Past Criminal Behavior Research Articles

The biasing nature of gang evidence: inducing memory errors for evidence of past criminal behavior

ABSTRACT Two experiments were conducted to examine the effects of introducing gang evidence on jurors’ memory of the evidence and decision-making. In Experiment 1, 234 participants viewed a staged trial. The evidence against the defendant was weak and consisted of a single tentative eyewitness identification. Half of the participants viewed a version of the trial in which the defendant was described as a dangerous gang member, and half viewed the trial with no mention of gangs. Those who heard the gang testimony were significantly more likely to falsely recall hearing evidence that was never presented describing the defendant’s previous criminal conduct and convictions for similar crimes. The second experiment (N = 328) was conducted online to secure a more diverse national sample. The results replicated, as those in the gang condition were significantly more likely to falsely remember hearing testimony about the defendant’s criminal history and to find the defendant guilty.

Children and young peoples’ lyrics and voices capturing their experiences within youth justice services

PurposeThis paper aims to explore young peoples’ authentic experiences of youth justice services (YJS) during the Covid-19 pandemic. By adopting the creative arts-based method of lyric writing, the research team sought to empower participants through collaboration and participation and to facilitate them leading the narrative (Deakin et al., 2020).Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted a creative arts-based method in which participants worked alongside an artist to generate lyrics that captured their experiences within YJS. Such an approach demonstrated a commitment to participatory, child-first approaches.FindingsTwo main themes were identified: identity and relationships. The young people vocalised resistance to frequent labelling and their ambitions to move away from past criminal identity and behaviour. Relationships with practitioners could be a source of frustration within this but were also highlighted as valuable and supportive.Research limitations/implicationsAs data collection was remote, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, the opportunity to develop relationships with young people within the YJS prior to conducting the research was restricted. This approach may have also impacted recruitment of participants. The sessions presented short-term interventions and whilst follow-up sessions were offered, many did not take them up. Although the research sample is small and cannot be considered representative, it allows for a valuable insight into the experiences of young people at a particularly challenging time.Practical implicationsUpon receiving our findings and recommendations, the first YJS research site has sought to further embed a relationship-based practice model and greater creative/participatory socially prescribed psychosocial therapeutic interventions, including music groups and spoken word artists to work with children and young people.Originality valueThis research adds to the growing literature base surrounding creative arts-based research with children and young people for their value towards communication, pro-social identity and development.

Untangling the relationship between child maltreatment and criminal behavior: executive functioning as mediator

ABSTRACT There is evidence that childhood maltreatment (CM) is an important risk factor for adult criminal behavior. However, little is known about the cognitive processes mediating this relationship. This study examined the mediating role of executive functioning (EF) on the relationship between CM and history of criminal behavior on a sample of 334 male individuals in custody from Uruguay. Preliminary results showed that CM was significantly associated with past criminal behavior in all multivariate models. The mediation analysis found that behavioral regulation had a significant mediating role while the metacognition and EF total score did not. Finally, the inhibition domain was the strongest mediator. This suggests that CM is an important risk factor that needs to be considered in Uruguay, and addressing behavioral regulation may also help to address some of the long-term consequences of CM and targeting deficits in inhibition could be a potential target for treatment for individuals that commit criminal offenses.

Domestic Support for Foreign Fighting: Attitudes Towards the Use of Violence Abroad

This study explores the phenomenon of foreign fighting through survey data gathered amongst Norwegian youths in 2015. Looking at two overarching explanatory models the article tests how grievances, criminality and more sectarian and religious factors affect more radical attitudes towards foreign fighting in Syria. Through this the article tests some central individual level factors to see how they impact support for foreign fighting in Syria, while also running alternative methodological approaches to test both the robustness of the initial findings and do some exploratory testing of non-responsive respondents in the multinomial models. The findings find support for factors such as past criminal behaviour and perceived deprivation in the form of self-reported socio-economic position, both of which are significant across the main models and in most of the alternative models. More abstract grievance measures, such as alienation and disillusionment more generally, provide more mixed findings. Hypotheses about a connection between religious identities and religiosity also finds support, with some indications that the sectarian nature of the Syrian civil war has a significant impact on attitudes amongst religious groups across the board. There is also a clearer sectarian dimension when studying those with higher levels of support for foreign fighting in Syria.

Criminal History and Adverse Childhood Experiences in Relation to Recidivism and Social Functioning in Multi-problem Young Adults

This study examines the relationship between criminal history and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and how they collectively predict (a) recidivism and (b) positive social functioning among multi-problem young adults. Criminal records and self-report data regarding ACEs and adult education/employment and quality of life (QoL) were collected for 692 multiproblem young adults (18–27 years). Results indicated that an extensive criminal history was related to non-violent and violent recidivism and lack of involvement in education/employment in young adulthood. On the contrary, a higher number of ACEs was related to lower QoL later in life, while this was not associated with recidivism or education/employment. These findings highlight again that past criminal behavior is a strong predictor of future criminality, particularly within this group of young adults with multiple problems. Furthermore, experiencing negative events in childhood shows to have long-term negative effects on QoL even for these individuals who already experience multiple life problems. Implications are discussed.

Implicit self-criminal cognition and its relation to criminal behavior.

Three studies adopted implicit social cognition theory and methodology to understand criminal cognition outside of conscious awareness or control, specifically by testing whether individual differences in implicit associations between the self and the group criminals are related to criminal behavior. A Single Category Implicit Association Test measured self-criminal associations across 3 adult samples-2 from Newark, New Jersey, a high-crime United States city, and an adult national sample from the United States. Then, all participants reported their criminal behavior in 2 cross-sectional design studies and 1 longitudinal design study. Consistent with an additive model of implicit and explicit cognition, studies generally demonstrated that strong implicit self-criminal associations increased the odds of committing a criminal act, even after accounting for explicit self-criminal cognition, past criminal behavior, and/or criminal-related demographics. This research suggests that implicit self-criminal associations serve as a cognitive marker for criminal behavior. Furthermore, the present research calls into question criminal justice policies and practices that assume that criminal behavior is exclusively driven by criminal intent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Interrupting Constructions of a Criminalized Other through a Revised Criminal Activities Checklist Classroom Exercise

A self-report questionnaire about past criminal behavior is presented here as a useful pedagogical tool to demonstrate the invalidity of crime rates, challenge stereotypes about criminals, exemplify policy problems, and personalize the ways in which race, gender, and class operate to disadvantage and advantage people in the administration of justice. Philip Reichel’s 1975 criminal activities checklist exercise, first published in Teaching Sociology, is updated pursuant to the Georgia 2016 criminal code. Additions include new laws around technology use (i.e., sexting, privacy, and piracy laws), substance use (pharmaceuticals and minor alcohol possession), criminalized driving offenses (aggressive driving and DUIs), and sex offenses. I found that most students in my classroom have violated a law. These findings, the findings of others who have administered similar checklists, and growing research suggest that crime commission is more the norm rather than the exception, and this gives instructors great opportunities to challenge student assumptions.

Experience or deterrence? Revisiting an old but neglected issue

Deterrence theory states that fear of sanctions secures compliance with the law. Empirical research on the deterrent effect of legal sanctions has remained inconclusive though. This applies especially to perceptual deterrence studies. Most of them are cross-sectional in nature and rely on measures of self-reported previous offending, which implies that they actually explain past criminal behaviour from current perceptions of risk. However, such a temporal ordering of the concepts is more congruent with experiential effects according to which previous criminal involvement lowers subsequent risk perceptions rather than depicting deterrent relationships. The few longitudinal studies that have attempted to disentangle experiential and deterrent effects are based on samples from North America. Their common finding is that experiential effects exist and that they are substantially larger than the deterrent effect. Most of them reject the notion of deterrence. This work contributes to the discussion by for the first time addressing the experience–deterrence issue with panel data collected in the UK. Results show that associations between current risk estimates and prior offending found in cross-sectional studies reflect chiefly experiential effects. Evidence in support of deterrence remains very limited.

Vincent Chetail and Caroline Laly-Chevalier (eds), Asile et extradition: Theorie et pratique de l'exclusion du statut de refugie [Asylum and Extradition: Theory and Practice of Exclusion from Refugee Status

Concern for the plight of refugees is a prominent topic in current international affairs. Armed conflicts, persecution, civil wars and generalized violence have caused millions of refugees to spill over borders into neighboring countries.1 The global sentiment is that many of these individuals are innocent victims of conflicts beyond their control and should be protected. Yet, some individuals who seek refugee status may have engaged in past criminal behaviour. The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees (Refugee Convention) explicitly excludes from its protection those individuals who have committed a crime against the peace, a war crime or a crime against humanity; a serious non-political crime; or are guilty of acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.2 Furthermore, extradition law may place burdens on a state that has already accepted a wanted individual as a refugee. As a result, states can face competing international obligations between the protection of refugees and upholding their extradition obligations to other states.

Guidelines for Assessing Candidates with Criminal Histories

Biometric state and federal criminal background checks provide the most comprehensive information available for determining whether a nurse applying for a license has a history of criminal activity. In some cases of past criminal behavior, it will be clear that licensure should be denied and in other cases, it will be clear that the potential licensee should be considered. However, in many cases, the decision is not clear, which makes the task of risk assessment so crucial. Was the violation of the law an indiscriminate act or does the individual have deficiencies in his or her personality or moral integrity? Does the individual exhibit criminal thinking? In 2012, National Council of State Boards of Nursing convened a task force to develop a method that would assist boards of nursing (BONs) in the interpretation of a criminal conviction history. The guidelines developed by this task force are presented here.

Associations between gambling, substance misuse and recidivism among Canadian offenders: a multifaceted exploration of poor impulse control traits and behaviours

Moderate correlations among gambling, substance use and crime suggest these three behaviours may each be indicators of a single underlying problem trait, such as poor impulse control. We tested whether self-reported traits prospectively predicted future criminal recidivism, when accounting for incarcerated adult offenders' past criminal behaviour, substance use and gambling behaviour. We took a multi-construct approach to measuring components of impulse control, utilizing three questionnaires that assess sensation seeking, poor premeditation, and reward sensitivity. Male participants incarcerated in two federal institutions were invited to complete self-report booklets; participation was self-selected and fully voluntary. Results indicated moderate correlations between measures of trait impulse control, self-reported drug use, and official criminal history (N = 140). Gambling problems prospectively predicted post-release criminal recidivism (n = 83), even when accounting for past criminal behaviour, impulse control traits and substance misuse. Although they represent a small percentage of this sample, results suggest offenders with high gambling problems represent a particularly at-risk group for future crime, who were more than four times likely to reoffend compared to offenders without problem gambling. These results suggest there may be mutual impact of problem behaviours on life outcomes above the contribution of poor impulse control.

Predicting Treatment Attrition Among Seriously Violent Offenders

Treatment completion by violent offenders results in fewer victims and less violence in society. As researchers and members of society, we have a compelling interest in finding ways to keep violent male offenders in effective treatment programs. This study examines file-rated predictors of treatment attrition from an institutionally based program for persistently violent offenders. Each of the three prediction models of institutionally based treatment attrition included the predictors of motivation for assistance and prior treatment dosage: (a) the past criminal behavior model, (b) the recent antisocial behavior model, and (c) the non-antisocial instability model. Recent antisocial behavior did not improve the prediction of treatment attrition over the past criminal behavior model. Motivation for assistance did not make a contribution in the recent antisocial behavior or the non-antisocial instability models while prior treatment dosage consistently contributed to the prediction of attrition across the models. Recent non-antisocial behavior is important to offender treatment attrition.

Self Reports of Being Falsely Accused of Criminal Behavior

The occurrence of false accusations of illegal behavior is investigated using cross-sectional, long-term recall data for two generations of a national probability sample of individuals. The analysis examines whether being a “usual suspect” based on past criminal behavior; “guilt by association” based on the illegal behavior of one's friends; academic achievement based on self-reported grades in school; and sociodemographic variables including gender, ethnic majority/minority status, and socioeconomic status have an impact on the likelihood of being falsely accused of illegal behavior. The results indicate some consistency across the different subsamples in the characteristics of those most likely to be falsely accused of illegal behavior. Implications for policy and future research are considered.

Creating Burglary Profiles Using Latent Class Analysis

This research creates a new criminal profile for burglary by establishing the link among certain offender traits, past criminal behavior, and crime scene features. Utilizing latent class analysis (LCA) to identify underlying groups within the offender and offense characteristics, the relationship between certain offense styles and the most likely offender may then be established. These offense–offender profiles may be used by police to predict traits of an unknown offender based on information from a crime scene alone. Based on a sample of 405 burglaries committed between 2008 and 2009 in Florida, four criminal history groups, four offender types, and four offense styles were identified using LCA. A significant relationship was found among the offense styles and offender trait types, as well as between the offender trait and criminal history categories. This study serves both theoretical and practical purposes, as the findings have important implications for academia and law enforcement alike.

Altruism Behind Bars: Sharing, Justice, Perspective Taking and Empathy Among Inmates

Anecdotal stories suggest that inmates engage in altruistic acts to partially compensate for past criminal behaviour. Little research has investigated this phenomenon. In this study, we used the dictator game—a measure developed in experimental economics—to assess inmates’ and non-inmates’ altruistic behaviour. Furthermore, we examined whether personal belief in a just world (BJW), perspective taking and empathy predicted altruistic behaviour. Our sample was comprised of 50 male inmates and 50 age-matched non-inmates. Results showed that inmates displayed more altruistic behaviour and higher empathy compared to non-inmates. In addition, in inmates altruistic behaviour was positively predicted by BJW and perspective taking, whereas in non-inmates altruistic behaviour was positively predicted by empathy. Theoretical and practical implications are further discussed.

Drug Sentencing in South Korea: The Influence of Case-Processing and Social Status Factors in an Ethnically Homogeneous Context

For several decades, researchers have studied sentencing outcomes in the United States and, to a much lesser extent, other Western countries. Although much research on punishment decisions focuses on Black, White and, to a lesser extent, Hispanic disparities, South Korea presents an opportunity to examine the role of extra-legal factors in criminal punishment in an ethnically homogeneous society. The authors investigate sentencing outcomes for drug offenses in South Korea, using data from the six largest cities in South Korea from 1997 to 2001. The authors find that legal factors connected to the offense and past criminal behavior of the offender primarily determined the length of sentences for Korean drug offenders. The authors also find that admitting guilt resulted in shorter sentences but that those represented by publically provided attorneys received modestly longer sentences. The authors also find males and older offenders receiving longer sentences.

Does Past Criminal Behavior Predict Future Criminal Behavior?

Past behavior does not always predict future behavior, and all candidates with criminal histories should not be automatically denied licensure or employment as nurses. Instead, such candidates should undergo standardized psychological assessment, and a trained clinical professional should interpret the results. Integrating psychological theory and assessment into the licensure and employment decision-making process could benefit certain ex-offenders, potential employers, and society as a whole.

Risk Factors for Overall Recidivism and Severity of Recidivism in Serious Juvenile Offenders

This study was aimed at finding risk factors that predict both overall recidivism and severity of recidivism in serious juvenile offenders. Seventy static and dynamic risk factors associated with family characteristics, peers, psychopathology, substance abuse, psychological factors, and behavior during treatment were assessed with the Juvenile Forensic Profile in a sample of 728 juvenile offenders. Official reconviction data were used to register recidivism with a minimum time at risk of 2 years. Severity of offending was categorized according to the maximum sentence for the offense committed combined with expert opinion. Several risk factors for recidivism were found: past criminal behavior (number of past offenses, young age at first offense, unknown victim of past offenses), conduct disorder, family risk factors (poor parenting skills, criminal behavior in the family, a history of physical and emotional abuse), involvement with criminal peers, and lack of treatment adherence (aggression during treatment, lack of coping strategies). Having an unknown victim in past offenses, criminal behavior in the family, lack of treatment adherence, and lack of positive coping strategies were predictive of serious (violent) recidivism. The results are discussed in terms of their use for risk assessment and in improving treatment effect. Targeting poor parenting skills, involvement in criminal environment, lack of treatment adherence, and problematic coping strategies should reduce the severity of recidivism.

Évaluation du risque de récidive en Belgique francophone : données préliminaires d’analyse factorielle de la « Sex Offender Recidivism Appraisal Guide » (SORAG) et de la Statique-99

In order to assess the internal structure of risk assessment of sexual recidivism of the Sex Offender Risk Appraisal Guide (SORAG), and the STATIC-99, a principal components analysis followed by promax rotation was conducted. In a data set including adults forensic sex offenders, three interpretable components were identified both with the SORAG ( n = 79) and the STATIC-99 ( n = 254): “past criminal behaviour”, “demographic characteristics”, and “antisocial personality” for the SORAG and “criminal past behaviour”, “aggressor-victim relationship” and “sexual offence” for the STATIC-99. Prospective data were available (SORAG: n = 133; STATIC-99: n = 137). For both instruments, the “criminal past behaviour” factor was the only one predicting general recidivism, violent recidivism and sexual recidivism.

Violent Criminal Behavior and Perspectives on Treatment of Criminality in Opiate Treatment

Purpose: This study describes and compares the characteristics of patients within a VA Opiate Substitution Therapy Program (OSTP) who report arrests for non-violent and violent crimes and describes patients' attitudes and preferences of criminal treatment within an OSTP. Methods: An anonymous survey was distributed to all veterans at one VA-OSTP. Analyses were conducted to describe the sample characteristics and their associations with prior violent and non-violent criminal behavior. Results: A majority of participants were Caucasian, male, middle-aged, unemployed, and had a history of injection drug use. Participants reported arrests for violent (44%), non-violent (47%), and unspecified crimes (16%). There were few significant differences on demographic and drug use characteristics between participants who reported arrests for any violent and only non-violent crimes, and no arrests. Slightly fewer than half the subjects were satisfied with their ability to access treatment for past criminal behavior within or outside of the VA treatment settings. More veterans reporting violent arrests were satisfied with services addressing criminal behavior within the VA-OSTP than were veterans reporting only nonviolent arrests. Nearly equal proportions of veterans reporting violent (45%) and non-violent (44%) arrests reported dissatisfaction with such services received outside of the VA-OSTP. Conclusions: Prior violent criminal behavior is common among participants of a VA-OSTP. Many individuals with criminal histories seek treatment for criminality within VA-OSTP.