For years, criminologists have studied the relationship between crime and below-average intelligence, concluding that offenders usually possess IQ scores of 8 to 10 points below those of nonoffenders. Little, however, is known about the criminal behavior of those with above-average IQ scores. This book provides some of the first empirical information about the self-reported crimes of people with genius-level IQ scores. Combining quantitative data from 72 different offenses with qualitative data from 44 follow-up interviews, James C. Oleson describes the nature of crime by offenders of high IQ thereby shedding light on a population often ignored in research and yet sensationalized by media.
James C. Oleson is Associate Professor of Criminology at the University of Auckland.
List of Figures and TablesPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Crime, Genius, and Criminal Genius2. The Study3. The Participants4. The Off enses5. Prosecution and Punishment6. Explanations for High-IQ Crime7. Discussion and ConclusionAppendix A. Technical AppendixAppendix B. QuestionnaireAppendix C. Interview ScheduleReferencesIndex
"In his new book Criminal Genius James Oleson offers a novel and previously unavailable insight into the world of high-IQ offenders. . . as rich in qualitative analysis as it [is] quantitative."