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The Myth of the Born Criminal

Psychopathy, Neurobiology, and the Creation of the Modern Degenerate

by (author) Jarkko Jalava, Stephanie Griffiths & Michael Maraun

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Jun 2015
Category
General, Mental Health, General, General, Criminology, General, History
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781442628366
    Publish Date
    Jun 2015
    List Price
    $40.95
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442650374
    Publish Date
    Jun 2015
    List Price
    $81.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442622944
    Publish Date
    Jul 2015
    List Price
    $30.95

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Description

By some estimates, there are as many as twelve million psychopaths in the United States alone. Cold-blooded, remorseless, and strangely charismatic, they commit at least half of all serious and violent crimes. Supposedly, most serial killers are psychopaths, as, surprisngly, are large numbers of corporate executives. They seem to be an inescapable, and fascinating, threat in our midst.

But is psychopathy a brain disorder, as many scientists now claim? Or is it just a reflection of modern society’s deepest fears? The Myth of the Born Criminal offers the first comprehensive critique of the concept of psychopathy from the eighteenth-century origins of the born-criminal theory to the latest neuroimaging, behavioural genetics, and statistical studies. Jarkko Jalava, Stephanie Griffiths, and Michael Maraun use their expertise in neuropsychology, psychometrics, and criminology to dispel the myth that psychopathy is a biologically-based condition. Deconstructing the emotive language with which both research scientists and reporters describe the psychopaths among us, they explain how the idea of psychopathy offers a comforting neurobiological solution to the mystery of evil.

A stunning merger of rigorous science and clear-sighted cultural analysis, The Myth of the Born Criminal is for anyone who wonders just what truth – or fiction – lurks behind the study of psychopathy.

About the authors

Jarkko Jalava is a college professor of criminology in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies at Okanagan College.

Jarkko Jalava's profile page

Stephanie Griffiths is a college professor in the Department of Psychology at Okanagan College.

Stephanie Griffiths' profile page

Michael Maraun is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Simon Fraser University.

Michael Maraun's profile page