The Clifford Robert Olson Jr. & William George Bonin Project
Socioeconomic Status: Middle-class
Stability: His family moved back to BC from Alberta. They occupied a modest one-story house on Gilmore Crescent, in an 80-home community suburb of Richmond. (Kerr)
Siblings: Olson had a sister and two younger brothers who were law abiding, middle-class citizens.
Trauma: There is no known history of traumatic event Olson’s childhood. (Kerr)
Olson's mother tried to help him as much as she could when he got into trouble. She ended up having to spend a lot of time trying to salvage their family's image, with each arrest due to news coverage. (Kerr).
What Does The Research Suggest About Olson:
Moffitt, Lynam, & Silva, 1994; Rutter, 1997; Rutter, Giller, & Hagell, 1998 suggest that certain biochemical abnormalities in brain, appear to predispose some children to expressing higher levels of aggression than their peers. If these abnormalities that influence aggressive or anti-social behaviours remain unneutralized by socialization and competent parenting, many of these children grow up to follow a life path characterized by high levels of aggression and violence. Moffit et al. go on to suggest that children who are persistent in their aggressive and anti-social tendencies in pre-school or kindergarten, often exhibit biological/neurological abnormalities. On the other hand, children who exhibit later onset of offending appear, to be more influenced by social factors. (Bartol et al, 2011, Chapter 2: Biological risk factors, pp. 18)
Childhood Family Background:
Developmental Risk Factors
William Bonin
Developmental Risk Factors
Developmental Risk Factors that may influence Bonin's criminal path:
Socioeconomic Status: Low/Poor
Parents: Bonin’s father was an abusive, alcoholic who gambled away the family home at one point. (Kerr, Gribben)
Stability: Bonin moved from Connecticut to California after his release from the US Navy Air Force.
Mother: Alice Benton was sexually abused by her grandfather. She spent the majority of her leisure time playing bingo, often forgetting to feed the children. Neighbors report that the boys were always hungry, dirty and poorly clothed.(Gribben)
Siblings: Bonin has one brother.
Trauma: There is a history of abuse in the Bonin Family. It is reported that Bonin and his brother were often left by their mother in the care of their grandfather, widely known to be a pedophile. (Gribben).
What Does The Research Suggest About Bonin:
Dodge, 1993b; Farrington, 1991 has observed that "school children living in a low-income family characterized by poor housing and unemployment are especially at high risk to become delinquent and/or to become victimized (this is true for Bonin). Also, "Adults living in substandard housing are more likely to be victims of crime than those living in more advantageous conditions." (Bartol et al, 2011, Chapter 4: Developmental risk factors, pp. 81).
Clifford Olson Jr.:
Developmental Risk Factors
"Wasserman & Seracini, 2001, believe that the more risks a person is exposed to, the greater the probability that person will participate in antisocial behavior throughout his or her lifetime." (Bartol et al. 2011, Chapter 4: Developmental risk factors, pp. 79.
Comparison & Contrast:
Poverty, inadequate parenting or abuse does not appear to have been a major risk factor for Olson whereas, Bonin was exposed to abject poverty, inadequate parenting, substance, psycological, psysical and sexual abuse.
Psychophysiological Factors:
1) Inadequate cognitive and
language abilities
2) Difficult temperament - innate
disposition
3) Inadequate self-regulation
skills
4) Poor interpersonal and social
skills.
Thomas-Chess Category of Child
Temperament (Bartol et al. Ch. 2,
pp. 18)
The risk factors we of the most concerned are:
1) Individual attributes
2) Social developmental
3) Family experiences
Parental and family risk factors:
1) Faulty or inadequate parenting
2) Sibling influences
3) Child maltreatment or abuse
