relevant information, and I highly recommend it to both my 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates.

Ms Margaret Watkin
Dept of Interdisciplinary Studies, Manchester Metropolitan Univ (Crewe)
June 9, 2012

I have used this book myself whilst completing the 3rd year of a BA (Hons) in Criminal Justice Studies and found it very beneficial. It would be a good 'added extra' for students reading lists.

Mrs Rebecca Watson
Social Sciences, The University of Northampton
May 1, 2012

This is a very easy to read book and the students all found it useful.

Mr Alan Searle
Psychology , Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education
April 7, 2012

An overall excellent book, and a perfect complement for this course. In-depth and comprehensive, yet accessible for undergraduate students, it allows for a better understanding of criminal careers, and criminal behavior in general.

Dr Maria Francisca Rebocho
Department of Political and Behavioral Science, Fernando Pessoa University
February 26, 2012

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