Review on Jennifer Chase Appears on "Welcome to my Portfolio" - By Courtney Lamar
As I discussed in my previous post: criminal profiling is a young, but useful aspect of criminology. An interesting part of this, which I did not touch on previously, is a criminal's prior offenses and childhood background. Prior offenses, though mentioned in the many different interpretations of criminal profiling, do not seem to be the main focus for the distinctive methods.
Furthermore, when prior offenses are concentrated on it is cruelty to animals that is deemed the most important factor. And an offender's childhood history is often overlooked as an important aspect of motive. This week I examine a post (picture on left) by Jennifer Chase, Author and Criminologist, discussing the connection between serial rapist and serial murderers. My comment can be found on Jennifer Chase's blog or below.
I am glad to find a blog so committed to the world of criminology and criminal psychology. I have had difficulty finding others as interested as I am in these subjects and the issues that presently face the fields. I have recently written a post pertaining to the validity of profiling.
While many of these methods have found cruelty to animals in an offender's youth important, none that I read of included prior convictions such as rape or arson.
I find it interesting that you are concerned with the why when it comes to serial murder. The public often sees criminology as the process of figuring out who-done-it.
While truly criminologists are psychologists concerned with the motives and causes of crimes as much as the actual perpetrator of the crime.
I think your concentration on an offender's childhood and the situation in which they grew up is key to understanding what kind of environmental stimuli can lead to a serial killer. I think understanding said stimuli might be able to one-day give criminologists a one up on potential offenders. It will be a way in which criminal justice can act before it is too late.
I have to agree with your idea: "serial rape and the pattern of behavior reflected in this type of crime, is worthy of more study to begin to fully understand the mind of a serial killer." Do you think that criminal history will become an important aspect of the criminal justice system?
Also do you agree with my above statement that one-day criminologists might be able to stop crimes before they happen by knowing what sorts of environmental stimuli create serial killers? And do you think, if a connection between serial rapists and serial murderers is found, criminologists will find a way to prevent this evolution?
Thank You Courtney Lamar and to find out more about Courtney Click Here.
