There are as many different types of criminals as there are crimes. Every criminal act does some kind of harm, but how do you decide which one is worse than another? For example, is shooting someone more or less depraved than stabbing and beating them to death? You likely have an immediate response to this question, but your challenge this week is to think about why you respond that way.
Evaluating the severity of crimes raises so many questions (e.g., “Does intent matter?”). For example, should someone who commits a crime for another be held to a different standard than someone who willingly commits the crime for themself? Does it matter who is victimized? For example, should crimes against women or children be considered more severe? Do you believe that the punishment should fit the crime? You probably do, but on what criteria can this be fairly and consistently decided?
For this Discussion, you will examine criminal behavior in terms of depravity. Consider the Depravity Standard, and be prepared to discuss your thoughts on the seriousness of crimes.
To prepare:
- Review the Learning Resources this week to deepen your understanding of the Depravity Standard and classifying crimes by severity of depravity.
- Review the “About the Research” page of the Depravity Standard website, then complete the Depravity Survey located on the “Take the Survey” page.
Note: To complete the survey, you must enter your email address. - Consider the ways in which crime depravity has changed over time and your views on sentencing in relation to depravity.
Post your response to the following questions:
- In what ways has crime evolved over time?
- Should sentencing of offenders be based on the relative depravity of their crime? Explain your rationale.
- What are potential problems in collecting and/or incorporating depravity findings in sentencing laws?
Note: Your post should be substantial (1 paragraph or more for each bullet point above), supported with scholarly evidence from your research and/or the Learning Resources, and properly cited using APA style.
Readings
- Howitt, D. (2022). Introduction to forensic and criminal psychology (7th ed.). Pearson.
- Chapter 23, “Judges and Lawyers” (pp. 487–508)
- Chapter 24, “Juries and Decision Making” (pp. 509–532)
- Document: Criminal Typologies: Psycho-Behavioral Framework Download Criminal Typologies: Psycho-Behavioral Framework(PDF)
- Welner, M. (2006). Classifying crimes by severity: From aggravators to depravityLinks to an external site.. In J. E. Douglas, A. W. Burgess, A. G. Burgess, & R. K. Ressler (Eds.), Crime classification manual (3rd ed.). Wiley. https://www.forensicpanel.com/data/Unsorted/Classifying_Crimes_by_Severity-88939-1.pdf
Note: This resource is seminal in the field. - Welner, M. (n.d.). The depravity standard. Links to an external site.https://depravitystandard.org/about_the_research.html?PHPSESSID=h3nb18jttv0mjdn7ofckrc8c06