The Psychology of Criminal Conduct, Fifth Edition
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i The Psychology of Criminal Conduct, Fifth Edition Copyright © 1994, 1998, 2003, 2006, 2010 Matthew Bender & Company, Inc., a member of the LexisNexis Group New Providence, NJ Phone 877-374-2919 Web Site www.lexisnexis.com/anderson/criminaljustice All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher. LexisNexis and the Knowledge Burst logo are trademarks of Reed Elsevier Properties, Inc. Anderson Publishing is a registered trademark of Anderson Publishing, a member of the LexisNexis Group. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Andrews, D.A. (Donald Arthur), 1941- The psychology of criminal conduct / D.A. Andrews, James Bonta.-- 5th ed. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-4224-6329-1 (softbound) 1. Criminal psychology. 2. Criminal behavior. I. Bonta, James II. Title. HV6080.A667 2010 364.3--dc22 2010000283 Cover design by Tin Box Studio, Inc. Editor Ellen S. Boyne Acquisitions Editor Michael C. Braswell Preface to the Fifth Edition It is a pleasure to introduce edition number fi ve of The Psychology of Criminal Conduct (PCC-5). As in PCC-1 through PCC-4, we update research, theory, and applications in PCC-5. PCC-5 remains true to its original intent of developing a holistic and truly interdisciplinary general personality and social psychology of criminal conduct. We draw upon a variety of theoretical positions on variability in the criminal behavior of individual human beings but once again fi nd particular value in gen- eral personality and cognitive-behavioral and cognitive social learning perspectives on human behavior in general and criminal behavior in particular. We remain open to the full range of potential variables of interest from the biological through the personal, interpersonal, familial, structural/ cultural, political/economic, and the immediate situations of action. An outstanding change in criminology, forensic mental health, and criminal justice over the last 20 years has been the enhanced position of PCC academically and in practice. Indeed, applications of PCC have rev- olutionized corrections and forensic mental health in many areas of North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. In applied terms, prevention and corrections have moved from “nothing works” through “what works” to “making what works work.” All of this occurred in a political/judicial environment that was preoccupied with “getting tough.” We use the phrase “rehabilitative jurisprudence” to underscore the importance of crime prevention becoming once again a major focus within justice and corrections. For too long, crime prevention has been next to excluded because of a focus on due process, just desert, deter- rence, “getting tough,” and the fear of offenders being mollycoddled. We call for crime prevention efforts in the context of the normative struc- ture of justice. Additionally, and more than ever before, PCC-5 calls for crime prevention to become a valued outcome of general educational, social, human, and clinical services. The organizational and content changes in PCC-5 refl ect a number of concerns. First, many colleagues and students have found earlier edi- tions to be intellectually stimulating and professionally inspiring. That response we want to maintain and enhance. Yet some users of PCC have found PCC diffi cult and challenging in that so much attention was paid to quantitative research and to the analysis of competing intellectual traditions. Those concerns we addressed directly in PCC-4 and now in PCC-5. Detailed summaries of research and detailed discussions of iii iv The Psychology of Criminal Conduct intellectual and discipline-based criticism are presented in Technical Notes that appear at the end of the text. The major content of the book may be appreciated without reading the Technical Notes. As was PCC-4, PCC-5 is open to an audience broader than our original focus on the concerns of senior undergraduate students, grad- uate students, and professionals in psychology. We think that undergrad- uate students, graduate students, and practitioners in the domains of social work, sociology, education, health, youth and family studies, criminology, and youth and adult justice will profi t from PCC-5. In addition, we are fi nding that many members of the general public have a tremendous interest in understanding antisocial behavior. Crime, after all, has always been a major interest within the news media and the arts and entertainment. We are fi nding now that extraordinary numbers of high school students, their parents, and members of the public fi nd anti- social behavior to be not only interesting but fascinating. We receive e-mail requests for information regularly. (Yes, we agree, it is part an effect of the popularity of the “CSI” series and similar programs on TV). We hope that some members of the general public will check out PCC-5. Fifteen chapters are organized into four sections of PCC-5. Part 1 includes an overview of the major knowledge base within PCC. Part 2 summarizes the knowledge through consideration of the “central eight” risk/need factors. Part 3 explores applications in the domains of assessment and crime prevention programming. Part 4 is a summary with conclusions in regard to the major issues in understanding criminal conduct. Part 1: The Theoretical Context and Knowledge Base to the Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Chapter 1, not surprisingly, remains the introductory chapter, with special attention to where PCC fi ts within general human psychology and within criminology. We also continue to stress the seeking of a theoretical, research-based, and applied under- standing of variation in the criminal behavior of individuals. Chapter 2 is now built around the risk-need-responsivity (RNR) model of correctional assessment and crime prevention programming. The RNR model is a way of both summarizing knowledge and facili- tating the effective application of knowledge. The approach is very unusual in that, by the end of Chapter 2, readers will be introduced to the concepts, principles, and research fi ndings that will constitute the major material in our closing chapter. Indeed, much of the content of Chapter 2 is what the remaining chapters in PCC-5 are devoted to devel- oping, testing, and reviewing in a critical rational and evidentiary manner. Chapter 3 reviews the major theoretical understandings of criminal behavior as an introduction to our preferred general personality and cognitive social learning perspective. The personal, interpersonal, and community-reinforcement (PICI-R) perspective is outlined in Chapter 4. Preface v Part 2: The Major Risk/Need Factors of Criminal Conduct. The fi ve chapters in Part 2 explore the evidence in support of the major correlates of a criminal history and the major risk/need factors predictive of criminal futures. Chapter 5 surveys biological, personal, and social origins of differential patterns of criminal behavior. Chapter 6 emphasizes certain pre disposition features that are sometimes labeled “antisocial personality” but that we prefer to call “antisocial personality pattern.” Chapter 7 focuses on antisocial cognition and antisocial associates. Chapter 8 con- siders the social contexts of school/work, family/marital, and leisure/ recreation. Chapter 9 explores substance abuse and criminal behavior. Part 3: Applications. The applications reside in practical assessments of offenders, their classifi cation not only in terms of risk/need but also in terms of a variety of subtypes. Prevention and rehabilitation are reviewed in detail along with the role of offi cial punishment in justice and corrections. Part 4: Summary and Conclusions. If the preceding 14 chapters were successful, you will fi nd that Chapter 15 is nothing but a summary of the early chapters and a brief look ahead at where PCC may be heading. DAA thanks Catherine for her love, support, and assistance in the development of PCC. Thanks to Rebecca and Adam. Best wishes to Ashley and Jaminha, and to Karen, Donna, Margo, Vicky, and David. Thanks to Paul Gendreau, Bob Hoge, Steve Wormith, Craig Dowden, and Annie Yessine. DAA has enjoyed working once again with Jill Rettinger and Rob Rowe. PCC-5 is dedicated to the memory of Bob Watters. Bob was a dear friend of DAA’s for 50 years, and as thesis advisor to James Bonta, he deeply stimulated JB’s views on the infl uence of environmental contin- gencies and cognitions on behavior. His intelligence was inspiring, and his friendship was transformational. Willi, we trust you will enjoy some rest and some wonderful travel. JB’s comments. It is still remarkable to me that after more than 15 years and fi ve editions that PCC continues to resonate within the criminal justice fi eld. About the time we were preparing the fi rst edition, I asked DAA, “What if we are wrong about the psychology of criminal conduct, RNR, etc.?” His usual answer to such a question was, “Well, we have to go by the evidence and change.” As this book recounts, the evidence remains in our favor, although I am sure that the day will come when we will need to prepare for a significant re-think (perhaps in the sixth edition?). First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife Christine for her support, patience, and love while I worked on this edition. Secondly, my thanks to my children, Carolyn (biologist) and Mark (MD), not only for their review of Chapter 5 but, along with my son-in-law Michael Johnson, for their enthusiastic encouragement during my work on the book. As noted in PIC-R, every behavior has both a reward and a cost. Writing vi The Psychology of Criminal Conduct PCC-5 had its rewards but also its costs in that I could not spend as much time with my family. My thanks to them for helping me complete the project.