Criminal Thinking in the General Population

• In Event: Innovations and New Direction in Community Corrections Research

Abstract

Do offenders view criminal behavior through a different perceptual lens than non-criminals? Is it possible to identify the unique criminal thinking patterns of offenders, perhaps as the first step in changing these “criminal” thinking patterns? A body of research supports this view. Criminal thinking scales are currently being used in community corrections agencies globally, and are viewed by many researchers and practitioners as a critical component of offender risk assessment. However, some scholars are questioning whether criminal thinking reflects distinct cognitions supportive of criminal behavior or more general schemas around self-interested defense mechanisms. To date, criminal thinking scales have not been tested on a nationally representative sample of the general public. Without such comparison groups, it is premature to assume that the offender population can be described as having unique criminal thinking patterns that need to be changed. To address this research shortfall, the current study assesses the relationship between individual characteristics and scores on domains within the criminal thinking scale, based on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 US residents. Findings underscore the need to conduct additional research on the prevalence and dimensions of criminal thinking in both the known offender population and the general population.

Authors

• Vera Yakovchenko, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• Kim Kras, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

• James Michael Byrne, University of Massachusetts, Lowell