How to Define Criminal Psychology
Psychology is the study of human behavior and what motivates it. In other words, psychology scrutinizes the link between the brain and behavior. Likewise, criminal psychology examines the thought processes that influence criminal behavior. Criminal psychology is a subspecialty of a social science that looks at how humans see the world around them, as well as how they react to that awareness. The mind of a criminal often perceives and experiences reality in a way different from other people. If the brain gets things wrong, an individual is likely to interpret things differently in his own mind. In order to better understand the implications and benefits that the field of criminal psychology can offer in criminal investigations, it may help to understand what it is the science really does.
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Instructions
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Investigate what goes on inside the mind of a criminal. The science of criminal psychology takes a closer look at why most people are able to control their anger and rage while others let their demons loose on society. There is diverse speculation as to why some individuals are unable to resist the urge to curb their inappropriate behaviors, whether the influences are genetic, hormonal or biological. For other people cultural, societal, religious and/or moral conditioning seems to provide sufficient restraint from misconduct despite the circumstances.
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Examine what kinds of behaviors are forbidden by society or a governing authority, and, therefore, may be punishable under the law. Crimes are defined as those actions, which go against the norms of society. Some crimes are committed against people and others are committed against property. According to statistics published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in 2004 there were an estimated 1,367,009 violent crimes committed in the United States. That same year, an estimated 10,328,255 property crimes were committed in the nation.
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Consider why someone becomes a criminal. There are a number of different theories as to what causes a person to make the choice to commit a crime. One common supposition is that individuals weigh the potential risks against the rewards before deciding if it will be to their advantage to do something unlawful.
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Explore those factors, which motivate a person to commit a criminal act. Even though criminal psychology relies on scientific methods to find explanations for human behavior, theory must be substantiated by experimental evidence. Criminal psychologists put a good deal of weight on the real-world applications of theory given that every institution in society has at one time or another been blamed for a rise in crime.
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Determine to what degree poor socioeconomic environments influence the choices people make when they are unable to succeed through conventional means. Some individuals say they feel pressured to use crime as a means to achieve success because they have access to fewer opportunities. However, the question remains why it is that people who experience similar conditions in life act differently. Although most people behave responsibly in like situations, others rationally calculate the deliberate actions that lead to their crimes.
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Profile crime scenes. Criminal profiling is based on a certain amount of speculation; however, analyzing a crime scene is one method to uncover clues about the offender's personality and motives for committing the crime. Understanding behavior is crucial in identifying possible suspects, particularly since a person's behavior can be an indication of his personality.
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