Influences On Criminal Behavior and Victim Blaming

This report discusses the influences on criminal behavior and victim blaming in criminology. It covers the difference between serial killing, mass killing, and spree killing, characteristics of a serial killer, and the background of Harold Shipman. The report also explains the biological, psychological, and sociological influences on criminal behavior and the concept of victim blaming and blame culture. It concludes with the impacts of victim blaming and the negative effects it has on society and the judicial system.

Influences On Criminal Behavior and Victim Blaming
Running Head: CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY
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CRIMINOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY 1
Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Difference among Serial Killing, Mass Killing and Spree Killing..................................................2
Characteristics of a Serial Killer......................................................................................................3
Background of Harold Shipman......................................................................................................3
Influences on criminal behavior......................................................................................................4
Victim Blaming and Blame culture................................................................................................5
Impacts of Victim Blaming.............................................................................................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Introduction
Serial Killing is a sequence of murders, where a single person kills number of other persons. The
person who does such murders is called “Serial Killer’. Generally in serial killing, manner of
murders are almost same (Freeman, 2018). Serial Killing is crime which has very negative
consequences on victim as well as on culprit. Behind every serial killer mind there are some
influences and theories, which are further discussed in this report. There is a concept of victim
blaming in criminal law, where along with culprit, victims also held liable for wrongful deed.
In the history of law, So many serial killers have identified. Here this report is adhering to
discuss about one of the prolific serial killer in UK named “Harold Shipman”. This person was a
general practitioner and inquiry made upon him has identified around 250 total victims
(Sommerlad, 2018).
Difference among Serial Killing, Mass Killing and Spree Killing
All the three aforesaid terms sound similar but there are some crucial differences among all.
While discussing the topic on serial killing, such difference needs to know. In Serial Killing, a
person kills more than three people over a period of time. In this kind of killing, killer plan
murders wisely. They have their plans and they execute the same accordingly.
Whereas, in mass killing murderer kills more than four victim at the same location during a
continuous period. In addition to this is to mention here that as the name implies, in spree killing,
murderer kills two or more victims but at different locations. So these are the three terms which
in general sense look similar but are different from each other due to their approaches.

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Characteristics of a Serial Killer
Serial killer generally is that person who has their manipulation on others. Such persons are very
passionate about their work and have no fear of law. These killers have the ability to identify
strength and weakness of others and for this reason they can easily make others ready to do the
extra ordinary things. There can be different reasons of every serial killer but the common things
about them are that they do not have any regret about the murders committed by them in general
(Woollaston, 2015).
Background of Harold Shipman
Harold Shipman was a General Practitioner, who was born on 14 January, 1946 in the
Nottingham City of England. When he was seventeenth, his mother died; to whom he was
especially close. On 5th November 1966, he got married to Primrose May Oxtoby. In the mean
while Shipman has pursued his career in medical field and completed his graduation in year
1970.
In year 1974, first time he has first time started working as general Practitioner. He has changes
his organizations many of the times but was always working as general practitioner only. Later
on in year 1993, he opened his own surgery lab and continued his career as general practitioner.
In year 1998, it has come into light that there were a huge number of patients who died during
their treatment which they were taking from shipman. After that proceeding has initiated against
him and at last on January, 2004, he hanged himself and died.

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Influences on criminal behavior
Influences are the reasons and factors which motivates a person to become serial killer. Behind
every criminal mind there are some reasons which are termed as “Criminological theories.”
There are always some aspects and theories which influence a person’s criminal behavior. These
aspects can further be bifurcate on biological, psychological and sociological basis (Criminal
Psychology, 2018). All three elements plays important role in performance of a criminal activity
and behavior. Here Biological basis is related to genetic aspects. It is to assume that people get
their basic habits in heritance. People do the things and task as similar to their parents and they
do the same due to genetic factors. Biological factors put great influence on criminal behavior. It
has been noted after relevant studies and research that biological aspect has huge impact on serial
killers and their criminal behavior (Jennings, 2017). Many of the times such killers get serial
killing skills from their biological parents.
In addition to aforesaid, Psychological approach also has it is own impacts and influences on
criminal behavior. Subject named Psychology has many of the factors such as status of mind,
thinking ability and responding level of a person towards his/her thinking. Psychological
elements in criminology are basically his/her personal reasons; cause of which a person commits
crime. When a person does serial killing, it has some reasons. In comparison to biological and
sociological aspects, psychological theory has more relevancies in such acts. This aspect brings
reasons and motivation that differs from person to person (seiken2, 2016).
Further, sociological approach believes that whatever a serial killer does, he/she do the same due
to influence of their social surroundings. According to this approach, criminals do serial killing
due to the lessons they get from society. When a person lives in a criminal society, he/she also
turns into a criminal. As it is very general that society is the next home, so, this approach

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declares society responsible for the conducts of a serial killer. Serial killers are not killers by
birth but society made them so (Crossman, 2018). This aspect can be treated related to strain
theory of criminology, where a person commits crime due to the reason that the same could not
meet out with society’s expectations.
Victim Blaming and Blame culture
Victim blaming is a situation where victim of a crime held fully or partially liable. In this
situation, court blames to victim along with culprit. This concept is generally use in cases of
Rape and kidnap. This concept focus on the aspect that victim should been more careful or
victim could be secure if he/she would have taken proper caution.
Victim blaming is not a good action as it limits the area of justice for victims. Victims knock the
door of court to get justice and not to get blames and allegations further (Feldman, 2018). There
can also be some examples of victim blaming. Here it means that this is not necessary to state
that victim should have been more aware in victim blaming every time; but in addition to this the
reason can be as such victim derived the same, the same must be change or the same brought it to
himself/herself (Gordon, 2018). Victim blaming can be intentional as well as unintentional.
When some random people start making comments over victim’s actions, it turns out to be
unintentional victim blaming. Now, this is required to discuss that why people do an act like
victim blaming. In this context this is to mention that victim blaming is an ordinary reaction to
crime and the same is influenced by the culture of people who do such blaming. Where people
believe that they are responsible for everything happens to them, such blaming finds more in
comparison to anywhere else (GoodTherapy.org, 2018).

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Blame cultures us similar to victim blaming. Where Victim Blaming is an activity, Blame culture
is a practice or environment in which victims held to be blamed. When a person get liable and
blamed for a deed, this practice can consider as Blame Culture. Blame culture need not to be
present in criminology, it I a general factor which is applicable on organizations and departments
also.
Impacts of Victim Blaming
Victim blaming gives a reason to people to feel secure (Roberts, 2016). But it has some negative
impacts also. Many of the times it has noted that people do not go to court or not report the crime
by anxiety of defamation and shame. In this situation, victim blaming increase their fear. This
also conveys an adverse impact on already disturbed minds of victims (Schroeder, 2018). It has
also observed that victim blaming prevent victims from asking justice. It has overall adverse
impact on economy as well as on society. Judicial systems have developed I order to provide
justice, but this practice stops to victim by going to such justice gateways. It is not only about
victim blaming, in addition to this, all the practices which prevents a victim from seeking justice
and proper remedy are hazardous to judicial system and society.
Conclusion
To conclude the aforesaid discussion, it may state that the serial killing is a kind of crime. There
are majorly three types of killing in which a killer murders of more than two person. These are
Serial Killing, Mass Killing and Spree Killing, but there are some basic elements which make all
these three different from each other. All the serial killers have some basic character sticks which
unified them, but reason and motivation for doing murder can be different for each of them. Such

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reasons can be biological, sociological and psychological. Further, there is a concept named
Victim Blaming in Criminology, in which victim held fully or partially liable for the crime and
wrongful conduct happened to him/her. Impacts of victim blaming can be positive as well as
negatives, but it has more negatives in comparison thereof.

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References
Criminal Psychology. (2018) Criminal Behavior. [online] Available from: http://www.e-
criminalpsychology.com/criminal-behavior/ [Accessed on 30/05/18]
Crossman (2018) Biological Explanations of Deviant Behavior. Available from:
https://www.thoughtco.com/biological-explanations-of-deviant-behavior-3026265 [Accessed on
30/05/18]
Feldman, D.B. (2018) Why Do People Blame the Victim? Available from:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/supersurvivors/201803/why-do-people-blame-the-
victim [Accessed on 30/05/18]
Freeman, S. (2018) How Serial Killers Work. [online] Available from:
https://people.howstuffworks.com/serial-killer.htm [Accessed on 30/05/18]
GoodTherapy.org (2018) Victim Blaming. Available from:
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/victim-blaming [Accessed on 30/05/18]
Gordon (2018) 6 Examples of Victim-Blaming. Available from:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/examples-of-victim-blaming-460802 [Accessed on 30/05/18]
Jennings, C. (2017) EE Draft: To What Extent Do Biological and Environmental Factors Create
a Serial Killer? [online] Available from: https://medium.com/@cjennings30/ee-draft-to-what-
extent-do-biological-and-environmental-factors-create-a-serial-killer-d5738d44db69 [Accessed
on 30/05/18]

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Roberts, K. (2016) The Psychology of Victim-Blaming. Available from:
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/10/the-psychology-of-victim-blaming/502661/
[Accessed on 30/05/18]
Schroeder M.O. (2018) The Psychological Impact of Victim-Blaming-and How to stop it.
Available from: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/articles/2016-04-19/the-psychological-
impact-of-victim-blaming-and-how-to-stop-it [Accessed on 30/05/18]
seiken2 (2016) Three Theories of Criminal Behavior. [online] Available from:
https://owlcation.com/social-sciences/Three-Theories-of-Criminal-Behavior [Accessed on
30/05/18]
Sommerlad, J. (2018) Harold Shipman: Who was ‘Doctor Death’, how many of his patients did
he kill and how was he finally caught? [online] Available from:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/harold-shipman-doctor-death-serial-killer-gp-
mass-murderer-hyde-manchester-itv-documentary-a8323176.html [Accessed on 30/05/18]
Woollaston, V. (2015) How to spot a serial killer: Criminologists reveal five key traits the most
notorious murderers have in common. [online] Available from:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-3169359/How-spot-serial-killer-Criminologists-
reveal-five-key-traits-common-notorious-murderers.html [Accessed on 30/05/18]