Having a Bad Month: General Versus Specific Effects of Stress on Crime

We examine whether particular types of stress are related to particular types of crime or whether all types of stress are related to all types of crime. Our estimates are based on analyses of within-individual change over a 36 month period among recently incarcerated offenders. We find that assault is most strongly related to family stress, suggesting that conflicts between family members lead to assault. Economic crimes (property crimes and selling illicit drugs) are most clearly related to financial stress, suggesting that these crimes often reflect attempts to resolve financial problems. On the other hand, crime is generally unrelated to stress from illness/injury, death, and work. The results support the idea that criminal behavior is a focused response to specific types of problems rather than a general response to stress. They are more consistent with explanations that focus on perceived rewards and costs (e.g., the rational-choice approach) than with explanations that portray negative affect as a generalized impetus toward violence or crime (e.g., frustration aggression approaches).     

Menstrual cycles and criminal responsibility

Since at least the turn of the century, there have been reports indicating that women have an increased tendency toward criminal behavior during certain phases of the menstrual cycle. Recently these reports have served as the basis for a proposal to expand the insanity defense to recognize the impact of menstrual cycles in diminishing criminal responsibility. This paper reviews the empirical literature on the link between menstruation and crime and raises several critical questions regarding interpretation of this data. In light of these questions it is suggested that at this time an insanity defense based on menstrual symptomology would be inappropriate.     

A Test of Two Methods of Recall for Violent Events

This project took advantage of an opportunity to test the comparability of two different methods for collecting self-reports of violent incidents. Using a life events calendar (LEC) approach, we collected data from individuals about violent incidents that occurred within a 1–3-year prior time period. These individuals had been research participants in a previous study that collected information about violent incidents using prospective, weekly interviews. Results using the LEC method were compared with the weekly self-reports of violence for an overlapping recall period. This allowed us to see how well the recall of violent incidents at a later date mapped onto reports obtained within seven days of any incidents. Overall results show a significant amount of under-reporting using the life-event calendar methodology compared to the weekly interview approach, but some higher concordance of reporting was found for serious rather than minor violence.