Understanding Criminal Behaviour: Psychosocial Perspectives on Criminality and Violence

Criminal behavior and its causes have been long damaged by the failure to integrate emotional, psychological, social, and cultural influences. This book offers a concise and accessible introduction to criminal behavior, examining and integrating perspectives from criminology and psychology. It proposes psychosocial approaches to understanding the emotions that surround criminal behavior, exploring individual differences and social and cultural issues. It offers substantive chapters on mental disorder, criminal career research, youth crime, gender, violent crime, race, and public violence. It is essential reading for students taking courses on criminal behavior, criminological theory, criminal psychology, and psychological criminology.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 28 August 2019
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The failure to integrate emotional, psychological, social, and cultural influences on human behavior has significantly damaged our understanding of criminal behavior and its causes. This comprehensive and accessible book provides a thorough examination of criminal behavior, drawing from perspectives in criminology and psychology. It proposes a range of "psychosocial approaches" aimed at understanding the emotions that underpin criminal behavior, facilitating exploration of individual differences and social and cultural factors that contribute to the gap between disciplinary approaches. The book offers substantive chapters on various topics, including mental disorder, criminal career research, youth crime, gender, and violent crime, including homicide and sexual crime. In addition, this new edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect recent developments in the field, including a revised opening chapter that introduces psychosocial criminology, a discussion of changes in the criminal justice system in the context of mental health, and two new chapters on race and crime, public violence, extremism, and terrorism. This book is an indispensable resource for students enrolled in courses covering criminal behavior, criminological theory, criminal psychology, and psychological criminology. By integrating diverse perspectives, it offers a deeper understanding of the complex factors that contribute to criminal behavior and provides valuable insights for addressing this pressing societal issue.

Weight: 534g
Dimension: 235 x 160 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781138222885
Edition number: 2 New edition