Geins Criminality in Light of Psychopathy Theory as Presented by Robert Hares - Essay Example

Ed Gein Introduction Overtime, society has been bombarded with numerous examples of psychopaths, who are frequently depicted as scary individuals who appear frightening. In reality, a psychopath can be any person and the majority of psychopaths appear seemingly harmless people who may prey continually on those around them. Psychopath can be defined as either an element of personality or as a personality disorder, typified by lasting dissocial or antisocial behavior, a reduced capacity for empathy or remorse, and poor behavioral controls. Research has demonstrated that both environmental and biological factors impact on the development of psychopathy. The paper explores Gein’s criminality in light of psychopathy theory as presented by Robert Hares. 1. A summary of Ed Gein's crimes Edward Theodore “Ed” Gein (1906-1984) can be regarded as one of the most notorious American murderer and body snatcher. Ed Gein’s crimes perpetrated around his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin in which he gained widespread notoriety after law enforcement authorities discovered that Gein had exhumed corpses from graveyards around his hometown. Ed Gein lived with his older brother Henry, mother Augusta, and his father George in their farm situated a few miles outside Plainfield. George was struggling with alcoholism, which Augusta was highly demanding, over-bearing woman who always sought to have full control over her sons. Gein’s mother, Augusta, was a fervent Lutheran and preached to his sons on the innate immortality of the world, the evil of drinking, and the perception that all women (except her) were in nature prostitutes and instruments of the devil. Gein’s father died in 1940 as a result of his alcoholism while his brother died four years later while fighting a fire. This left Gein fully responsible for the welfare of his domineering mother, who passed on in 1945. In mid November1957, local investigators connected Gein to a second known murder victim. Investigators found Worden's decapitated body and gutted in a similar manner that a hunter would cut open an animal for post-mortem. 2. Discussion Criminal behavior has been a focus for the psychologists owing to the old debate on the nature and nurture. According to some behavioral geneticists, psychopaths are different and vary in temperament form other children and are at a heightened risk of delinquency. Nevertheless, research has demonstrated that very few children with antisocial tendencies manifest being born with such as predisposition. Manifesting a genetic predisposition for criminal behavior does not necessarily determine the actions of an individual, but if exposed to the right environment, the chances are higher for engaging in criminal or anti-social behavior. As such, both nature and nurture can be highlighted as playing a big role in shaping the criminal behavior of individuals. Majority of psychopaths manifests a profound absence of remorse based on their aggressive actions (violent and nonviolent), along with corresponding absence of empathy for their victims. Some psychopaths utilize their victims as pawns to attain goals and satisfy needs and desires, whether financial, sexual, physical, or emotional. Moreover, psychopaths have been known not to accept responsibility for their actions and spotlight a way to shift the blame to someone or something. Ed Gein's crimes in relation to Hares Concept Hares Concept The dimensions of psychopath that have been highlighted in diverse studies include narcissism, failure to learn, lack of anxiety, impulsive/irresponsive, and callous/unemotional traits as demonstrated by the absence of guilt, callous utilization of others, and absence of empathy (Millon et al. 13). The modern thinking about psychopath strategy started with Cleckley’s work in 1994, whereby Cleckley’s emphasized psychopath as a constellation of diverse personality traits (Arrigo and Shipley 325). Robert Hare's approaches have been influential within practical forensic settings, as well as academic research (Andrade 2009 241). Hare presented a 20 item psychopath checklist featuring personality traits and recorded behaviors that explain psychopathy (Salekin, Trobst, and Krioukova 425). Hare (1993) proposed dysfunctional individual trait of psychopathy; nevertheless, research has yet fully explored if certain forms of crimes may be more conducive to psychopaths by interacting with the behavioral traits and interpersonal traits (LaBrode 115). Studies have demonstrated that Hare’s Psychopathy Checklist-Revised scale was a consistently significant predictor across inmate samples and remained among the best predictors of recidivism (Hemphill, Hare, and Wong 139). Despite the fact that psychopathy has been construed as a relatively universal construct, seminal theories, as well as contemporary research, implies that it may be heterogeneous. Hare’s approach has been criticized for demonstrating weak applicability, high propensity for tautology, subject to labeling, disregard the dynamic nature of human behavior, and for being too simple and reductionist. Robert Hare contends that psychopathy is essentially a personality disorder typified by a distinctive bunch of behaviors, and inferred personality traits majority of which the society perceived as negative (Skeem et al. 513). Psychopathy can be outlined as a constellation of interpersonal, affective and behavioral characteristics that should be strongly connected to risk for recidivism and violence. Ed Gein can be regarded as psychopathic since he manifested empathic dysfunction with regard to cognitive empathy and emotional empathy. Ed Gein was a psychopath given that he was superficially charming, lacked empathy, manifested shallow emotions, and did not manifest remorse or guilt. Although, Ed Gein is not considered to have had behavioral problems early in life, his later life was typified by lack of moral compass, and grandiose. Ed Gein manifested a capability to inflict severe harm to others repeatedly can be highlighted as an indicator of a profound disturbance. Ed Gein was impaired in the processing of fearful, sad, and potentially bizarre expressions. Gein’s victims that he dug up, or killed were usually middle-aged women who were similar to his mother. Psychologists linked the Gein’s crimes to the unhealthy relationship that Gein had with his mother. Crime scenes can be categorized as either organized or disorganized. Occasionally, crime scenes manifest both elements and not all characteristics of the categorizations. Organized offenders are psychopathic and antisocial and are mainly indifferent to others, self-centered and irresponsible (Kiehl 15). Disorganized offenders are loners and usually make not attempt to fit in or acquire friends. The crimes of such offenders will appear as spontaneous, sudden, and the scenes will be left in disarray and makes not efforts to hide the body (Helfgott 36). Disorganized offenders usually tend to utilize weapons found at the scene and usually leave the victim’s body and other evidence in full view (Benning et al. 4). Gein’s criminal activities can be regarded as a hybrid between organized and disorganized crime. Psychopaths such as Ed Gein are at a heightened risk of engaging in both reactive and instrument aggression. 3. Gein confessed to the killing of two women, Mary Hogan and Bernice Worden. Gein was also charged with the offense of kidnapping, illegally exhuming bodies, defacement of human bodies, and necrophilia. When Gein was arraigned din court in 1957 on one count of first degree murder, he pleaded not guilty on the grounds of insanity. Initially, the court deemed Gein unfit (mentally incompetent) to stand trial after his diagnosis with schizophrenia; nevertheless, Gein was later tried in 1968 for the first degree murder of Worden attracting a life sentence that he spent in a mental hospital. The insanity defense can be regarded as one of the most popularly depicted criminal defense strategies within film culture and television. A person may be considered not responsible for a crime in the event that his or her state of mind is in a diminished capacity to judge right or wrong. Since the court considered him legally insane, Gein spent his life imprisonment in a mental hospital. Gein forms an infamous part of American history, whereby his bizarre was in which he murdered his victims, as well as his weird behavior of snatching bodies and constructing things from human part. Indeed, Gein features among most grisly murderers in American history. Some quarters of the society were pleased that Gin remained incarcerated and insisted that his sentence was unjust as he deserved prison time. Ed Gein is not categorized as a serial killer given that his conviction did not take into account all his murders, and the murders were spread apart in periods surpassing a single month. Nonetheless, Gein inspired the creation of film characters such as Jame Gumb in The Silence of the Lamb. Conclusion Individuals with psychopathy, as is the case of Gein manifest a relatively selective empathy deficit. Psychopaths such as Ed Gein are at a heightened risk of engaging in both reactive and instrument aggression. The psychopath’s motives are “highly obscure” relative to common criminals given that their crimes are more violent, and chilling. As highlighted in Gein’s case, Gein can be regarded as a psychopath as he manifests a callous disregard for the rights of others and an inclination for predatory and violent behaviors. Gein had no remorse, lacked empathy and sense of responsibility. Works Cited Andrade, Joel (2009). Handbook of violence risk assessment and treatment: New approaches for forensic mental health professionals. New York: Springer, 2009. Print. Arrigo, Bruce and Shipley Shipley. “The confusion over psychopathy (I): Historical considerations.” International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 45.3 (2001): 325-344. Print. Benning, Stephen, et al. “Estimating facets of psychopathy from normal personality traits: A step toward community epidemiological investigations.” Assessment, 12.1 (2005): 3-18. Print. Helfgott, Jacqueline B. Criminal Psychology. Santa Barbara: Praeger, 2013. Print. 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