Southern New Hampshire University PSY 310 Cumulative Risk Model Worksheet
Instructions: Complete PART I and PART II below.
PART I
Instructions: Read through the scenario and respond to the questions below.
Lisa is accused of luring a group of men into a park where they are attacked by a criminal street gang. She
is also a gang member and this is part of her initiation. She had a very strict upbringing and was
physically abused by her older brother and father growing up. At age 13, she befriended some gang
members who let her hang around with them. She started skipping school and committing petty crimes
such as theft and burglary. Her gang got into a fight with a rival gang and she was injured, requiring
stitches and X-rays. A police report was filed, although no charges were brought against her.
Upon further investigation, you learn that Lisa was enrolled in several honors classes in her freshman year
of high school before she started skipping school to be with her gang. In order to gain entrance to the
honors classes, she was tested by the school psychologist for intelligence (IQ) and personality traits to
determine the best fit for her academically. She had an IQ of 120, which is highly intelligent. Her
personality traits, however, revealed that she was outgoing, quick to anger, had problems with authority,
and charming with her peers. She was sent to the school counselor to help her with anger management.
but only attended three sessions before dropping out of school.
Using the Criminal Data Guide document and thinking about the cumulative risk model, respond to the
following:
Southern New Hampshire University
1. What questions would you have asked to find out the information regarding Lisa's school
history?
How would you describe Lisa as a student?
- How are her interactions with other students?
- How has she done academically in relation to her peers?
How would you describe Lisa's group of friends?
2. What other types of information would be important to ask about to further investigate this case?
Information about Lisa's home life could be useful to figure out if she was exposed to
risk factors there, such as other family members being involved with gangs, criminal
history in the family, and if she still lives with her abusers or if it was ever discovered
that she was abused.
Learning as much as we can about Lisa as an individual and her motivation to
commit the crime.
3. Does Lisa's IQ play a role in her behavior? Explain using psychological theories to support your
response.
With Lisa's IQ being as high as it is, it would typically explain why she would not
engage in criminal behavior. While IQ has not been found to have a direct link to
delinquency, children with lower IQ scores are at a higher risk for delinquency
(Bartol & Bartol, 2017). High IQ usually is indicative of good academic performance
and acceptance of conventional values and conformity with a social