DIVINE MERCY COLLEGE FOUNDATION INC.

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Criminology Department

CRIM 3: HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND VICTIMOLOGY

Prof. Beverly N. Yco, RCrim, MSCrim

Human Behavior
- Anything an individual does that involves self-initiated action and/or reaction to
a given situation.
- the sum total of man's reaction to his environment or the way human beings
act

Human Beings
Human beings are intelligent social animals with the mental capacity to
comprehend, infer and think in rational ways.

Views in Human Behavior

1. Neurological View – deals with human actions in relation to events taking place inside
the body such as the brain and the nervous system.
2. Behavioral View – emphasizes on external functions of the human being that can be
observed and measured.
3. Cognitive View – it is concerned with the way the brain processes and transforms
information into various ways.
4. Psychoanalytical View – emphasizes unconscious motives that originate from
aggressive impulses in childhood.
5. Humanistic View – focuses on the subject’s experience, freedom of choice and
motivation toward self-actualization.

Two Basic Types of Behavior

1. Inherited (Inborn) behavior – refers to any behavioral reactions or reflexes
exhibited by people because of their inherited capabilities or the process of natural
selection.
2. Learned (Operant) behavior – involves knowing or adaptation that enhances
human beings’ ability to cope with changes in the environment in ways which
improve the chances of survival.
Learned behavior may be acquired through environment or training.

Classifications of Human Behavior

 Habitual – refers to motorized behavior usually manifested in language and
emotion.
 Instinctive – are generally unlearned and simply comes out of man’s instinct which
can be seen among instinct-instinct survival behaviors.
 Symbolic – are behaviors that are usually carried out by means of unsaid words
and shown through symbols or body signs.
 Complex – are those behaviors that combine two or more of the classified ones.

Causes of Human Behavior

 Sensation – is the feeling or impression created by a given stimulus or cause that
leads to a particular reaction or behavior.
Human Senses:
a. Visual – sight
b. Olfactory – smell
c. Cutaneous – touch
d. Auditory – hearing
e. Gustatory – taste
 Perception – refers to the person’s knowledge of a given stimulus which largely
help to determine the actual behavioral response in a given situation
 Awareness – refers to the psychological activity based on interpretation of past
experiences with a given stimulus or object.

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Criminology Department

Factors that affect Human Behavior

 Heredity – it is the passing of traits to offspring (from its parent or ancestors). This
is the process by which an offspring cell or organism acquires or becomes
predisposed to the characteristics of its parent cell or organism.
 Environment – refers to surroundings of an object. It consists of conditions and
factors that surround and influence behavioral pattern.
 Learning – is the process by which an individual’s behavior changes as a result
of experience or practice.

How people interact? People intermingle by three psychological positions or behavioral

patterns called ego states:
1. Parent ego state – which may be characterized as protective, idealistic,
evaluative, righteous, refer to laws, rules and standards.
2. Adult ego state – which centers more upon reason, factual, flexible, views as
co-equal, worthy, and reasonable human being.
3. Child ego state – which may be easily described as dependent, rebellious,
selfish, demanding, impatient and emotional.

Frustration in Human Behavior

Frustration refers to the situation which blocks the individual’s motivated behavior.
Sustained frustration may be characterized by anxiety, irritability, fatigue or depression.
Three Basic Forms of Conflict
1. Approach-Avoidance Conflict - occurs when an individual moves closer to a
seemingly desirable object, only to have the potentially negative consequences of
contacting that object push back against the closing behavior.
2. Approach-Approach Conflict - This is a conflict resulting from the necessity of
choosing between two desirable alternatives. There are usually two desirable things
wanted, but only one option can be chosen.
3. Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict - This form of conflict involves two undesirable or
unattractive alternatives where a person has to decide of choosing one of the undesirable
things.

Coping Mechanism
It is defined as the way people react to frustration. People differ in the way they
react to frustration. This could be attributed to individual differences and the way people
prepared in the developmental task they faced during the early stages of their life.

Frustration Tolerance
It is the ability to withstand frustration without developing inadequate modes of
response such as being emotionally depressed or irritated, becoming neurotic, or
becoming aggressive.

Broad Reactions to Frustration

 Fight – is manifested by fighting the problem in a constructive and direct way by
means of breaking down the obstacles preventing the person reaching his goals.
 Flight – it can be manifested by sulking, retreating, becoming indifferent and giving
up.

Different Types of Reaction to Frustration

 Direct approach - can be seen among people who handle their problems in a very
objective way. They identify first the problem, look for the most practical and handy
way to solve it, and proceeded with the constructive manner of utilizing the solution
which will produce the best results.
 Detour - when an individual realizes that in finding for the right solution of the
problem, he always end up with a negative outcome or result. Thus, he tries to
make a detour or change direction first and find out if the solution or remedy is
there.
 Substitution - most of time are resulted to in handling frustration when an original
plan intended to solve the problem did not produce the intended result, thus the

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most practical way to face the problem, is to look for most possible or alternative
means.
 Withdrawal or retreat - is corresponding to running away from the problem or
flight which to some is the safest way.
 Developing feeling of inferiority - comes when a person is unable to hold on to
any solution which gives a positive result. Being discourage to go on working for a
way to handle a frustration could result to diminishing self-confidence, until the time
when inferiority complex sets in.
 Aggression - is a negative outcome of a person's inability to handle frustration
rightly. Manifestation in physical behavior can be observed in one's negative
attitudes towards life both in the personal and professional aspect.
 Use of Defense Mechanism – is the most tolerated way of handling frustration. It
is a man’s last result when a person attempts to overcome fear from an anticipated
situation or event.

Defense Mechanism – is an unconscious psychological process that serves as safety

valve that provides relief from emotional conflict and anxiety.

Common Defense Mechanisms

 Displacement - strong emotion, such as anger, is displaced onto another person
or object as the recipient of said emotion (anger), rather than being focused on the
person or object which originally was the cause of said emotion.
 Rationalization - is the defense mechanism that enables individuals to justify their
behavior to themselves and others by making excuses or formulating fictitious,
socially approved arguments to convince themselves and others that their behavior
is logical and acceptable
 Compensation - is the psychological defense mechanism through which people
attempt to overcome the anxiety associated with feelings of inferiority and
inadequacy in one is of personality or body image, by concentrating on another
area where they can excel.
 Projection - manifest feelings and ideas which are unacceptable to the ego or the
superego and are projected onto others so that they seem to have these feelings
or ideas, which free the individual from the guilt and anxiety associated with them.
 Reaction formation - is defined as the development of a trait or traits which are
the opposite of tendencies that we do not want to recognize. The person is
motivated to act in a certain way, but behaves in the opposite way. Consequently,
he is able to keep his urges and impulses under control.
 Denial – when a person uses this, he refuses to recognize and deal with reality
because of strong inner needs.
 Repression – is unconscious process whereby unacceptable urges or painful
traumatic experiences are completely prevented from entering consciousness.
 Suppression - which is sometimes confused with that of repression, is a
conscious activity by which an individual attempts to forget emotionally disturbing
thoughts and experiences by pushing them out of his mind.
 Identification - an individual seeks to overcome his own feelings of inadequacy,
loneliness, or inferiority by taking on the characteristics of someone who is
important to him.
An example is a child who identifies with his parents who are seen as models of
intelligence, strength and competence
 Substitution - through this defense mechanism, the individual seeks to overcome
feelings of frustration and anxiety by achieving alternate goals and gratifications.
 Fantasy - this is resulted to whenever unfulfilled ambitions and unconscious drives
do not materialize.
 Regression – a person reverts to a pattern of feeling, thinking or behavior which
was appropriate to an earlier stage of development.
 Sublimation – is the process by which instinctual drives which consciously
unacceptable are diverted into personally and socially accepted channels. It is a
positive and constructive mechanism for defending against own unacceptable
impulses and needs.

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Criminology Department

Normal Behavior
This refers to a lack of significant deviation from the average. Another possible
definition is that "a normal" is someone who conforms to the predominant behavior in a
society.
Social norms – rules that a group uses for appropriate and inappropriate values,
beliefs, attitudes and behaviors.
Abnormal Behavior
Literally means "away from the normal". It implies deviation from some clearly
defined norm. In the case of physical illness, the norm is the structural and functional
integrity of the body.

BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS
I. PSYCHOSOMATIC DISORDER
A disorder in which the physical illness is considered to be highly associated with
emotional factors. The individual may not perceive that his emotional state is contributing
to his physical illness.

II. NEUROSIS
Neurosis is a class of functional mental disorders involving distress but neither
delusions nor hallucinations, whereby behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms.
The distinguishing feature of neurosis is a sustained characteristic of showing anxiety,
fear, endless troubles that carries significant aspects of the individual’s life.

III. ANXIETY DISORDERS

Anxiety disorders are blanket terms covering several different forms of abnormal
and pathological fear and anxiety. People experience excessive levels of the kind of
negative emotions that we identify as being nervous, tense, worried, scared, and anxious.
These terms all refer to anxiety.
 Forms of Anxiety
A. Phobias
This is an intense, unrealistic fear. In this case, anxiety is focused so intensely on
some objects or situations that the individual is acutely uncomfortable around it and will
often go to great pain to avoid it.
 TYPES OF PHOBIAS
 Acrophobia - high places
 Agoraphobia - open spaces and market places
 Malgophobia - pain
 Astraphobia - storms, thunder, and lightning
 Gynophobia – fear of dogs
 Hematophobia - blood
 Mysophobia - contamination or germs
 Monophobia - being alone
 Nyctophobia - darkness
 Ochlophobia - crowds
 Hydrophobia - water
 Pathophobia - disease
 Pyrophobia - fire
 Zoophobia - animals or some particular animals

B. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders
1. Obsession – This is an anxiety provoking thoughts that will not go away. Thoughts
and impulses which occur in the person’s mind despite attempts to keep them out. They
seem uncontrollable, as if they do not belong to the individual's mind.
2. Compulsion – It is an urge wherein a person is compelled to perform some actions
against his free will and with duress as a result of external factors. This is an irresistible
urge to engage in certain pattern of behavior.

IV. PERSONALITY DISORDERS

Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of
personality types and behaviors defined as “an enduring pattern of inner experience and

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behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the culture of the individual who
exhibits it”. This category includes those individuals who begin to develop a maladaptive
behavior pattern early in childhood as a result of family, social, and cultural influences.

Types of Personality Disorders

1. Paranoid Personality – This is characterized by suspiciousness, hypersensitivity,
rigidity, envy, excessive self-importance, and argumentativeness plus a tendency to
blame others for one's own mistakes and failures and to ascribe evil motives to others.
2. Schizoid Personality – Individuals with this personality disorder neither deserve nor
enjoy close relationship. They live a solitary life with little interest in developing
friendships. They exhibit emotional coldness, detachment, or a constricted affect.
- characterized by a lack of interest in social relationships, a tendency towards a solitary
lifestyle, secretiveness, and emotional coldness.
3. Schizotypal Personality – Individuals with this type of personality disorder exhibit odd
behaviors based on a belief in magic or superstition and may report unusual perceptual
experiences.
4. Histrionic Personality – this is characterized by attempt to be the center of attention
through the use of theatrical and self-dramatizing behavior. Sexual adjustment is poor
and interpersonal relationships are stormy.
- characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, including an
excessive need for approval and inappropriate seductiveness, usually beginning
in early adulthood.
5. Narcissistic Personality – Individuals with this type of personality have a pervasive
sense of self-importance.
- A disorder and its derivatives can be caused by excessive praise and criticism in
childhood, particularly that from parental figures.
6. Antisocial Personality – This is characterized by a lifelong history of inability to
conform to social norms. They are irritable and aggressive" and may have repeated
physical fights. These individuals also have a high prevalence of morbid substance abuse
disorders.
7. Borderline Personality – This is characterized by instability, reflected in drastic mood
shifts and behavior problems. Individuals with this type of personality are acutely sensitive
to real or imagined abandonment and have a pattern of repeated unstable but intense
interpersonal relationships that alternate between extreme idealization and devaluation.
Such individuals may abuse substances or food, or be sexually promiscuous.
8. Avoidant Personality – Individuals with this personality are fearful of becoming
involved with people because of excessive fears of criticism or rejection.
9. Dependent Personality – This is characterized by inability to make even daily
decisions without excessive advice and reassurance from others and needs others to
assume responsibility for most major areas of his or her life.
10. Compulsive Personality – This is characterized by excessive concern with rules,
order efficiency, and work coupled with insistence that everyone do things their way and
an inability to express warm feelings.
11. Passive-Aggressive Personality – The individual with personality disorder is usually
found to have overindulged in many things during the early years to the extent that the
person comes to anticipate that his needs will always be met and gratified.

V. SCHIZOPHRENIA
- a psychotic condition marked by withdrawal from reality, indifference concerning
everyday problems, and tendency to live in a world of fantasy.
- formerly called dementia praecox by Emil Kreaplin, a German psychiatrist.
- the term schizophrenia was given by Eugene Bleuler which literally means “splitting of
minds”.

Types of Schizophrenia
 Simple Schizophrenia – is characterized by a gradual decline of interest and
ambition. The person withdraws from social contacts as well as irritable and
inattentive.

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 Paranoid Schizophrenia – is characterized principally by delusions of persecutions

and/or grandeur. Hallucinations, usually auditory, are most of time present.
 Hebephrenic Schizophrenia – manifests severe integration of personality and can
be observed through inappropriate giggling and smiling without apparent reasons
which to an untrained observer may only be childish playfulness.
 Catatonic Schizophrenia – manifests extreme violence and shown with excessive
motor activity, grimacing, talkativeness and unpredictable emotional outburst.

Copycat Crime
Copycat crime is crime inspired by another crime that has been publicized in the
news media or fictionally or artistically represented in which the offender incorporates
aspects of the original offense.

SEXUAL DEVIANCY
A sexual act that seeks gratification by means other than heterosexual relationship.
HETEROSEXUALITY – normal sexual relationship between members of the opposite sex
which could lead to reproduction.

TYPES OF SEXUAL DEVIANCY

 Homosexuality
- sexual desire towards the same sex
 Transvestitism
- obtaining sexual gratification by wearing the clothes of the opposite sex.
 Voyeurism
- obtaining sexual pleasure by watching the members of the opposite sex
undressing or engaging in sexual activities.
 Exhibitionism - obtaining pleasure by exposing one’s genitals to others.
 Fetishism - obtaining sexual gratification primarily and exclusively from specific
objects.
 Sadism – by inflicting pain to others
 Masochism – by inflicting pain upon themselves .
 Sodomy – sexual act through the anus of another human being.
 Froilism – a form of sexual perversion in which three (3) persons are participating
in sexual act.
 Pluralism – a group participates in sexual orgies (sexual festival).
 Cunnilingus – licking of woman’s genitals
 Fellatio – sucking the penis
 Pedophilia – obtaining pleasure from sexual contact with children.
 Incest – sexual relations between persons related by blood.
 Bestiality – sexual intercourse with a living animal.
 Necrophilia – desire to engage in sexual intercourse with a dead body.

PART II
VICTIMOLOGY
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BNY CRIM 6- Human Behavior & Victimology 6