Evil Minds: Understanding and Responding to Violent Predators / Edition 1

by Robert J. Meadows

Overview

This unique, engaging book uses a multi-disciplinary approach in an effort to understand the “evil minds” of criminals that engage in predatory violence. Evil Minds uses the study of the “monsters” among us—serial killers, mass murderers, child molesters and rapists—to introduce readers to the theories, concepts and research from the fields of psychology, sociology, criminology & criminal justice that social scientists employ to understand and respond to violent criminals. A three-part organization covers: violent crimes: types and patterns, sources of predatory violence, and investigating and prosecuting evil. For a variety of individuals working tin the criminal justice field who try to understand, analyze, investigate, and prosecute violent criminal offenders.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	2900130486133
Publisher:	Pearson
Publication date:	02/04/2004
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 1.25(h) x 9.00(d)

About the Author

Dr. Julie M. Kuehnel earned her doctorate in Educational Psychology at the University of Texas and is a licensed clinical psychologist in California. She is currently Professor/Chair of Psychology at California Lutheran University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. She came to CLU with experience as an Assistant Research Psychologist at UCLA specializing in behavior therapy; as a private practice clinician; and as a trainer/consultant to Camarillo State Hospital, Atascadero State Hospital, and the Center for the Improvement of Child Caring. Dr. Kuehnel coauthored the Handbook of Marital Therapy and articles and book chapters on the treatment of mental disorders.

Dr. Robert J. Meadows is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice and is Director of the Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration at California Lutheran University. Dr. Meadow's research and teaching interests include legal issues in criminal justice, private security, violence and victimization, and delinquency. He authored a book on Saudi Arabian justice and a parent's guide for coping with difficult teenagers. He also authored Understanding Violence and Victimization for Prentice Hall Publishing, now in its third edition. Dr. Meadows is a member of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and the American Society of Industrial Security.

Read an Excerpt

Most of us are curious about those individuals who are capable of engaging in predatory violence: serial killers, mass murders, child molesters and rapists. Who are they? Why do they do what they do? How did they get that way? Why can be done about them? Those of us who teach and study in the social sciences are also fascinated by these questions and approach them through the theories, concepts and research of our own disciplines: psychology, sociology, criminology and criminal justice. This text is an effort to understand these 'evil minds' using a multi disciplinary perspective.

The idea for this book grew out of our experiences teaching a course on this topic. We discovered that our students' natural curiosity about the "monsters" among us provided a vehicle for also teaching them about the theories and constructs and methods that various disciplines in the social sciences employ to understand and respond to these evil minds. Unfortunately, we also discovered that there were no texts that really incorporated this multidisciplinary approach into studying this topic. This book is an effort to close that gap.

We also wanted to write a text that you would find engaging. To accomplish this, we have employed a case study approach to illustrate the content, and pedagogical features to engage you in applying and evaluating what you are learning. At the end of each chapter are Questions for Discussion and Activities that invite you to be active rather than passive learners. Most chapters include self-check boxes so that you can check your understanding as you read. Highlight boxes include related material, and interviews with professionals involved in the field.

The text is divided into three sections. The first section addresses theories of victimology and chapters that describe the motives, methods and backgrounds of the various types of sexual predators and murderers. This is, who are these people? What you will find is that broad categories such as rapists and serial killers contain subtypes of individuals who carry out their crimes for different reasons that are reflected in how they select victims and carry out their offenses.

In section two we try to respond to the question: 'how did these evil minds get that way?' Predatory violence does not spring from a single seed, but is rooted in maladaptive psychological development, neurological dysfunction, mental disorder, and nourished by maladaptive social influences. Theory and research into biological, psychological and social factors that interact to produce a John Wayne Gacy or a Bobby Joe Long continue to be developed. Therefore we have included a chapter on the research methods employed by social scientists to find answers to assist you in becoming informed consumers of such information.

The last section addresses how we respond to predatory offenders. The natural and behavioral sciences contribute in different ways to investigate such crimes. The justice system creates laws and delivers punishment to these offenders. Chapters nine and ten introduce you to how this happen;. For sex offenders, who are likely to be released into the community at some point, is treatment a viable option? Does time in prison stop them? These questions and an overview of treatment approaches are the subject of the final chapter. After completing this text, we think you will see that as a society, we should focus more intensely on prevention and early intervention to reduce predatory violence.

For instructors, there is an instructors guide to accompany the text. This includes objective, short answer and essay questions for each chapter, suggestions fox in-class demonstrations, supplemental lecture material, transparency masters and ideas for structuring an interactive course.

Table of Contents

I. VIOLENT CRIMES: TYPES AND PATTERNS.

This section focuses on the following categories of repeat violent offenders. Included is a discussion of particular traits and patterns of these offenders, victimology, and actual case studies.

1. Monsters and their Victims: The Dance.

•The victim and the offender—the relationship between victims and violent criminals (victimology).

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Measuring Crime and Victimization. Victimization Theory. Conclusion.

2. The Sexual Predator.

•Sex offender types (rapist, molesters, etc.)

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Serial Rapists. Pedophiles and Child Molesters. Women Child Molesters. Responding to Sexual Predators. Conclusion.

3. Murdering Minds.

•Murderer types (serial killers, spree and mass killers, killers for profit, terrorists, etc.)

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Mass Murderers. Spree Killers. Male Serial Killer. Female Serial Killer. Conclusion.

II. SOURCES OF PREDATORY VIOLENCE: PIECES OF THE PUZZLE.

This section reviews theory and research on the sources of violent and sexual offending, examining biological, psychological and sociological contributors.

4. How to Create a Monster According to Psychological Theories of Development.

•Psychological theories of personality development related to violence, personality disorders and psychopathy: psychodynamic, social learning/cognitive, trait theory.

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Psychodynamic Theory. Learning and Cognitive Theory. Trait/Dispositional Theory. So Which Theory is Right? Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Words. References.

5. How do Social Scientists Find Answers?

•Scientific method

•Research designs, strengths and weaknesses

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Basic Elements of Research. Research Methods/Strategies. Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Words. References.

6. Toxic Families and Culture.

•Sociological theories

•Research on family and early childhood influences

•Research on the media, community, and their contributions to violence

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Gender, Race, and Violence. Learning Violence. Familial Influences. Peer Influences. Media Influences. Environmental Conditions and Violence. Conclusions. Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Terms. References.

7. Neurological Contributions to Evil Minds.

•Contribution of prenatal factors

•Biological factors (brain chemistry, function, and structure)

Learning Objectives. Introduction. The Search for Genetic Roots of Violence. The Brain Behavior Connection. Neurological Correlates of Aggression. Neurochemistry and Hormones. Conclusion: Pulling it all Together. Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Words. References.

8. Twisted Minds: The Contribution of Mental Disorders.

•Overview of relevant mental disorders

Learning Objectives. Introduction. The Personality Disorders. Disorders of Childhood. Major Mental Disorders. Paraphilias. Some Final Thoughts. Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Words. References.

III. INVESTIGATING AND PROSECUTING EVIL.

This section provides an overview of the criminal justice system and the effects of treatment and imprisonment.

9. Forensic Investigation: The Hunt.

•The role of the forensic expert

•Crime scene investigation

•Crime mapping

•Type of Evidence

•Profiling

Learning Objectives. Introduction. The Criminal Investigation. Forensic Specialties. Pathology and the Autopsy. The Physical Sciences. Conclusion. Questions for Discussion and Activities. Key Terms. References.

10. The Pursuit of Justice.

•How the justice system operates

•Elements of major violent crimes (rape, degrees of murder, etc.)

•Determining responsibility: criminal defenses and excuses

Learning Objectives. The Law. Crime: What Constitutes a Crime? Trial. Defenses to Crime. The Insanity Defense. Sentencing and Punishment. Conclusion. Questions. Key Terms. References.

11. To Treat or not to Treat, that is the Question.

•Measuring outcomes of treatment and imprisonment

•Therapy and treatment models for sex offenders

Learning Objectives. Introduction. Treatment Effectiveness. Current Treatments. Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Relapse Prevention. Cognitive Restructuring. Building Coping Skills. Behavioral Reconditioning. Relapse Prevention. Hormonal/Medical Treatment. Conclusions. Discussion Questions and Activities. Key Words. References.

Preface

Most of us are curious about those individuals who are capable of engaging in predatory violence: serial killers, mass murders, child molesters and rapists. Who are they? Why do they do what they do? How did they get that way? Why can be done about them? Those of us who teach and study in the social sciences are also fascinated by these questions and approach them through the theories, concepts and research of our own disciplines: psychology, sociology, criminology and criminal justice. This text is an effort to understand these 'evil minds' using a multi disciplinary perspective.

The idea for this book grew out of our experiences teaching a course on this topic. We discovered that our students' natural curiosity about the "monsters" among us provided a vehicle for also teaching them about the theories and constructs and methods that various disciplines in the social sciences employ to understand and respond to these evil minds. Unfortunately, we also discovered that there were no texts that really incorporated this multidisciplinary approach into studying this topic. This book is an effort to close that gap.

We also wanted to write a text that you would find engaging. To accomplish this, we have employed a case study approach to illustrate the content, and pedagogical features to engage you in applying and evaluating what you are learning. At the end of each chapter are Questions for Discussion and Activities that invite you to be active rather than passive learners. Most chapters include self-check boxes so that you can check your understanding as you read. Highlight boxes include related material, and interviews with professionals involved in the field.

The text is divided into three sections. The first section addresses theories of victimology and chapters that describe the motives, methods and backgrounds of the various types of sexual predators and murderers. This is, who are these people? What you will find is that broad categories such as rapists and serial killers contain subtypes of individuals who carry out their crimes for different reasons that are reflected in how they select victims and carry out their offenses.

In section two we try to respond to the question: 'how did these evil minds get that way?' Predatory violence does not spring from a single seed, but is rooted in maladaptive psychological development, neurological dysfunction, mental disorder, and nourished by maladaptive social influences. Theory and research into biological, psychological and social factors that interact to produce a John Wayne Gacy or a Bobby Joe Long continue to be developed. Therefore we have included a chapter on the research methods employed by social scientists to find answers to assist you in becoming informed consumers of such information.

The last section addresses how we respond to predatory offenders. The natural and behavioral sciences contribute in different ways to investigate such crimes. The justice system creates laws and delivers punishment to these offenders. Chapters nine and ten introduce you to how this happen;. For sex offenders, who are likely to be released into the community at some point, is treatment a viable option? Does time in prison stop them? These questions and an overview of treatment approaches are the subject of the final chapter. After completing this text, we think you will see that as a society, we should focus more intensely on prevention and early intervention to reduce predatory violence.

For instructors, there is an instructors guide to accompany the text. This includes objective, short answer and essay questions for each chapter, suggestions fox in-class demonstrations, supplemental lecture material, transparency masters and ideas for structuring an interactive course.