The crimes of first-time offenders: same or different from the crimes of habitual criminals?
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCP-09-2019-0042 |
| Date | 04 December 2019 |
| Published date | 04 December 2019 |
| Pages | 1-15 |
| Author | Glenn D. Walters |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care,Criminology & forensic psychology,Criminal psychology,Sociology,Sociology of crime & law,Deviant behaviour,Public policy & environmental management,Policing,Criminal justice |
The crimes of first-time offenders: same
or different from the crimes of
habitual criminals?
Glenn D. Walters
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of this paperis to illustrate how first-time offenders and habitual criminals,while
displayingwide differences in offense frequency,appear to follow a similar pattern in committingcrime.
Design/methodology/approach –A conceptualapproach is adopted in this paper.
Findings –It is argued that criminal thinking is the common denominator in both patterns, the difference
being that habitual criminals have a higher resting level of proactive and reactive criminal thinkingthan first-
time offenders. With an earlier age of onset, the habitual criminal may be more impulsive and reactive than
first-time offenders, which partially explains why most low-rate offenders are not identified until adulthood.
Practical implications –Because actualand perceived deterrents to crime correlateweakly, if at all, it is
recommended that perceived environmental events and criminal thinking be the primary targets of
preventionand intervention programs.
Social implications –Environmental stimuli, such as events that produce general strain, increase
opportunities for crime, reinforce criminal associations, irritate the individual and interfere with the
deterrent effect of perceivedcertainty, can both augment and interact with criminal thinkingto increase
the likelihoodof a criminal act in both first-time offenders and habitualcriminals.
Originality/value –The unique aspectof this paper is that it illustrates that certainfeatures of crime and
criminalityare found acrossoffending levels, whereasother features aremore specific to a particularlevel.
Keywords Augmentation, Moderation, Inhibition, Criminal thinking,First-time offenders, Habitual criminals
Paper type Conceptual paper
At 10.05 p.m. on October 1, 2017 Stephen Craig Paddock opened fire on a large crowd of
concert-goers in Las Vegas, Nevada. From his perch on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay
Hotel and Casino, he discharged over 1,000 rounds into a crowd of 22,000 in less than 11 min.
After murdering 58 people and injuring another 851 more with a semi-automatic rifle that was
modified to perform like a fully automatic weapon, he shot and killed himself. At the time, it was
the largest mass murder in US history. Investigations conducted by both the FB I and local
authorities revealed that Paddock, a former accountant, meticulously planned the massacre.
Although a single motive was never identified, it was concluded that several fact ors played a
role in the terror attack, from Paddock’s deteriorating mental and physical health, to hi s
decision to commit suicide in as dramatic a fashion as possible, taking as many people with
him as possible, accompanied by a desire to achieve maximum control over his fate
(FBI, 2019). Other factors that may have contributed to the crime were a tendency to exploit
and manipulate others (Cole, 2019), a general lack of empathy (Ritter and Bal samo, 2019)and
strong identification with a criminal father (FBI, 2019). The vast majority of people who
experience deteriorating mental and physical health, are manipulative, lack empathy and
identify with a criminal family member do not go out and commit mass murder. What is
Glenn D. Walters is based
at Department of Criminal
Justice, College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences,
Kutztown University of
Pennsylvania, Kutztown,
Pennsylvania, USA.
Received 21 September 2019
Revised 31 October 2019
Accepted 4 November 2019
DOI 10.1108/JCP-09-2019-0042 VOL. 10 NO. 1 2020, pp. 1-15, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2009-3829 jJOURNAL OF CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY jPAGE 1
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