Criminality as a Type of Personality Flaw - Essay Example

Crime and Personality Society is a construct which is built upon laws which govern the population system. Like in every system, there is chaos in which there are variables which disrupt the system. In a human population, crime is an inevitable part of society. Some acts that are committed are intentionally committed and some are debatable. Criminality is the state of being a criminal; which could be defined as a personality flaw. If so, does this mean that all crime is the result of a psychological disorder or are all acts of crime intentional? Some aspects of criminality result from psychological thought processes such as personality, disorders, etc. Other aspects of criminality are derived from society’s constructs of what is right and wrong as well as culture. An important theory to look at when talking about crime is from the research and insight of Dr. Sigmund Freud. Dr. Freud pioneered the field of psychoanalysis. One of his principle hypotheses was on psychic determinism in that because nothing in nature happens by chance, therefore nothing in the mind happens by chance (Corey, 2009). This is most related to the theory of positivism in that people are born criminals. According to Freud, there are three components that make up the self: the id, the ego and the superego. The id, or inner desire, represents primal instincts and the need to survive is derived from here. The ego focuses on mediating the desires of the id and the superego in social context. The superego is often being term our conscience because it is responsible for determining whether an action is right or wrong. Taking this theory and putting it into context of criminality, it could be hypothesized that criminals lack input from the superego and are operating solely on input from the id. It could also be due to the lack of mediation from the ego in that the person listens more to the id than their superego. This could be qualified by the inability to control violent impulses, greed, jealousy, etc. Moving from a psychoanalytic view of crime, it is important to acknowledge that in order to commit a crime that a person must have the will to execute the breaking of the law. This leads into a school of thought known as classicism; this theory relies on the importance of free will and that people will make their decisions on the basis of self preservation and self interest. This can be integrated into a form of Social Darwinism in that only the strong will survive. This would alter the personality developing an individual that would do anything to make sure that their needs are met so that they can survive. From this social perspective, society itself could mold certain individuals into criminals due to prejudice, social class, etc. The DSM-IV-TR, Diagnostic Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, provides a description and diagnosis for every mental disorder on record. Certain types of personality disorders, most prominently Antisocial Personality Disorder, are associated with an increase in the likelihood of criminal behavior. Antisocial Personality Disorder, for example, is a common disorder running among sociopaths in that they have no distinguishing concept of what is right and what is wrong. In order to qualify as having Antisocial Personality Disorder, you must: be at least eighteen years of age, fail to conform to the laws of society in that they lead to arrest, irritability, increased aggressiveness, deceitfulness and lack of remorse (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders). In addition, there are specific personality disorders, bipolar II, schizophrenia, etc. which can lead to psychosis and future criminal activities. There are also times when a person can fall into psychosis, or a complete loss of identity. This usually accompanies a tragic event for the person in which they go insane and can go on to commit crimes such as murders. Our behavior and psychological processes are the result of physiological and biological interactions in our body. Specifically, neurotransmitters and electrochemical signals in the brain are responsible for our cognition and actions. This can also be due to a genetic predisposition to certain mental disorders. When levels in neurotransmitters are altered or are not being regulated correctly, results in both deviant and dysfunctional behavior. A key neurotransmitter to be aware of is dopamine. Dopamine plays a key role in aggression. The activation of emotionally based violence, which could be considered crimes of passion, and predatory aggression deal with differing levels of dopamine (Elliot 2000). Another important neurotransmitter to acknowledge is serotonin. Serotonin plays an important role in the development of the brain and a problem in this system can lead to further aggression and added impulsivity (Morley & Hall 2003). In addition, the use of illegal drugs along with neurological disorders can lead to increased aggressive and agitated behavior (Seo, Patrick, & Kennealy, 2008). On this basis, the criminality is a part of the person because it is a result of their biology and physiology; however, we can now regulate this with the use of psychopharmaceuticals. So far, the theory of criminality has been addressed from a psychological, biological, and sociological perspective. In addition, another important component of personality development that can lead to criminality is the idea that it is a learned behavior. Social learning theory is based on three steps: observing, imitating, and reinforcement. Ronald Akers and Robert Burgess expanded on this idea in criminology in that it was a combination of peer pressure from their peers and the response of deviant behavior from their parents. For example, if a child grows up in a household where there is minimal parenting, then the child has less positive punishment to keep him/her from committing crimes. It is also important to examine the environment in which they grow up. Children that grow up around violence and gangs for example are more likely to develop an aggressive type personality and become drawn into the violence. In this case, the personality is a developmental based one; therefore the criminality is also a developed trait. Another important theory to look at is strain theory, which can be interpreted as a Freudian defense mechanism of reaction formation. As a result of the stress, they turn to crime as an outlet to relieve stress through maladaptive coping measures. For example, everyone knows that with the rising cost of going to college that more and more students are unable to afford college. This creates an extreme stressor in that without a college degree in today’s economy, it makes it almost impossible to succeed and make adequate money to live off. This stressor might drive a person to steal or obtain money in an illegal fashion. In addition, there are a few components in which the strain is most likely to happen. One of the components is when the likelihood of getting caught is low and the reward is great. The other component is when someone is already predisposed to crime. Again, we see criminality as a result of personality development and experience, not genetic and predetermined. So far we have looked at reasons as to why people commit crimes, but a better question to ask is why do people not engage in criminal activity. This is best described by control theory which states that the law acts as a barrier in which they cannot make an illegal act. Control theory elaborates that each of us have differing levels of personal restraint to act. The theory incorporates three subsections: direct control, stake in conformity, and internal control. Direct control includes the regulation of behavior and the implementation of punishment and reward based on action. A lack of direct control can lead to greater variability in an individuals actions making them more prone to acting out. The stakes of conformity says that those that have more to loose are more likely to conform so that they do not get punished. The last component of internal control is based on beliefs and ideals. Those that commit crimes sometimes consider them to be amoral, in that the crime is neither right nor wrong. In our highly structured society, control theory seems to be applicable on many levels when talking about personality characteristics and development in criminality. Stereotyping and social labeling can also play a role in criminality. Cognitively and socially people like to associate with people that they feel are similar to them. A person who is labeled as a criminal is more likely to associate themselves with that label thus be more prone to a repeated offense. Due to chastising by the public, a person labeled as a criminal is more likely to not want to hang around people that label them as such. They are more likely to hang around with people who, like them, have been labeled. This leads to an increased risk in committing more crimes. This is extremely evident in those that grow around gangs. They see people that they know involved in crimes and along with peer pressure might join the gang. With that social identity and labeling, they will become integrated in with the gang and will start committing crimes that the gang deems desirable. Psychology is only able to describe certain portions of criminality. Psychology is able to explain thought mechanisms behind the way in which someone might reason in committing a crime. It also helps explain the disorder and psychosis side of committing a crime in that some crimes are the result of biological impulses that a person simply cannot control. The sociological aspect is better able to explain the learning and association of crime. The idea that criminality can be a learned trait is highly plausible due to violence and the media. Labeling and the increased stresses in the environment can lead to more crimes being committed as a result social Darwinism. In conclusion, psychology alone cannot address the argument of personality in criminality. The theory behind crime from a general view can only be approached from a biopsychosocial approach. Each person’s reason for committing a crime will be different. Consequently, the personalities of each of these individuals are going to be different. This is going to depend on their development, biology, and where/what time they live. As a result, rather than their being only one method of describing criminality it is better to look at it case by case and as a result of the culmination of one’s life experiences as well as their individual physiology. References American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC. Corey, G. (2009). Theory and practice of counseling and psychotherapy. Thomson Brooks/Cole. Elliot, F. A. (2000). A neurological perspective of violent behavior. In D. H. Fishbein (Ed.), The science, treatment, and prevention of antisocial behaviors: Application to the criminal justice system (pp. 19-1 to 19-21). Kingston, NJ: Civic Research Institute. Morley, K., & Hall, W. (2003). Is there a genetic susceptibility to engage in criminal acts? Australian Institute of Criminology: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, 263, 1-6. Seo, D., Patrick, C. J., & Kennealy, P. J. (2008). Role of serotonin and dopamine system interactions in the neurobiology of impulsive aggression and its comorbidity with other clinical disorders. Aggression & Violent Behavior, 13(5), 383 -395.doi:10.1016/j.avb.2008.06.003 Read More