Psychology of a Crime
"He was so quiet." "He was such a nice guy." "I would have never expected him to do such a thing." These are some things people say when they find out that their neighbors have committed a horrific crime. It can cause someone to wonder: If he was so quiet and easygoing, how could he do something so atrocious or illegal? This article will explore the psychology of a crime.
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History
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The study of a criminal's mind is a relatively recent development. Law enforcement has taken steps over the last 100 years to gain the psychological advantage over criminals. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a lab dedicated to behavioral science. Psychologists are sometimes hired to do a criminal profile, or study, of a criminal's mindset. If they can come up with a successful profile, law enforcement officials can narrow the suspects to people who fit that profile.
Significance
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By examining the psychology of a crime, investigators may be able to gain ground on a suspect, prevent the next victim of a serial killer or even stop a crime before it starts. All the scientific evidence in the world could pinpoint what happened during the crime, such as the ballistics of any weapons involved and the time it happened, but that doesn't necessarily help an investigation figure out who the suspect is. Yet by studying the victim's personality and the manner of how the crime was committed they may be able to determine a motive and a possible suspect by comparing the crime to past convictions.
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Function
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The psychology of a crime typically involves trying to figure out the motive of the criminal. Profilers have found that certain crimes can be attached to specific motives and, in some cases, personality disorders. For example, some psychopathic personality stalkers may not have any mental disorders, but instead some sort of precipitating stressor, like a bad divorce or jealousy, pushes them to stalk. They tend to stalk people familiar to them. Psychotic stalkers, however, have delusional fixations and often try to contact the victim, who is usually a stranger. There are usually no precipitating stressors.
Considerations
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The psychology of a crime can not only be useful in catching criminals but also making the public aware of warning signs. For example, some people think that serial killers are complete strangers that attack in the middle of the night. In fact, serial killers turn out to be "normal" people by society's standards with no criminal record, associations with criminals or a high public profile. So just because the guy next door is quiet and unassuming doesn't eliminate him as a suspect.
Misconceptions
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The misconception about some criminals can actually make it easier for the offenders to keep offending. Because of movies such as "Silence of the Lambs," some people assume that serial killers are super-geniuses like Hannibal Lecter. Yet it didn't take much to convict Ted Bundy. He dropped out of law school, actually introduced himself by name to his victims and was caught with his rape kit when pulled over for speeding. It appears that some serial criminals only get away because police fail to follow through with investigations.
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