Crime and Intelligence Examined
July 11, 2015
G.D.O'Bradovich III
1
The relationship or correlation crime and standardized scores has been studied for many decades. The most comprehensive study resulted from examining over 5,000 papers and reached the conclusion that criminals have an IQ ranging from 70 to 90 and criminality decreases under 70 and over 90. If one were to only read certain conclusions, one would be tempted to believe that crime is the domain of the less intelligent and many reasons are given such explanations as “High impulsivity, high psychoticism, high sensation-seeking, low self control, high aggression in childhood, and low empathy and altruism” [Wikipedia]
We read that “income (or wealth), occupational level, and years of education” , “high frequency of changing jobs and high frequency of unemployment” and “larger populations” all correlate positively to crime rates in varying degrees.
It seems that so much can contribute to criminal activity, that it is impossible to determine any specific factor. Wiggle words such as ‘may”, “probably”, “more likely”, “appear”, and “seem” are found in superabundance and in no way lend credence that we are reading about any subject that approaches a defined and disciplined “science” of Criminology.
And when we think we have reached the bottom of the barrel, such a gem as:
“There appears to be higher crime rates in the geographic regions of a country that are closer to the equator.”
We read:
“The relationship between the hotter months of summer and a peak in rape and assault seems to be almost universal.”
We agree with this finding, because, well, we doubt rapists perform adequately in cold weather. Just sayin’. Our excursion in Wikipedia Land is at an end.
We agree that the higher the population correlates positively to higher the crime rates; compare New York City with the Garden of Eden. Beyond low IQ scores, high populations, and warm weather, there are no further “hard” relationships to crime. Since we agree with the findings of both demographics and meteorology, we will focus on intelligence. At this point, certain commentators will focus on the black/white disparity either in crime or intelligence and while the reader should be aware of these statistics, certain people have focused on these aspects exclusively and the curious reader should seek those specific resources for further information.
Instead, we will focus on what traits a non criminal or law abiding individual would seem to possess: low impulsivity, low psychoticism, low sensation-seeking, high self control, low aggression in childhood, and high empathy and altruism and working in one job for extended periods. In the our list, we assumed that the law abiding citizen possesses the opposite traits of our criminal underclass. This assumption is not certain.
It seems that our speculation concerning non criminals and successful criminals, that is, those individuals either not apprehended by law enforcement or not convicted, would have similar traits, such as low impulsivity, low sensation-seeking, and high self control. We deduce that a successful criminal would not need to work at one job for extend periods, if he is truly successful and not in name only.
The characteristics of both the law abiding citizens and successful criminals are as indistinguishable as the actions of the just and the unjust when invisible.
“If you could imagine any one ... becoming invisible, and never doing any wrong ..., he would be thought ... to be a most wretched idiot….”
As this point, we can not help but describe criminals as “most wretched idiots”, because their crime has been detected. We note that the high rate of recidivism in the United States justice system and speculate that the reason for recidivism is not a proclivity towards higher rates of criminality, but a disposition to being detected. The correlation between low intelligence and higher rates of detection correlates positively; no wiggle words are needed.
Therefore, we confidently state that prisons are filled with lawbreakers and criminals for one simple reason: they have been apprehended and convicted.
[The Nobel and Pulitzer committees can contact me here.]
It is unfortunate that we do not have data for all crimes, known and unknown; but we suspect, although we can neither prove nor provide evidence, that “criminality” is a constant throughout the human spectrum and only those of low intelligence are to suffer justice, while those individuals with higher intelligence derive multiple benefits from their actions.
We read that “income (or wealth), occupational level, and years of education” , “high frequency of changing jobs and high frequency of unemployment” and “larger populations” all correlate positively to crime rates in varying degrees.
It seems that so much can contribute to criminal activity, that it is impossible to determine any specific factor. Wiggle words such as ‘may”, “probably”, “more likely”, “appear”, and “seem” are found in superabundance and in no way lend credence that we are reading about any subject that approaches a defined and disciplined “science” of Criminology.
And when we think we have reached the bottom of the barrel, such a gem as:
“There appears to be higher crime rates in the geographic regions of a country that are closer to the equator.”
We read:
“The relationship between the hotter months of summer and a peak in rape and assault seems to be almost universal.”
We agree with this finding, because, well, we doubt rapists perform adequately in cold weather. Just sayin’. Our excursion in Wikipedia Land is at an end.
We agree that the higher the population correlates positively to higher the crime rates; compare New York City with the Garden of Eden. Beyond low IQ scores, high populations, and warm weather, there are no further “hard” relationships to crime. Since we agree with the findings of both demographics and meteorology, we will focus on intelligence. At this point, certain commentators will focus on the black/white disparity either in crime or intelligence and while the reader should be aware of these statistics, certain people have focused on these aspects exclusively and the curious reader should seek those specific resources for further information.
Instead, we will focus on what traits a non criminal or law abiding individual would seem to possess: low impulsivity, low psychoticism, low sensation-seeking, high self control, low aggression in childhood, and high empathy and altruism and working in one job for extended periods. In the our list, we assumed that the law abiding citizen possesses the opposite traits of our criminal underclass. This assumption is not certain.
It seems that our speculation concerning non criminals and successful criminals, that is, those individuals either not apprehended by law enforcement or not convicted, would have similar traits, such as low impulsivity, low sensation-seeking, and high self control. We deduce that a successful criminal would not need to work at one job for extend periods, if he is truly successful and not in name only.
The characteristics of both the law abiding citizens and successful criminals are as indistinguishable as the actions of the just and the unjust when invisible.
“If you could imagine any one ... becoming invisible, and never doing any wrong ..., he would be thought ... to be a most wretched idiot….”
As this point, we can not help but describe criminals as “most wretched idiots”, because their crime has been detected. We note that the high rate of recidivism in the United States justice system and speculate that the reason for recidivism is not a proclivity towards higher rates of criminality, but a disposition to being detected. The correlation between low intelligence and higher rates of detection correlates positively; no wiggle words are needed.
Therefore, we confidently state that prisons are filled with lawbreakers and criminals for one simple reason: they have been apprehended and convicted.
[The Nobel and Pulitzer committees can contact me here.]
It is unfortunate that we do not have data for all crimes, known and unknown; but we suspect, although we can neither prove nor provide evidence, that “criminality” is a constant throughout the human spectrum and only those of low intelligence are to suffer justice, while those individuals with higher intelligence derive multiple benefits from their actions.
Let us be consistent... if we are unjust, we shall keep the gains and by our sinning and praying
and praying and sinning... we shall not be punished.
Plato
and praying and sinning... we shall not be punished.
Plato