Between 1821 and 1824 Theodore Gericault (1791-1824) attempted to capture on canvas the faces of various 'monomanias', including a portrait of a 'man with the " monomania " of child kidnapping'(1822-3) which was recently exhibited in London as part of the Spectacular Bodies exhibition (Hayward Gallery, 2000). The exhibition traced, inter alia, the development of the aestheticisation of insanity...

Temperature-related words such as cold-blooded and hot-headed can be used to describe criminal behavior. Words associated with coldness describe premeditated behavior and words associated with heat describe impulsive behavior. Building on recent research about the close interplay between physical and interpersonal coldness and warmth, we examined in a lab experiment how ambient temperature with...

The present study investigates the impact of the experience of role playing a violent character in a video game on attitudes towards violent crimes and criminals. People who played the violent game were found to be more acceptable of crimes and criminals compared to people who did not play the violent game. More importantly, interaction effects were found such that people were more acceptable o...

Traumatic experiences early in life can contribute to the development of mood and anxiety disorders that manifest during adolescence and young adulthood. In young rats exposed to acute fear or stress, alterations in neural development can lead to enduring behavioral abnormalities. Here, we used a modified extinction intervention (retrieval+extinction) during late adolescence (post-natal day 45 ...

The biological basis to crime assumes that individuals who commit criminal acts are in some way different to the general population who does not commit such acts. This idea is appealing and has been so historically. For example, Lombroso in 1876 argued that criminals were a separate species between modern and primitive humans. Research has become more sophisticated over time, and the search for...

Laurence Steinberg and Elizabeth Cauffman’s essay moves in a positive direction by suggesting ways to incorporate considerations of an adolescent’s developmental status into assessments regarding his or her delinquent and criminal behavior. If the assumptions underlying their thesis are correct, however, then their conclusions could and should be extended much further. Their analysis, taken tog...

In urban transportation networks, crime diffuses as criminals travel through the networks and look for illicit opportunities. It is important to first model this diffusion in order to recommend actions or patrol policies to control the diffusion of such crime. Previously, game theory has been used for such patrol policy recommendations, but these applications of game theory for security have no...

In urban transportation networks, crime diffuses as criminals travel through the networks and look for illicit opportunities. It is important to first model this diffusion in order to recommend actions or patrol policies to control the diffusion of such crime. Previously, game theory has been used for such patrol policy recommendations, but these applications of game theory for security have no...