Application of Positivist Theory in Criminology

Application of prescribed Theory in CriminologyPositivist Theory and its Implications on the James Holmes CaseOver the years, various metaphysical frame snips turn out been proposed to explain the nature and causation of crimes. This accommodates the collective incontrovertible opening, specially the biological and affable trait theories as renderings on why individuals station certain crimes. The positivistic tradition in criminology suggests that psychological, biological, and plane sociable forces jibe a individuals bend deportment, hence noting that the evil get along is beyond the control of the person. To examine this possibleness and its implications to crime, wholeness may prove the case of James Holmes, the suspect of sens shooting at the blow movie house in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people on July 20, 2012. Investigations revealed that the alleged perpetrator had history of psychical consultations, which strongly affirmed issues with his mental well-being. Considering that Holmes queered substantial signs and symptoms indicative of mental illness, egg on diagnosis and treatment power behave prevented the fatal Aurora shooting true to the goals of a positivist psychology, it is to a fault best to manage Holmes through a treatment in a mental wellness facility, rather than a criminal punishment. sooner examining how a psychological diagnosis and treatment king have prevented Holmes criminal act, it would be imperative to briefly discuss a specific sub- surmisal of the positivist psychology the trait theory. The trait theory is an umbrella term that encompasses a combination of various biological, psychological, and social factors that predispose an individual to develop and exhibit criminal behavior ( avant-garde Gelder de Vries, 2012). These factors can be pre displace at own and may continually influence a persons social functioning over his or her life course. Biologically, criminal behaviors may be attributed to factors such as genetics, hormones, metabolism, and neuro-physiological conditions. The trait theory also turns to the psychodynamics of a person to determine underlie mood disorders, personality traits, and cognitive patterns that result to criminal behavior. The theory likewise integrates social factors including social learning and environmental constraints as potential causes of criminal behavior or delinquency. As will be explained in the succeeding parts of this essay, Holmes had mental health issues that feature a combination of these factors.There be several indicators and clinical pathways that would have prevented Holmes from committing the quite a little shooting in Aurora, cast downning with his prior psychological assessments. Reports note that the impeach gunman had appointments with three mental health practitioners before the violent rampage. These experts include Dr. Lynne Fenton, the head psychiatrist of the mental health services of University of Colorado (De nver) (BBC, 2013). Dr. Fenton sent a report to the universitys threat assessment team regarding Holmes adventure for homicidal behavior, but final diagnosis and follow-up evaluations were not carried verboten (Rosenberg, 2014). There were also other indicators of the gunmans psychological disturbance, including a bizarre guttural, freakish personal voicemail message (BBC, 2013). While the results of Holmes post-arrest mental health assessment remain confidential, psychologists believe that the gunman might be low-down from schizophrenia and psychopathy (Solty, 2012). These conditions could explain Holmes impaired ideation or sense of globe as well as his propensity to commit violence. Nonetheless, issues about his mental well-being were not promptly diagnosed and treated. Psychotherapy would have contained and managed his hallucinations and impaired legal opinion processes, hence the prevention of the fatal shooting.As noted earlier, the trait theory also includes biological f actors that combine with psychological factors that, when promptly addressed, could have prevented Holmes from fight and killing civilians. Similar to his psychological assessment, published evidences of a neurobiological psychic trauma or head injury were absent. However, one may add the incident of brain trauma or brain tumor as an underlying or aggravating factors for his mental health issue. The planning and execution of mass killing itself attest to the gunmans lack of empathy and reasonable judgment. These traits argon characteristic of damage in the orbitofrontal cortex part of the brain (Burke, 2014). In other words, brain imaging studies such as a magnetized resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scanning can help affirm or rule out the aforementioned conditions. The quantification and measurement offered by these diagnostic tests are central to the positivist psychology. In any case, it would have added to an good clinical management to prevent Holmes from exhibiting violence. Moreover, the trait theory also provides an explanation for the social dimensions that might have influenced Holmes criminal behavior. One may begin by looking at the following analysis of Solty (2012)It is clear that Holmes seems to have felt himself to be in a hopeless situation. And as a man he didnt have the increasingly popular survival of the fittest of female students in North America of becoming an entrepreneur of ones own youthful and in his obvious desperation Holmes judge his suspension from the University of Colorado. He prepared and pursued his own de-matriculation. In his state, he must have realized that he would probably no lengthy be a top performer. (p.10)The above description highlights that there are constraining social factors that might have led to Holmes frustrations. Media reports note that Holmes never had a romantic relationship prior to the shooting incident he was also rejected by the women whom he contacted at a casual datin g website (BBC, 2013). A consistent achiever, Holmes might have been affected by a decline in his academic performance, which led to his plan to confiscate from the university. Thus, feelings of social rejection also add another angle to Holmes criminal behavior. Experts also found a link between Holmes fondness for video games, relational to the popular vigilante figure- Batman, and aggression. Simply put, the gunmans violent tendencies might also be reinforced through social learning. Considerations for these social factors could have also solidified any psychiatric diagnosis and determine abstract clinical interventions to address Holmes mental health issues.Convinced that Holmes criminal behavior was a result of biological and psychosocial factors beyond his control, it is reasonable to insist that the countenance intervention would be confinement and treatment to a mental health facility. This view also conforms to the core tradition of criminological favorableness in that it places emphasis on therapy or rehabilitation, rather than punishment exemplified by enslavement or death penalty. It must be re-emphasized that Holmes was and continues to have substantial psychological issues that impair his judgment and sense of reality. While in jail, he even committed suicide attempts (BBC, 2013). Without psychotherapy and other treatment modalities to manage his mental health condition, containing and incarcerating Holmes would only be futile. In particular, studies note that the rate of recidivism among mentally-ill inmates could be as high as 80% because they receive lack or insufficient psychiatric treatments inside the prison (Burke, 2014). The ability of the trait theory to sufficiently explain the host of factors for Holmes criminal behavior only indicates that the final resolution to this case would be an intervention that follows a positivist approach.Overall, Holmes provides a case in point as to how various factors may work to develop a criminal mind among people who are supersensitive to violence. This gunman shows that personality traits and the elements of these traits could eventually reach its maximum tolerance, depriving a person of any remaining rationality and sense of reality. Psychological and criminological positivism suggests that such criminal behavior could have been prevented or managed through prompt diagnosis and treatment. Now that damage was already done, the only way foregoing is to treat and rehabilitate the psychologically unstable gunman.ReferencesBBC. (2013, April 1). Profile Aurora motion picture shooting suspect James Holmes. Retrieved from http//www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-18937513Burke, R. H. (2014). An introduction to criminological theory (4th ed.). New York Routledge.Rosenberg, J. (2014). Mass shootings and mental health policy. Journal of Sociology Social Welfare, 41(1), 107-121.Solty, I. (2012). dear(p) Left The NRA is right The mass shooter as high-achiever Historical-materialist considerations on the resistible fall of James Holmes and the pathologization and culturalization of the cinema massacre in Aurora, Colorado. Socialism Democracy, 26(3), 1-13. Retrieved from 10.1080/08854300.2012.722372van Gelder, J.-L., de Vries, R. E. (2012). Traits and states Integrating personality and affect into a model of criminal last making* traits and states. Criminology, 50(3), 637-671. doi10.1111/j.1745-9125.2012.00276.x