Course: CJ 233: Introduction of Forensic Psychology
Instructor: Doctor Findley
Assignment: Unit 9 Final Assignment
Total Points: 150
Due Date: November 24, 2015
Name: Donna Marie Brown (Donnabrown119)

Unit 9: Final Project: You Are a Forensic Psychologist

Kaplan University

Donna Brown119

Monday, November 23, 2015

Deviant behavior is any behavior that is contrary to the dominant norms of society. There are many different theories on what causes a person to perform deviant behavior, including biological explanations, psychological explanations, and sociological explanations.
Numerous theories have been established to explain criminal behavior. While some theories are not as common, others have evolved and are used in many criminal studies today. Up-to-date criminologists combine the most relevant characteristics of sociology, psychology, biological, and social-psychological to advance their understanding of criminal behavior. Professionals in this field study factors that contribute to criminal activities, make relevant policy recommendations and draw conclusions based on those assessments. (Varying Theories on Crime, 2015)
Several theories attempt to explain criminal behavior. Most theories assume: * Crime is part of human nature. * Crime is based on biological, psychological, and/or economic aspects.
One of the earliest approaches to explaining the causes of crime was the classical theory, which is defined as a product of the Enlightenment, based on the assumption that people exercise free will and are consequently completely responsible for their actions. In the classical theory, human behavior, including criminal behavior, is motivated by a self-indulgent wisdom, in which actors with the potential pleasure of an action against the possible pain associated with it. (Explaining Crime, 2015)
In 1764, criminologist Cesare Beccaria wrote An Essay on Crimes and Punishments, which set forth classical criminology theory. He argued that the only justified rationale for laws and punishment was the principle of utility (The principle that a policy should provide “the greatest happiness shared by the greatest number.”) (Bio- Cesare Beccaria, 2015)
Beccaria trusted the basis of society, as well as the origin of punishments and the right to punish, is the social contract which is defined as an imaginary agreement to sacrifice the minimum amount of liberty to prevent anarchy and chaos. (Bio- Cesare Beccaria, 2015)
The solitary appropriate purpose of punishment is special deterrence (The prevention of individuals from committing crime again by punishing them) and general deterrence (The prevention of people in general or society at large from engaging in crime by punishing specific individuals and making example of them. (Bio- Cesare Beccaria, 2015)
There are numerous dissimilar sociological theories, for example: a theory known as social learning theory because we believe that crimes are committed by people that have learned from other people on how to do the crime. Or perhaps the problem has arisen because there is a big gap in wealth and class-welfare is causing the problem, which is known as social conflict theory. (Varying Theories on Crime, 2015)
While numerous biological and psychological explanations exist, they allocate a crucial proposition: deviants are different biologically or psychologically from non-deviants, and they have biological or psychological problems that predispose them to committing deviance. The implication is that deviants are biologically or psychologically abnormal. (Barkan, 2015)
A biological theory of deviance insinuates that a particular character diverges from social norms largely because of their biological makeup. The philosophy principally relates to formal deviance, using biological reasons to explain criminality, though it can certainly extend to informal deviance. (Deviance, in a sociological context, describes actions or behaviors that violate social norms, including formally-enacted rules, e.g., crime) (Biological Theories of Deviance, 2015)
A biological interpretations of formal deviance (Deviance, in a social context, describes actions or behaviors that violate social norms, which includes formally-enacted norms. Italian School of Criminology, a school of thought originating from Italy during the mid-nineteenth century, discovered that a biological interpretation of formal deviance was first formed. The university was regulated by medical criminologist Cesare Lombroso, who argued that criminality was a biological trait found in some human beings. The term Lombroso used to describe the appearance of organisms resembling ancestral forms of life is atavism (The reappearance of an ancestral characteristic in an organism after several generations of absence) Lombroso believed that atavism was a sign of inherent criminalities, and thus he viewed born criminals as a form of human sub-species. He also believed that atavism could be acknowledged by a number of quantifiable physical stigmata which is but not limited to: * Protruding jaw * Dropping eyes * Large ears * Twisted and flattish nose * Long arms relative to the lower limbs * Sloping shoulders * And a coccyx that resembled “the stump of a tail.” (Biological Theories of Deviance, 2015) *
Edward was evaluated by a medical physician after an episode involving the attempted strangling of his younger sister, while he screamed at his mother that the sister should have been destroyed years ago. Edward was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
Paranoid Schizophrenia represents the most common type of schizophrenia in most parts of the world. Paranoid Schizophrenia signifies the most shared of the numerous sub-types of the debilitating mental illness known collectively as schizophrenia. Individuals with all types of schizophrenia become confused in a psychosis of fluctuating concentration which causes the personage to lose touch with reality. When the person is untreated with psychotic disorders, she/he lose their ability to function in society. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Causes, Stmptoms and Treatments., 2015)
Under normal conditions, a paranoid schizophrenic encounters auditory hallucinations along with deluded thought processes and beliefs. They frequently believe others strategize and conspire against them or their family members. Individuals with paranoid schizophrenia fare a lot better than those suffering from other sub-types. They suffer fewer issues with concentration, memory, and emotional apathy which allows the patient to function better in every day. Patients with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia often describe life as a dark and fragmented world-a life marked by suspicion and isolation where voices torment them in a daily waking nightmare. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Causes, Stmptoms and Treatments., 2015)
Common early warning signs of schizophrenia are as follows: * Social withdrawal * Hostility or suspiciousness * Deterioration of personal hygiene * Flat, expressionless gaze * Inability to cry or express joy * Inappropriate laughter or crying * Depression * Oversleeping or Insomnia * Forgetful, unable to concentration * Extreme reaction to criticism * Strange use of words or way of speaking

Although these warnings can result from a number of problems, not just schizophrenia, they are cause for concern. When out of the ordinary behavior is causing problems in your life…or the life of a loved one, seek medical advice. If schizophrenia or other another mental problem is the cause, treatment will help. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Early Warning signs, 2015)
The actually causes of paranoid schizophrenic symptoms are a puzzle to researchers. The researchers do not have a clear understanding of what causes the symptoms or those associated with any of the sub-types. Even though experts in this field believe that brain dysfunction has a role in causing the onset of most types of the disordered, they don’t know what causes the dysfunction initially. Through research, the experts have agreed that both genetics and environmental triggers work together to trigger the onset. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Early Warning signs, 2015)
With the scenario, Edward is mentally handicapped, a mild form of retardation summed up by his mental physician. He shared stories of hallucinations. He reported that as a teen, he discovered the “Lost Rock of Creation” which had “five animals faces carved into it.” He states that he sent the faces to the mayor who was in the CIA. He also believed that his father was in the KGB and his mother was a witch. Wilson lived with his parents at the time of their deaths and he admitted that he was not taking his psychotropic medications. The hospitalization relating to the self-inflicted gunshot wound to his mouth when he was 17 years old, set the timeline of unacceptable behavior and his life of mental facilities. The episode at age 19, relating to the behavior at the dining room table with his sister is also a symptom for paranoid schizophrenia. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, and Early Warning signs, 2015)
Also when suffering from paranoid schizophrenia, the individual experiences a sensation that others are collaborating against him. As these paranoid thoughts strengthens, the individual acts aggressively or executes violence in self-defense contrary to those the individual believe plan to cause harm to you or a loved one. The schizophrenic may believe that he/she retains “special powers”, for example: the ability to breathe under water or even fly like a bird. The individual, also at times, may be certain of being rich and famous or maybe even believe that a famous rich person wants to date the individual. Many times, others may bestow conflicting indications but the individual holds onto these beliefs anyway. (Paranoid Schizophrenia: Causes, Stmptoms and Treatments., 2015)
Edward also stated the he suffered from what mental health physicians called auditory hallucinations. These hallucinations are hostile and cruel. Try to imagine this…you are sitting on the couch in your living room. You hear voices in the room and no one is there. Maybe its one person talking or maybe two. These two people are communicating either to the individual or about the individual amongst each other. These people will criticize the individual; cruelly poke fun at the individual real or perceived flaws. Unexpectedly the voices commands the individual to hurt himself or someone else. These hallucinations may seem false to a person but for the schizophrenic, all this is totally real.
So the main issue in this scenario would be: Is Edward Wilson competent to stand trial? The legal definition for “competent to stand trial” would be defined as: “Due process requires that a defendant be competent to stand trial, which includes capacity to assist counsel and to understand the nature of the proceeding sufficiently to participate in and make decisions about rights afforded to defendants.” (Competent to Stand Trial Law & Legal Definition, 2015)
There are numerous appropriate methods for the performance of competency to stand trial evaluations including standardized methods such as state competency tests. Customarily, a complete assessment involves a clinical interview, a mental status exam, a psychological test, and a social history, but the modern trend is to depend on the interview and/or a psychological test. (Competent to Stand Trial Law & Legal Definition, 2015)
Several psychologists ask a standard set of questions when they first meet a client. The client’s answers to these question assists the psychologist to make a diagnosis and next make appropriate decisions as far as the client’s treatment plan. These questions assist psychologist to learn whether the client knows where he is (oriented to place), knows what day it is (oriented to time), whether that person sees or hears things that aren’t there, or whether that person is experiencing disillusion hallucinations. Depending on the client’s answers, the psychologist may determine that the individual should be diagnosed with schizophrenia or another mental illness. (What kinds of questions would a psychologist ask a schizophrenic?, 2015)
Introductory questions that a psychologist may ask Edward when they first meet may include: * What brings you to our facility? * Have you ever consulted with a counselor before? * From your viewpoint, what seems to be the problem? * How does this problem typically make you feel? * From your viewpoint, what makes the problem better? * If your fairy godmother was standing in front of you. And you can have but one free wish… what positive changes would you make happen in your life? * Overall, how would you describe your mood? * What do you expect from the counseling process? * What would it take to make you feel more content, happier and more satisfied? * Do you consider yourself to have a low, average, or high interpersonal IQ?

Other questions for Edward, that needs to be addressed to find out if he is competent: * Did you complete high school and when? * Names of his prior treatment team? * Names of the physicians he has come into contact with when he has a “spell” * Are you hearing voices at this present time? * Does he experience hallucinations? * What is your side of story relating to the 2 murders of his parents?

In Dusky v. United States, 362 U.S. 402 (1960), the Supreme Court set forth a two-part a two-part standard for determining competency to stand trial: #1: An individual must have adequate present ability to consult with her/his attorney with a reasonable degree of rational understanding and #2: Individual must have a rational as well as a factual understanding of the proceeding against him/her. (Initial Competency Hearing and Order for Evaluation, 2015)
All trial courts have the citation to mandate psychological evaluations of the defendant. Many states have the evaluation automatic once a party raises the competency issue. If the court determines that Edward is able to understand the surroundings, receive and interpret information, and make decisions, it will likely find Edward competent and he will now go to trial. (What is the standard for determining whether someone is competent to plead guilty, 2015)
A collateral contact is a source of information that is knowledgeable about the client’s situation and serves to support and serves to support or corroborate information provided by a client. Possible collateral contacts would include: * Past or present employers * School guidance counselor * Neighbors * Mental Health Physicians * Edward’s sister

I think the criminal behavior theory that best describes Edward’s behavior would be the psychological theory. Criminology is the study of crime and punishment. Criminologists try to answer questions: #1- Why do people commit crimes? And #2- what makes criminals different from the rest of us? Psychological theories of crime say that criminal behavior is a result of individual differences in the thinking process. There are several dissimilar psychological theories, but they all believe that it is the person’s thoughts and feelings that influence their actions. Per se, problems in thinking can lead to criminal behavior. There are basically 4 ideas when it comes to psychological theories of crime: 1. Failures in psychological development 2. Learned behaviors of aggression and violence 3. Inherent personality traits 4. Relationship of criminality to mental illness
All of these psychological factors could have an effect with Edward, who then adds up to becoming a criminal. (Crime Causation: Psychological Theories, 2015)
Bibliography
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