Leon is 19 years old and has recently been convicted of a series of shoplifting offences and assault. When questioned by the police, he claimed that the shopkeepers 'can easily afford the loss because they make massive profits anyway' and that he only assaulted a bystander because 'the guy was staring at me aggressively and looking for a fight'. Leon also mentioned that he only cares about getting caught, and as long as he avoids prison, he doesn't see anything wrong with what he did.
Discuss cognitive explanations of offending behaviour. Refer to Leon in your answer.
28 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Psychology Psychological explanations of offending. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.