The Psychology of Criminal Conduct - Case Study Example

CRIMINAL PROFILE Ted Bundy remains a unique figure in the American record of criminality after carrying out several rapes, kidnapping, and necrophile activities against his female victims across the United States between 1970 to 1978. Several psychological concepts surround the behavior of Bundy as this case remains puzzling many years after his execution in prison in 1978. In this respect, it would important to explore various concepts surrounding Bundy’s act of a serial killer. Psychopaths can mimic emotions almost perfectly to further their own personal agendas, are very skilled in the arts of deception, and may actually appear charming, friendly, or even likable. Criminal psychopaths engages in severe antisocial behavior, such as serial murder, animal cruelty, or sexual crimes while non-criminal have their manifestation of their pathology limited to non-criminal acts such as cheating or lying. On the other hand, antisocial personality disorder is a form of chronic mental condition in which an individual’s ways of thinking, perceiving situations and interaction with others are dysfunctional and destructive (Andrews & Bonta,2010). Victims of this condition shows no regard for right and wrong and often disregard the rights, wishes and feelings of others while general criminal involves deliberate contravention of the state law. Ted Bundy qualifies to be identified as a psychopathic serial predator due to his deceitful and well organized tactics of luring, killing and evading the law. It is important to note that criminal psychopathy is reflected in behavior such as substance abuse, sex addiction, drug addiction, addiction to gambling among other related compulsive behaviors. On the other hand, on-criminal psychopaths exhibit mild compulsive behavior such as internet addiction, procrastination, television watching (Dekle,2011). In regard to these concepts, the case of Bundy can be classified as criminal psychopathy due to his addiction to sex related crimes. In connection with the case of Bundy, Criminal profiling can be seen as an act of developing a psychological profile of an offender based on the state of the crime scene. This is always carried out by the forensic psychologist. This differs with other forensic evaluation procedures in that it crime scene helps to label the perpetrator as organized, disorganized, or mixed and the investigator uses this to study the behavior of the culprit for possible prosecution. The meticulous plan of Bundy in his many cases of crimes could only be managed by this method of investigation. According to the several revelations of maimed and dead bodies of female in Washington State mountain area where Bundy used to dispose his victims, there was some level of similarity in the way they were killed and this formed the basis of investigation for the predatory man. In-depth analysis of the documented facts of Ted Bundy’s behavior, he was a criminal psychopath who suffered from compulsive and addictive behavior in criminal. The Annotated Outline and Bibliography below explores the important concepts in criminal profiling that can be attributed to the behavior of Ted Bundy. Dekle, G. R. (2011). The last murder: The investigation, prosecution, and execution of Ted Bundy. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. DeKle explores the life history of Bundy with emphasis on his criminal record and several attempts to evade arm of the law. The author highlights important psychological and sociological factors that can be associated to Bundy’s behavior. This work is relevant to the topic under study in giving the overall criminal profile of ted Bundy and a source of future literature for similar cases of criminality. Rippo, B. M., & Aguilar, A. (2007). The professional serial killer and the career of Ted Bundy: An investigation into the macabre ID-ENTITY of the serial killer. New York: iUniverse, Inc. The author of this book explores the life history of Bundy with major emphasis on his criminal record and several attempts to evade prosecution. The author highlights important psychological and sociological aspects that can be associated to Bundy’s behavior. This reading is relevant to the topic under study in giving the overall criminal profile of ted Bundy and a source of future literature for similar cases of criminality. Patrick, C. (2005). Handbook of Psychopathy. New York: Guilford Publications. This work explains several concepts surrounding psychopathy and its relative role in the behavior of criminals. It is relevant to the objective of this paper as it gives detailed information that can be related to Ted Bundy’s behavior. Helfgott, J. B. (2013). Criminal psychology. Helfgott explores the criminal and non-criminal variants in criminal psychology which is relevant with the topic under study involving fundamentals of criminal profiling. Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Burlington: Elsevier Science. The authors of this work extensively discuss the psychology behind crime which is in line with the investigative research on criminal profiling in this study. Hildebrand, M. (2004). Psychopathy in the treatment of forensic psychiatric patients: Assessment, prevalence, predictive validity, and clinical implications. Amsterdam: Dutch University Press. Hildebrand explains several concepts surrounding psychopathy, forensic psychiatry and its relative role in the behavior of criminals. It is relevant to the objective of this paper as it gives detailed information that can be related to Ted Bundy’s behavior as a typical case. Rotgers, F., & Maniacci, M. (2006). Antisocial personality disorder: A practitioners guide to comparative treatments. New York: Springer Pub. The authors of this work extensively discuss the guide towards antisocial personality disorder which constitutes psychology behind crime which is in line with the investigative research on criminal profiling in this study. It is relevant in this study as it offers comparative treatment evidence that could fit the subject in this case. Kantor, M. (2006). The psychopathy of everyday life: How antisocial personality disorder affects all of us. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Kantor offers an insight into the impacts of psychopathy in everyday life in the society. It stands relevant to the case of Ted Bundy as one among the many cases of the antisocial personality disorder victim. Turvey, B. E. (2008). Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Turvey explains several concepts surrounding Criminal Profiling, forensic psychiatry and its relative role in the behavior of criminals. It is relevant to the objective of this paper as it gives detailed information that can be related to investigation under question. Schlesinger, L. B. (2007). Explorations in criminal psychopathology: Clinical syndromes with forensic implications. Springfield, Ill: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. The author explores the Clinical syndromes with forensic implications in criminal psychology which is relevant with the topic under study involving fundamentals of criminal profiling. . Bibliography Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2010). The Psychology of Criminal Conduct. Burlington: Elsevier Science. Dekle, G. R. (2011). The last murder: The investigation, prosecution, and execution of Ted Bundy. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger. Helfgott, J. B. (2013). Criminal psychology. Hildebrand, M. (2004). Psychopathy in the treatment of forensic psychiatric patients: Assessment, prevalence, predictive validity, and clinical implications. Amsterdam: Dutch University Press. Kantor, M. (2006). The psychopathy of everyday life: How antisocial personality disorder affects all of us. Westport, Conn: Praeger. Patrick, C. (2005). Handbook of Psychopathy. New York: Guilford Publications. Rippo, B. M., & Aguilar, A. (2007). The professional serial killer and the career of Ted Bundy: An investigation into the macabre ID-ENTITY of the serial killer. New York: iUniverse, Inc. Rotgers, F., & Maniacci, M. (2006). Antisocial personality disorder: A practitioners guide to comparative treatments. New York: Springer Pub. Schlesinger, L. B. (2007). Explorations in criminal psychopathology: Clinical syndromes with forensic implications. Springfield, Ill: Charles C. Thomas, Publisher. Turvey, B. E. (2008). Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis. Burlington: Elsevier Science. 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