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Criminal Behavior: A Psychological Approach Research

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Diana Shlyapnikova

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Through many centuries, criminal behavior was ...read more

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 PSY150 Spring 2014
INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY 25.04.2014
Extra Credit Essa !iana S"#apni$%&a

unable to form interpersonal relations, they loose the ability to coincide with society properly. This may lead

to lack of understanding of the basic facilities of the world. 'oreover, abused children are more like to suffer
from mental disorders, such as schi9ophrenia, and depression &0ricson, +33(.

inally, bullies themselves are in risk sector. #s they show violence from the very childhood, but are
not significantly punished for this, they consider this behavior as a norm, which results in vandalism, theft
and assault. The studies of Clweus illustrates this conceptA D3E of those, who was heavily bullied in middle
school, ended as criminals, while only ;+E of non-bullied did &Clweus,()))

8overs comprise the second group. Hard relations, especially at teenage, seriously affect the
formation of personality. 0rrors, made by us, and the pain, we suffer after separation or treason, can severely
affect self-image and lower self-esteem. 'oreover, first sexual experience plays its role for the same reasons.
The humiliation, which some of us experience at the moment, can shape the future development in both
mental and sexual ways. #s it come to males, the failures in sexual life freFuently lead to desire to replace

the reproduction strength with psychical violence. Cr, on the contrary, it may cause to deep sexual obsession,
which is likely to lead to the rape and violence again.

#ndrei *hikatilo, who was convicted in murder and rape of at least 4+ women and children, is an
example of conseFuences unsuccessful relationships. *oming from an ordinary family, through the
childhood, he was not involved in any significant violence or behavior, besides bullying by classmates.
However, as he matures, he discovered his sexual impotence. #t the age of (4, his first sexual experience
occurred, and led to frustration caused severe moral problemsA $He is reported to have overpowered a young
girl, e"aculating immediately during the brief struggle, for which he received even more ridicule. This
humiliation coloured all future sexual experiences, and cemented his association of sex with violence%
&*rime investigation, web. This inability to prove himself as a man and prove his strength is considered to
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 be the main motivator for him to commit crimes.

inally, adults can represent a danger to maturing child. Garious physical and sexual abuses heavily
harm young identity. :o-called $cycle of violence% refers to the situation, when person, who suffered from
physical and sexual abuse in childhood, reproduce the same attitude in adulthood. #mes?s research proves
that there is a strong causation of sexual abuse and further involvement in criminal activities &#mes, ()).
The sense of insecure and resentment result asocial behavior, as victims are more likely to revenge for of
their childhood pain not to perpetrator directly, but to strangers.

PSY150 Spring 2014

INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY 25.04.2014
Extra Credit Essa !iana S"#apni$%&a

Cn the contrary, the environment can negatively influence the individual not only through offense.
#s since the age of  children start to be heavily influenced by opinion and attitudes of friends, bad
company can actually result to deviant behavior. Improper role modeling leads to following incorrect
direction, the loss or absence of proper guidelines and, hence, cause discrepancy to generally accepted
standards.

@esire to conform to group pushes adolescents to crime. Thus, most so-called $gangs%, composed by
young people, are rarely involved in serious crimes, such as rape or murder, but freFuently commit theft,
assault, or drug sale. #ccording to Huff &())7,p4, it does not take long between the acFuaintance with the

group and committing crimesA from (+-(; years, when teens are first introduced to the gang, to ( years,
when the most of first arrests occur.

'oreover, acting in mass naturally allows us to downsi9e the guilt for the crime. #s well as
$1ystander effect% refers to inability of people to help if they are surrounded by mass, we are more likely to
act inappropriately if the crime happens in group. The most famous example of mass influence is *harles

'anson?s amily. :trong leader 'anson gathered around him from (3 to + followers. Inspired by the ideas
of the leader, the group carried out the assassination  people. #fter the arrest, many of followers claimed,
that they acted as members of group, and thus, did not feel that the conduct was bad.

However, not only gangs can be dangerous. #s we already mentioned, parents have significant
influence on the development of personality. #lcohol and drug addiction of adults form the improper attitude
of child. 6rowing in the environment, where inappropriate behavior is considered normal, influences the
development of understanding of norms and morals. #s well as this causes violence in the family, the
absence of proper models to respect and follow leads to child?s frustration.

1ased on all above, we can see, that deviant behavior is significantly influenced by the environment.
Individuals are not born criminals < they become those with time and psychological traumas. Thus, the
Fuestion of punishment is important. :hould we prison those, who need help, or there are other possibilities

to solve the problem

#s punishment are normally practiced in most of societies, we consider it the only efficient way to
decrease the deviant behavior. However, as we know from the course, punishment should be immediate and,

PSY150 Spring 2014

INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY 25.04.2014
Extra Credit Essa !iana S"#apni$%&a

definitely, unpleasant. These, unfortunately, is impossible to apply in practice. #s the trial may continue for
years, the efficiency of punishment reduces. 'oreover, the humaneness of modern society has led to the
situation, when many criminals live in better conditions that the part of the population. or instance, #nders
1reivik, who killed D) people, spend his imprisonment in surprisingly comfortable "ail, having full access to
TG and gym.
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 TG and gym.

Thus, the rehabilitation may be more effective. Garious psychological techniFues are applied towards
criminals. 1ased on cognitive behavioral methods, these techniFues focus on re-learning and re-training
criminals, on purpose to find the reason of deviant behavior and fix it. #s they are not applied for long time,
it is yet hard to see, if they are more effective than punishment or not. 1ut, no doubt, these techniFues have
significant chance to appear the new solution for the problem.

1ut as we know the problem is easier to prevent than to deal with the conseFuences. The modern
level of psychology development allows us to trait future possible criminal at early stages considerably
effectively. :pecial department of police are designed nowadays, which main role to trace and help children,
who correspond to what or items listed earlier in the essay. The patters like depression, attempts of suicide,
learning disabilities are likely to indicate the danger of development of criminal behavior, as well as
symptoms of domestic violence or parental drug and alcohol addiction. #s most of this information is already
collected in police database, it is considerably easy to help these children in the very beginning &##, +33+.

'oreover, the introducing of reFuired personality tests at school may be effective. The data,
collected from them, may not directly point to the possible criminals &as some traits are "ust impossible to
find in young age, bur may significantly ease the process of finding them in future. or example, it may help
to reduce the amount of possible suspects, if there is a recorded information of psychological health o them.

1ased on all above, we can see, that criminal behavior is solely caused by heredity and genetic
predisposition towards delinFuency. This idea is essential for understanding the nature of deviant behavior
and finding the correct treatment for it. #s the problem concerns the psychology, the development of specific
techniFues to trace, treat and prevent criminal conducts by the scientists of the field, appears to be more
important than ever. The possibility of saving not only the future victims? lives, but also helping young

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criminals is vitally important. #nd, although, we always tend to blame the criminals in all problems, we
should remember that each of us could unconsciously contribute to the change in someone?s development of
personality.

PSY150 Spring 2014

INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY 25.04.2014
Extra Credit Essa !iana S"#apni$%&a

Re,eren+es

( J#ndre *hikatiloA The Kostov KipperL *rime and Investigation. date accessedA #pril +4, +3(
httpAMMwww.crimeandinvestigation.co.ukMcrime-filesMandre-chikatilo-the-rostov-ripper

+ #merican sychiatric #ssociation &##, +33+. @iagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders &th 0d.. #rlington

; #mes, '. #., $*riminal *onseFuences of *hildhood :exual Gictimi9ation,% *hild #buse and Neglect, (7,
&())A;3;<;(7. ()) Kiver, New /erseyA earson rentice Hall.

 1artol, #nne '. and 1artol, *urt #. &+334. *riminal behaviorA # psychosocial approach. !pper :addle

4 0ysenck, H. /., and 6ud"onsson, 6. H. &()7). The causes and cures of criminality. New orkA lenum.

D Huff K.*. $*omparing the *riminal 1ehavior of outh 6angs and #t-Kisk ouths%, ())7, National
Institute of /ustice

 8ipsey and /.H. @er9on, Oredictors of Giolent or :erious @elinFuency in #dolescence and 0arly
#dulthood,O by '.=. in :erious and Giolent /uvenile CffendersA Kisk actors and :uccessful Interventions,
edited by Kolf 8oeber and @avid . arrington &:age ublications, Inc., ())7

7 8oeber, K., 2 arrington, @. . &0ds. &())7. :erious and Giolent /uvenile CffendersA Kisk actors and
:uccessful Interventions. Thousand Caks, *#A :age.

) Nels 0ricson J#ddressing the roblem of /uvenile 1ullyingL, /une +33(, published by Cffice of /uvenile
/ustice and @elinFuency revention

(3 'eyers, @avid, 6. &())). Introduction to sychology

(( :chechter, Harold. &+33;. :erial Pillers. !:#A Kandom House ublishing.

(+ Clweus, @. &+33(a. eer harassmentA # critical analysis and some important issues. In /. /uvonen 2 s.
6raham &0ds., eer harassment in school &pp. ;-+3. New orkA 6uilford ublications.
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