What is a first thing which comes in our mind when we see a criminal? What we see is a person who has committed the crime, we never look at the other side of the page. We often ignore to see the reason of why this person committed this crime or what led him to do this. He might have gone through some traumatic experiences that pushed him to develop these criminal tendencies or is doing such things out of helplessness or for some greed.
Criminal behavior is a very vast topic and it is often very difficult to understand because it has many variables and all these variables must be taken into consideration in order to fully understand this concept.
For this we need to understand that, What is a Criminal Behavior. Crime occurs when there is a motive, a way, and an opportunity. Criminal behavior that leads offenders to recur is often referred to as “risk factors” or “criminogenic needs” One way to try to understand the functioning of a criminal is to gain an understanding and knowledge of criminogenic needs. These requirements are factors associated with criminal thinking and behavior. It has also been strongly described as “the most dangerous criminal activity”[1]. There are several factors associated with increased risk and crime associated with people exhibiting criminogenic factors; however, there is a beginning identified in criminal behavior, and it begins with biology and genetics.
Biological risk factors can be defined as “anything that impinges on the child from conception to birth”[2]. It will come as a surprise to know that criminal behavior can be broken down and it can be identifies as early as conception. Now, we all know that parents genetically pass on their prior behavior, we can try to begin to understand that parents who may have criminogenic needs, may pass on those traits that lead to criminal behavior. If physical traits are passed on from one generation to the next, psychological factors may also be involved. Some of those psychological factors include genetics that are directly related to drug abuse, which can lead to an increase in criminal behavior.
There are certain traits which depicts the criminal behavior. They are as follows:
Anti-social beliefs: This is also known as criminal thinking. It includes criminal rationalization or the belief that their criminal behavior was justified. Individuals possessing this trait often blame others for their negative behavior, and show a lack of remorse.
Criminal Groups: Individuals with this trait often have peers and groups that are associated with criminal activities. Most are often involved with substance abuse including drugs or alcohol. Peer influence often persuades the individual to engage in criminal behavior. They will also typically present with a lack of pro-social community involvement.
Anti-social behavior: These traits often include behaviors committed before the age of fifteen and this include, fleeing, skipping school, fighting, carrying weapons, lying, stealing and damaging animals or property.
Family dysfunction: One of the most common factors includes a lack of family support, emotional and physical. The human family has no problem solving the problem and is often unable to communicate effectively. Family members often lack the ability to express their feelings properly. More often than not, they are involved in criminal activities.
Low self-control: This involves the ability to control one’s temper and to act without thinking. People with this trait often do things that they have not planned on, and they will fail to think before they act. The mindset is current and present, not with moral consequences.
Above mentioned are some of the traits which are usually found in the people who have criminal abilities. This can be stopped at the early age by sending the children to juvenile and adults to rehabilitation and aware others of the consequences so that this could be stopped and India becomes a nation where citizens can feel themselves safe.
[1] Latessa and Lowernkamp,2005
[2] Kaiser & Rasminsky, 2010
