Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Society today is fascinated by crime. Crime is a hot topic in the media, so that people are continually exposed to criminal events, portrayals of those who commit them, and the suffering of victims. Yet the reality of crime is often very different from how it is portrayed in the media. Most crime is neither violent nor morbid; most offenders are not psychopaths, and although prison generally does not work, there may well be other, less punitive but more constructive interventions that are actually quite effective. This book exposes some of the most prevalent myths about crime and criminal behaviour. In addition it provides the reader with up-to-date knowledge on crime and offending behaviour. It also highlights the ways in which psychological methods of research and psychological knowledge can help us to understand criminal behaviour and the ways that targeted interventions are developed based upon this. Pakes' and Winstone's Psychology and Crime is essential reading for students taking courses in the psychology of crime, criminal and forensic psychology, criminology, and community justice, as well as for other courses where a knowledge of the complex relationship between psychology and crime - and its application in practice - is required. Practitioners and policy-makers will also find it highly informative.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• About the authors (p. xi)
• Introduction (p. xiii)
• 1 Why do people offend? psychological and sociological explanations (p. 1)
• Introduction (p. 1)
• Understanding causes of crime (p. 2)
• Biology (p. 4)
• Personality (p. 7)
• The family (p. 9)
• Environmental factors: bonds, gangs and society at large (p. 12)
• Conclusion (p. 16)
• 2 The-criminal mind: understanding criminals from their- scene of crime (p. 19)
• Introduction (p. 19)
• Offender profiling (p. 20)
• Criminal profiling at the FBI (p. 22)
• Organised and disorganised offenders (p. 24)
• Statistical profiling (p. 28)
• The success of profilers (p. 29)
• Pschopathy and antisocial personality disorder (p. 31)
• Conclusion (p. 33)
• 3 Pathways into crime: understanding juvenile offending (p. 35)
• Introduction (p. 35)
• Background (p. 36)
• Youth offending in England and Wales - key statistics (p. 36)
• Correlates and causes of youth crime (p. 37)
• Offender profiling and assessment (p. 44)
• Responses to youth crime (p. 47)
• Sentencing and legislation: prevention, punishment or net-widening? (p. 52)
• Conclusion (p. 55)
• 4 Aggression and violence (p. 57)
• Introduction (p. 57)
• Frustration and aggression (p. 59)
• Testosterone, brain injury and a genetic defect (p. 61)
• Social learning (p. 63)
• Television and video games (p. 65)
• Alcohol (p. 68)
• The general aggression model (p. 71)
• Conclusion (p. 73)
• 5 Sexual violence: from theory into practice (p. 74)
• Introduction (p. 74)
• Settings, scenarios and issues of consent (p. 75)
• Profile of sex offending in England and. Wales (p. 76)
• Recent legislation (p. 78)
• Sexual violence and typology (p. 80)
• Typology of child molesters (p. 83)
• Integrated theory and the sexual cycle of offending (p. 84)
• Biological and evolutionary explanations of sexual aggression (p. 88)
• Interventions and effectiveness (p. 88)
• Risk prediction and management (p. 92)
• Conclusion (p. 94)
• 6 Insanity, mental health and the criminal justice system (p. 95)
• Introduction (p. 95)
• Types of mental disorder (p. 96)
• Personality disorder (p. 97)
• Psychosis - a break with reality (p. 102)
• Neurosis disorders (p. 105)
• Mood disorders (p. 105)
• Exploding the myth of mad, bad and dangerous (p. 106)
• Treatment or punishment? (p. 109)
• Conclusion (p. 114)
• 7 Stalkers and their victims (p. 115)
• Introduction (p. 115)
• What is stalking? (p. 116)
• How common is stalking? (p. 119)
• Stalkers and victim characteristics (p. 121)
• Attachment, power and delusion (p. 122)
• Antistalking legislation (p. 126)
• Conclusion (p. 129)
• 8 The psychology of addiction - are there more questions than answers? (by Aaron Pycroft) (p. 131)
• Introduction (p. 131)
• The assumptions of treatment approaches " (p. 134)
• Is there a whiff of 'nothing works' in the air? (p. 135)
• The trans-theoretical model of change (TTM) (p. 137)
• The strengths of the TTM (p. 138)
• Weaknesses of the TTM (p. 142)
• The way, forward (p. 144)
• Complex self-organising systems (p. 144)
• Conclusion (p. 147)
• 9 Date rape and drugs (p. 149)
• Introduction (p. 149)
• Stranger rape, date rape and acquaintance rape (p. 150)
• Prevalence of date rape (p. 151)
• Who is at risk? Victims and offenders (p. 153)
• Drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA) (p. 157)
• Date rape drugs (p. 158)
• Conclusion (p. 161)
• 10 Can prison ever work? (p. 165)
• Introduction (p. 165)
• The prison population (p. 166)
• The psychology of prison (p. 169)
• When things go wrong - the prison officer role (p. 169)
• When things go wrong - the detainee role (p. 172)
• Rehabilitation and the prison experience (p. 174)
• Rehabilitation and prison - the alternatives (p. 178)
• Conclusion (p. 180)
• 11 Victims and fear of crime (p. 182)
• Introduction (p. 182)
• Who is afraid? (p. 184)
• Fear of crime and the media (p. 187)
• Deconstructing fear of crime (p. 189)
• Getting to the causes (p. 191)
• Defensible space (p. 192)
• Conclusion (p. 196)
• References (p. 197)
• Index (p. 227)

Author notes provided by Syndetics

DR. Francis Pakes is a principal-lecturer at the University of Portsrnouth. He coordinates a number of MSc programmes at the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies, including an MSc in criminology and criminal psychology. His other books include comparative Criminal Justice (Willan 2004), Community Justice (co-edited with Jane Winstone, Willan 2005) and Applying Psychology to Criminal Justice (co-edited with David Carson, Becky Milne, Karen Shalev and Andrew Shawyer; Wiley 2007).
Jane Winstone is a principal lecturer at the University of Portsmouth where she also coordinates probation training. Her main research interests are in the management of mental health in the criminal justice system and in youth crime. Her recent publications include Community Justice (co-edited with Francis Pakes, Willan 2005) and a co-authored chapter (with Francis Pakes) in Applying Psychology to Criminal Justice(Wiley 2007).