Research Guides: Psychology: Psyc 209 Criminal Psychology

What you need—

Find evidence to support an accurate and correct case study. Use highly reliable sources to provide evidence for your:

Developmental models
Pathway to criminal behavior
Offending patterns

You will need a focused biographical book that is highly reliable. Use this chart regarding scholarly vs. popular books to help guide your book selection.

If you do not find a book on your subject in OC Libraries catalog, you can locate a book in World Cat and request it via InterLibrary Loan.

Don't forget you can also check with your local public library for your area—

Search Terms to Consider

Adverse childhood experiences

Affective disorders

Antisocial personality disorder

Antisocial personality disorder - pathology

Behavior disorders

Behavior disorders in children

Borderline personality disorder

Child abuse & neglect

Childhood physical abuse

Childhood trauma

Conduct disorders

Criminal behavior

Criminal profiling

Criminal psychology

Dark Tetrad

Dark Triad

Drug abuse

Homicidal ideation

Mental illness

Narcissism

Neurobehavioral disorders

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Personality disorders

Sadistic personality disorder

Serial homicide

Serial killer

Serial murder

Sexual abuse

Sexual disorders

Sociopathic personality

Substance abuse/use

Violent offenders

Effective Searching- Library Research Strategies

Keywords
Searching with the right words is the difference between finding sources and frustration.
Subject Searching
In library databases, subject searching can be even better than keywords.
Using Search Commands
Learn about Boolean operators and other tools to improve your searches.
Choosing Sources
Help in determining which sources are credible.

Books and eBooks in the Library

Adverse Childhood Experiences by Kathleen Brewer-Smyth
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2022
Part III: The Potential Impact of Trauma on the Brain, Body, Behavior and Society
Bad Boys, Bad Men: Confronting Antisocial Personality Disorder (Sociopathy) by Donald W. Black
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2013
Chapter 9- The Antisocial Murderer- Gacy and Others
The Dark Triad of Personality: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, and Psychopathy in Everyday Life by Minna Lyons
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2019
Chapter 3- The Dark Triad and Forensic Implications: Antagonistic, Aggressive, and Criminal Behaviors
Defending Gary: Unraveling the Mind of the Green River Killer by Carlton Smith (As told to); Mark. Prothero
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.1523 Pr946d
Publication Date: 2006
First person account from one of Gary Ridgway's defense lawyers.
The Development of Aggression and Violence in Adolescence by Robert F. Marcus
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
Chapter 5- Psychopathy in Adolescence
Evil in Mind: The Psychology of Harming Others by Christopher T. Burris
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2022
Chapter 7- Serial Killers
Handbook of Psychopathy by Christopher J. Patrick (Editor)
Call Number: 616.8582 Ha191p
Publication Date: 2019
Chapter 23- Deviance at Its Darkest: Serial Murder and Psychopathy
Hatred: Understanding Our Most Dangerous Emotion by Berit Brogaard
Call Number: Poulsbo Collection ; 152.4 Br786h
Publication Date: 2020
Hell's Half-Acre : The Untold Story of the Benders, a Serial Killer Family on the American Frontier by Susan Jonusas
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.15232 Jo739h
Publication Date: 2023
New light on a family of serial killers in 1870s Kansas, whose horrifying crimes gripped the attention of a nation recovering from war.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.1532 Ma232i
Publication Date: 2018
The search for the Golden State Killer.
In the Mind of a Female Serial Killer by Stephen Jakobi
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2017
Turn of the century female serial killers, Agnes Norman, Louie Calvert, Kate Webster, Mrs. Willis
The Killer Across the Table by John E. Douglas; Mark Olshaker
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 363.2595 Do746k
Publication Date: 2020
Douglas highlights the lives and crimes of four of the most disturbing killers he has confronted.
The Last Murder: The Investigation, Prosecution, and Execution of Ted Bundy by George R. Dekle
Call Number: eBook
follows the facts and circumstances of Kim Leach's disappearance and the investigation and prosecution of Ted Bundy in roughly chronological order.
The Mind of a Murderer: Privileged Access to the Demons That Drive Extreme Violence by Katherine Ramsland
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2011
Subjects include Richard Speck, Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and others.
Psychoanalysts Psychologists and Psychiatrists Discuss Psychopathy and Human Evil by Sheldon Itzkowitz (Editor); Elizabeth Howell (Editor)
Call Number: 155.232 Ps959i
Publication Date: 2019
Psychopathy and Criminal Behavior: Current Trends and Challenges by Paulo Marques (Editor); Mauro Paulino (Editor); Laura Alho (Editor)
Call Number: eBook & Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.3 Ps959m
Publication Date: 2022
Serial Murderers and Their Victims by Eric W. Hickey
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.1523 Hi526s
Publication Date: 2010
Starvation Heights by Gregg Olsen
Call Number: Main Collection - 2nd Floor ; 364.1523 OL8s
Publication Date: 2005
The case of Linda Laura Hazzard, a serial killer, con artist, and phony "doctor" in early 1900s Olalla, WA.
Understanding Female Offenders: Psychopathy, Criminal Behavior, Assessment, and Treatment by Jason M. Smith; Carl B. Gacono; Ted B. Cunliffe
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2021
Women Who Kill by Ann Jones
Call Number: eBook
Publication Date: 2009
Coverage of notorious cases such as Lizzie Borden, Belle Gunness, Ruth Snyder, and Jean Harris.

Recommended Databases

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
JSTOR includes articles from over one thousand leading academic journals across the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The majority of content is journal literature, though inclusion of other materials such as eBooks, conference proceedings, transactions, pamphlets, manuscripts, and other materials is growing.
ProQuest
ProQuest databases are useful for researching topics in almost all areas of study, e.g. Business, Science, Social Sciences, and Humanities. Articles from ProQuest overlap some with EbscoHost, but ProQuest also provides unique content.
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences
For students researching topics in psychology, sociology, anthropology, education, family service, criminal justice, and nursing.
ScienceDirect
ScienceDirect provides an extensive collection of books and journals in health/life sciences, physical sciences, and social/behavioral sciences.

eBooks- handbooks, encyclopedias, and more

Dominance and Aggression in Humans and Other Animals
Chapter 14: Human Aggression: Killing and Abuse
Essential Criminology
Facts and Fictions in Mental Health
Profiling and Serial Crime: Theoretical and Practical Issues
The Psychology of Criminal and Antisocial Behavior
The Psychology of Lust Murder: Paraphilia, Sexual Killing, and Serial Homicide
Psychopathy and Criminal Behavior Current Trends and Challenges
Serial Killers: The Minds, Methods, and Mayhem of History's Notorious Murderers
Coverage of 30 cases- Many provide evidence of pathways to criminal behavior and offending patterns.

Scholarly Journals

Use OneSearch, on the library's homepage, to search across multiple databases and journals. To search and browse in one specific journal, use the links below.