Psychological explanation on criminal behaviour : Social learning and personality disorder

Nowadays society are fascinated by crime it has to be said that crime have taken on cultural significance they never had .There are various approaches in psychological understanding behaviour of the offender who committing crimes prohibited by law.

One issue that has attracted attention in explaining offending behaviour is that morality in that breaking law often defined morally. Although not all law involves moral behaviour for going through red light is not morally wrong but social convention to impose order on roads many laws related to principle for instance killing another person. Thus what people think and how they reason about law has been one area examined in search for an explanation of offending behaviour (Palmer, 2003)

Discussion:

In order to understand, question arises on’’ why do people offend?’ When psychologist and sociologist are talking about offending behaviour, they will talk about causes in crime rather than motives. It is not necessary to know what the offender was thinking at the time of offences. Wilson and Seaman (1990) documented accounts of individual convicted murder, who often gave rather trivial reasons for their crimes. Such as Norman the perpetrator said he acted out of boredom when he shot Hazel Woodard while she was at home watching television. On the other story, perpetrator whom is student Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb said they have committed murder simply as challenge. They killed 14 year old boy. When it comes to ‘’why’, the motives isn’t the right answer to understand this.

It is said that the offenders will speak out what the interviewer want (expectations) rather than what it is nearly to truth. Instead psychologist and sociologist would considered many social and psychological factors that might contributed offending behaviour.(Pakes &Winstone,2013)  In many attempts to ,Psychologist and criminologist often relates law and several factors to understand why people offend’ such the following essays all about how psychology helps in understanding murderer.
Present common law defined murder as “unlawfully killing of a human being under the Queen's peace with malice aforethought”. This definition includes two section whereby first would be objective element of crime called actus reus and second the mental element called mens rea. The ‘’Actus reus means guilty act meaning unlawful killing, the second element involves however more complex and not clear area of law. Next, Mens rea comes from Latin and means ‘guilty mind'. It is to ensure that only blameworthy defendants are punished for their crimes. There are different forms of mens rea depending on a particular crime. In order for someone to be convict of murder the element of Actus Reus and Mens Rea should present.

Murder are divided into many types such as serial murder ,spree murder and mass murder.(Douglas,1992) Serial murder where one or more individual were killed and the time interval or best known as cooling period maybe one or 2 weeks. The perpetrator of this particular type will continuously killing and usually all crime are well planned. At the beginning stage of crime victims are randomly choose later on when murderer are comfortable in doing the crime will looks into targeted victims. The cooling period of crime different between serial murder and other multiple murder (Jeffery R. and Gabrielle S 2014). It was stated that in an attempt to classifying homicide ,there divided external and internal factors respectively (Schlesinger ,1997).Since many incidence of serial murder hard to determine so Holmes and Deburger (1988) classify serial murder into 4 elements started with visionary stages where the serial murder in a psychotic commands. Second stage, would be mission oriented where solely targeting certain people such as prostitutes (example, Jack the Ripper).Third stage is hedonistic where they only commit murder as results of thrill seeking. Fourth stage is power control where they enjoy pleasure of controlling the victim and leading the process of murder. Other than these, fantasizing murder in which role of fantasy in serial homicide has been noted by Prentky (1989) and by Myers (1993). According to them fantasy eventually leads to action and then it strongly driven to be more power. Other expert, Hale mentioned that role of humiliation or embarrassment could be reasons to murder. Besides the psychopathological theory, there has been relationship between narcissism and murder in both been noted by several investigator. Miller and Looney (1974) said that an adolescent offender’s recidivism can be predicted by takes account on degree on how the offender dehumanized the victim. Thus most psychopathology narcistic offender act either total or permanent dehumanization as evidently replete with narcissistic psychopathology. Whereas Liebert (1985) uses narcissistic and borderline personality disorder in profiling serial murderer just as guideline in investigation. He believes that narcissistic individual experience too much of abuse or somehow influence from his past to commit the murder. Such that he said "incorporated too much of the bad from the maternal relationship and can split this interjected badness from his own personality and perceive it as originating from the outside . . . . The individual no longer possesses the badness—it is the other person, the female victim, who has it . . . . He may either project his interjected dissociative badness onto his victim and justify his own violence or displace his violence toward his bad mother onto the victim and destroy the mother's badness" (p. 192). Sexual and aggressive impulses with underlying structural weakness of the narcissistic and borderline personality, and thus becomes "a substitute for normal erotic pleasure" (p. 197). Regarding the fusion of sex and aggression, Freud (1905) noted that the sexual instinct is composed of different components, "some of which detach themselves to form perversions. Our clinical observation thus calls our attention to fusions, which have lost their expression in the uniform normal behaviour" (p. 572). Thus, in serial homicide a fusion of sex and aggression is made easier by the weakened personality structure found in borderline and narcissistic cases.
Next is spree murder where it’s normally refers to killing of two or more victims without any time interval and usually location will be more than one. Recent spree murder in united kingdom known as Cumbria Shooting where Derrick Bird killed 12 people and injured 11 others before shot himself .(Carter, Carrell and Davies, The Guardian, June 2010) In analysing spree serial murder, Pollock (1995) agrees with Abrahamsen (1973) that violence is used in such cases as a defence in the service of narcissism. The offender in this case manifested characteristics of "pathological grandiosity in response to rejection and humiliation" (p. 265), as well as the need for power and control described by Holmes and DeBurger (1988). Pollock concludes that the psychopathology of malignant narcissism--specifically, the erection of narcissistic defences as a response to very destabilizing interpersonal relationships and life events--is a major consideration in understanding the serial murderer. Melody (1988) believes that in particularly severe and malignant cases narcissism, sadism, and aggression are combined.

Mass murder involves killing of more people at single location with no time interval between murders. Psychologist have studied that mass murder happens quick and unpredictable without any warning. Besides that, it is often clear who is the murderer at the end of crime as he or she will took off his life on spot. Classic mass murder said that it’s sometimes well planned.
Mass murder often uses guns especially semi-automatic that will maximize numbers of death. Moreover the mass murderer often plan to die on the spot or even let the law enforcement shot them or in other term ‘’suicide mission’. (Marriot, 1991 The New York Times)
Besides that mentioned offending crime, rampage school shooting although statically rare and there has been mystery of what actually causes them has resulted in widespread speculation. Although media coverage mostly focused on peer harassment and videogames violence but the expert said that peer harassment almost happens to everyone and it’s too common whereas videogames is not a good productive approach(Langman,2009).Supporting to this recent news evidently shows that violent movies and video games has found no links between real life violence.(Stuart,2014 The Guardian).Additionally, mystery to why people committed rampage school shooting are still not answered mainly because these populations are difficult to study ,sample size is extraordinarily small, perpetrators sometimes kill themselves or when they were apprehended they might not available to be standardized project. Therefore its limits researchers to find retrospective review of perpetrators life history or interview people know them. (Langman,2009) .Studies by McGee And Debernardo(1999) of 12 cases of adolescent mass murder and developed profile for what they called as ‘classroom avengers ’whom they concluded that adolescent whom mostly engaged in the mass murder are lonely white males that interested in violent activity but don’t have any history of violence. Their theory more to depression and personality disorder such as paranoid, antisocial and narcistic. However , (Meloy,Hampel,mohandie,Shiva and Gray 2001) reviewed 37 mass murder including 8 they classified as classroom avengers that the perpetrators often be bullied ,and often preoccupied with weapons and fantasy .They have history of substance abuse ,many depressed but did not have antisocial behaviour violence. So they are suffered from personality disorder of depressed and grievances to target.

Such type of personality disorder and depressed case, happened where Tim Kretschmer entered Albertville secondary school armed and nearly after 9.30am and pulled trigger and causes dead of nine pupils, three teachers and one passer-by. It was believed that Kretschmer had gone "deliberately" into 9th and 10^th classrooms and shot students and claimed to have said "Are you not all dead yet?” upon returning to the room. Later on that day ,Kretshmer shot himself to dead.(Davies,2009 The Guardian)

While take account on Kretschmer’s background, personality and motivation he is aged 17, and had a 14 year old sister, he had finished school and was in vocational training. Described by his family as good boy and have been good brother to his sister. They said he didn’t have many friends as he was quiet type. Medical record shows that although been treated for depression in the year but previously failed to show up to the latter sessions.It was said that once he had an infatuation with a local girl who had snubbed his advances. Most of his victims were female. Experience with weapons most of his victims shot in the head His father, a successful local businessman member of the local shooting club. Taught Tim how to shoot at the age of 14. 16 weapons in the house (1 missing) Described as "never conspicuous’‘and "He seemed to be a completely normal guy, unremarkable. He never seemed aggressive. “Others painted a picture of a troubled mind whose frustrations were bubbling up under the surface of normality. Many assumptions were made in finding his real motives such that an old classmate told local media he had been depressed because his girlfriend had left him and he had been putting on weight. Whilst other told, he tried to buy friends with money but still failed to make himself popular. In his profile on the social networking site Kwick.de, Kretschmer wrote: "What do I like about myself? Nothing. What do I hate about myself?
Homicide recent rates in United Kingdom shows that there were 551 homicides, consisting murder ,manslaughter and infanticide recorded in 2012/2013 in England and Wales compare to last year was just 530 and shows increase in 4% (Arnett,2014 The Guardian).
Researcher found, variety of demographic factors strongly associate with criminal homicide. Many studies show that offending peaks during adolescence and gradually declines during adulthood. Additionally Kazemian and Farrington (2006) found that age onset was important predictor of residual career length (also found by Ezell 2007).Next is demographic of age, Kazemian and Farrington (2006) figured negative linear decline in the residual career length to be a function of age. This was also view by Gottfredson and Hirschi (1986) consider the notion of'criminal propensity'. If this is high, the frequency of offending will be high, the age of onset will be early, the age of desistance will be late, and the duration of the career will be long, Chronic Offenders.

Researchers have consistently indicated that offenders and victim somehow know each other. Even recent case by online news, published news of a girl killed by her boyfriend,’’The victim knew him. The victim had lived with him, tolerated his abuse for a time, so she decided moved away, however she’s been persuaded to allow him back for the sake of their two-year-old child but finally ended their relationship, and unable to digest this fact so he killed her. ‘’ (Independent, Walker2014)

Characteristic of mass murderer said usually white male with age range between 18 to 45 years. Preoccupied with weaponry or violence Looking at the history of background, one should have mental problems in which psychologically includes psychosis, depression, paranoid, antisocial behaviour, moody, rebellious violence, antagnostic, and many. They are at least having dysfunctional family background. The murderer are often said not to bother about arrest or own death and they are unpredictable act. This approximately matches to offender statistic from government of UK. (Ministry Of Justice 2012,). Motivation to murder normally said due to sexual gratification, thrill seeker, hallucinations either visual or audibly, take in control, the extermination of a group, and the enrichment of life (Fox & Levin, 1999; R. Holmes, 1983; R. Holmes & DeBurger, 1988; Schreiber, 1988)


Although more expert arguing personality theory into murderer reasons to act, but social learning theory also applicable, that serial killers are so difficult to predict or manageable. Based from few notorious serial killers psychologist and experts finds social learning theory might applicable. Such serial killers that applicable for SLT are including Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Edward Kemper 3, and David Berkowitz.
Social learning theory resulting in behaviors that are acquired through modeling or via rewards and punishment (Krohn, 1999; Wright & Hensley, 2003). However this statement is not saying that serial murders are learned to commit murder by just watching others kill. Therefore it must be turned to other idea such as rewards and punishments. The idea of applying social learning theory to a serial killer with a past background such as military is much easier to prove. The concept of killing people portrayed during war so one can far carrying over out of war. Even there have been several incidents of a person from military assaulting, raping, and even killing outside of war.
In social learning theory there must possible aspect of rewards and punishment that may some significance in explaining resulting behavior (Burgess, Hartman, Ressler, Douglas, & McCormack, 1986). In many talks’ interviews with serial killers, they confessed being humiliated by parents, care takers, and women. Thus, anger and resentment built up over time caused them to commit murder whenever threatened or faced with the same issues. Kemper is one of example of a serial murderer who went on kill his care givers due to development of anger.  Kemper first murder was his grandparents at the age of 15 and later on killed his mother (Hickey, 1993; Giannangelo, 1996). Interestingly he just had murdered his grandfather, and rest all of Kemper’s victims were women, who were killed and degraded after death, which shows Kemper to enact behaviors he wants to direct toward his mother.  From the murders, he later performed the same ritualistic murder and degrading behaviors on his mother.

Besides that, learning theory from a sexual perspective includes possible idolizing of domestic sexual violence or anger of parental sexual behaviors, including (Lester, 1995; Hickey, 1997; Egger, 1998). It has to mention that, abuse is at the core of this learning by serial murderers with these histories seemed to have paired sexuality and violence.  According to many experts on serial murder, sexuality plays a critical role in the majority of these crimes (Burgess et al., 1986; Ressler et al, 1988; Ressler & Shachtman, 1992; Geberth, 1993; Douglas & Olshaker, 1999).  Several serial murderers have reported that parental promiscuity, deviant sexual practices, or involvement in prostitution influenced their development toward being a serial murderer (Jenkins, 1994; Lester, 1995).  Even some authors have suggested that serial murder is considered a paraphilia of violent sexuality (Money, 1986; Purcell & Arrigo, 2006) called erotophonophilia with the same etiological and developmental pathways.

Whereas as mentioned from earlier discussion, personality dimension are too broad and closely linked to temperament. Personality is shaped by subtle individual differences particularities'. (Eysenck and Gudjonsson, 1989).He said every individual must have extroversion or introversion. Extroverts meaning person that are outgoing, sociable and impulsive whereas introversion is someone tend to shy or more to reserve themselves. They don’t require any constant stimulations or in quest for thrills. This two dimension can be dividing into four; stable introvert, stale extrovert, unstable introvert and lastly unstable extrovert (originally known as neuroticism). (Eysenck and Eysenck 1976). Those who more to neuroticism scale tend to display traits such as anxiousness, depression and low self-esteem. Finally his third dimension is psychoticism or in other words tendency to have a mental breakdown or suffer from psychotic mental health problems. Other experts such as Knust and Stewart (2002) call these dimensions as ''toughmindness''. When looking to this dimension, it won’t surprise to see that those who are more extrovert, unstable, or neurotic, and high on the psychotism scale are more likely to offend than others (Eysenck and Eysenck,1985). The other expert Zuckerman (1994) called it as ‘sensation seeking ‘’ where in his words’’ a trait defined by seeking of varied ,novel, complex, and intense sensation and experiences and willingness to take pyshical,social,legal,and financial risk for sake of such experience.’’(Zuckerman, 1994:27)
There are four traits, firstly is thrill and adventure seeking and it refers to legal ways of thrill seeking such as sports or other activity. Second traits is ‘’experience seeking’’ refers to desire to explore such by travelling. The third traits are combination of substance abuse like alcohol and criminality. The last sub trait will be ‘boredom susceptibility’, the extent that people easily bored. Based on this ,Knust and Stewart (2002) found imprisoned offenders to score particularly high in unsocialised personality such as dimension,psychoticsm,extroversion,and susceptibility to boredom.

Conclusion :
There are other personality traits associated with offending while other side where social learning theory has been applied directly to crime as murder. It was said that many types of crime are tempting to many level. As mentioned earlier, there are many psychological approaches in understanding crime as murder however, through this approach has yielded with much important information. Expert overlooks significant theory such as personality and social learning in understanding offending behaviour. Gottfredson and Hirschi (1990) argues that it is not why people offending but what makes others not to offend’ ’Their key concept is self-control , such being able to resist themselves from doing it despite of many tempting circumstances such as revenge. In their view, they argue that self-control normally adopted from good parenting. When a child is raised in structured environment such as letting them to learn certain behaviours that is allowed and not. Those child who learn to control their own behaviour becomes part of their identity .Even it was said ‘’ self-control is best antidote for the seduction of crime.(Kartz 1988)

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