The Psychology Behind Crime
June 4th, 2009
Professor Jed Erickson of the University of Utah has trained officers at the Police Academy and works on developing newer tools to better understand the minds behind crime.
By Anand Rao
The psychology behind what drives an individual to crime has been much debated and researched. There are volumes of scientific research report on the subject. Anand Rao met Prof. Jed Erickson of the Psychiatry department of the University of Utah to get a scientific opinion.
"Sometimes you see pre-schoolers, who are angry, defiant and don't respond well to authority," says Prof. Jed Erickson. "They can develop attitude of rebelliousness very early. The most vulnerable period is the junior high to high school age. At that age they are getting old enough to get little more autonomy and independence. It's also the time they can easily turn antisocial. They don't have judgment and foresight to think through consequences and inhibit themselves like capable adults. On the other hand it's also a golden opportunity to nip that trait in the bud and turn them around."
Responding to whether our society is too soft in our punitive methods, Prof Erickson says, "The ultimate goal of discipline is self-discipline. Children should grow up to become self governing adults. Obviously when they are small, you can't allow them total Laissez affaire. Normally the best outcomes are those with lot of love, lot of nurturing and teaching from well-meaning and well accepted mentors. Punishment of some degree is necessary but if kids are exposed to too much harshness, they learn only to respond to externally imposed, overtly aggressive forms of treatment."
Numerous studies in psychology have determined biological environment, genetic characteristics, individual experiences and the social-environmental context as broad factors for criminal behavior. "Answer lies in one of these or a combination of all these things," says Prof Erickson. "A careful analysis reveals that there are certain traits you can count on: kids who involve in crime might fall into a general categorization called conduct disorder or in later life referred to as anti-social personality. They sort of have the idea that they can't but others don't. They are manipulators, liars and they get gratification by preying on other people. They obviously run from any form of law or order or social more. Motives for such individuals are more for secondary gain," adds Prof Erickson.
Law enforcement officers are now playing an increasingly important role in dealing with the psychological factor in handling criminals.
Prof. Jed Erickson has taught at the Police Officers Standards and Training Academy on abnormal behavior, recognizing and dealing with human behavior. Erickson worked closely in the formation of the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) that originated at the University of Memphis. The main aim of CIT is to avert a common occurrence of mentally ill people committing crimes with tragic outcomes. According to Erickson, "It's a volatile mix when policemen used to forceful and authoritarian tactics encounter mentally delusional individuals with strange fears. CIT was created to give a psychological insight into crimes." Most law enforcement agencies in Utah have had this forty hour intensive training that gives officers an edge while handling mentally ill criminals.
Read the other parts in the Cradle of Crime series
