UNIT 17

► Ex. I. Scan through the text. Restore the word order in the questions that follow and answer them.

Psychological theories. Behaviour theory views all behaviour—criminal and otherwise—as learned and thus manipulable by the use of punishment. Social learning theory examines the manner in which behaviour is learned from contacts within the family and other intimate groups (close personal friends, for example), from social contacts outside the family, particularly from peer groups. Peer group is a group of people, especially young people of the same age, social class etc. as yourself. Peer pressure is a strong feeling that you must do the same things as other people of your age if you want them to like you. Teenagers, for example, often start smoking because of peer pressure. Social learning theory states that behaviour is learned from exposure to models of behaviour in the media, particularly television. Mental illness (affecting the mind or happening in the mind) is the cause of a relatively small proportion of crimes, but its importance as a causative factor may be exaggerated by the seriousness of some of the crimes committed by persons with mental disorders. Severe depression or psychopathy, sometimes described as sociopathy, may lead to grave offenses of violence. [Depression is a feeling of sadness that makes you think there is no hope for the future. Psychopath is someone who has a serious and permanent mental illness that makes them behave in a violent or criminal way. Sociopath is someone whose behaviour towards other people is considered unacceptable, strange, and possibly dangerous.] On a less serious level, depression may lead to theft or other uncharacteristic (not typical of someone or something and therefore surprising) behaviour.