Personality Traits That May Lead To Criminal Behavior : They say that there could be multiple personality traits that may lead people to commit crimes. Some of these include being impulsive, easily frustrated, and having low self-esteem or lack thereof. Sometimes it’s not the person themselves who commits a crime, but the environment they grow up in leads them down a dark path where committing the crime is normal for them.
Evidence shows that some criminals cannot empathize when they see other human beings acting up against each other because something similar happened with either their parents or someone close to another part of life. So naturally, all those negative emotions go back onto the perpetrator without thinking twice about
Many variables play into what gets considered as criminal behavior. The police try to narrow down what they see as problematic behavior. If a person behaves in a manner indicating malicious intent, the police see it as a motive. Law enforcement is on the constant hunt to find criminals and apprehend them before they can cause harm. Therefore, it is not unusual for them to lean on psychology to help them make their work easier. Behavior psychology, including forensics, is all about studying the population.
Here are some features that may help you understand criminal behavior:
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Criminal Rationalization
One of the red flags is the way a person thinks. Suppose you talk to an alleged criminal, and they agree with genocides and hate crime. That is criminal rationalization. These people believe that every crime is justifiable. They have their moral standards, which have no bearing with actual ethics.
Since these criminals already believe they’re right, they have no remorse and no guilt. Psychologists also find that these people are highly narcissistic. If you wish to study psychology, especially as a forensic expert, consider venturing online. You can get a forensic psychology degree online, especially if you want to learn in a self-paced manner. Once you have your degree, why not work with law enforcement or independently as a psychologist.
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Enjoy Befriending Criminals
People who enjoy befriending criminals, irrespective of how dangerous they are, need to be watched. People who hang around with criminals pick up their habits. They may disturb communities, vandalize or shoplift. They also don’t mind defending their criminal friends no matter how heinous the crimes. Even though these people may not actively participate in hardcore crimes, they still spread havoc. Anything that imbalances a society, they’ll be there.
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Extreme Antisocial Behavior
People who show extreme antisocial behavior may become criminals. These people may start showing signs and symptoms of antisocial traits from a young age. They may disrespect authority, skip school, and may even begin school fights. If the school’s administration goes through their possessions, they may find drugs, weapons, and even cigarettes. They will also not hesitate to cuss people out and lie to their parents. Some of them may even harm animals, so better watch those who show extreme antisocial behavior. If you want a better idea, examples of antisocial behavior include racism and even litter problems. While not everyone with antisocial behavior may become a criminal, administering professional help can make them better. If the behavior goes unchecked for too long, it can delve into criminal lines.
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Belong To Dysfunctional Families
Dysfunctional families are not personality traits but play a significant role in shaping a person’s personality. Dysfunctional infers unstable. These families are violent, abusive, and neglectful. Children living in such circumstances may get abused. As a result, as they get older, they start withdrawing from the people around them. These children may be emotionally stunted and lack coherent communication. As adults, they won’t hesitate to hurt others or even themselves. They may even show the same violent tendencies they witnessed growing up. So if they get brought in for questioning, these people may lack a basic understanding of morals. They may find picking fights easier than saying what they think is wrong with them. Dysfunctional families become dysfunctional for many reasons. They may erupt due to poverty, poor living conditions, and even unemployment.
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Low Self Control
We all go through life-controlling our impulses. If your boss makes a mean comment, you don’t go around throwing punches. Similarly, you know how to bring up sensitive topics carefully and adequately. One of the criminal traits is low self-control. These people lash out on minor problems. Perhaps they don’t like jokes. Instead of saying don’t do it again, they start a fight. Such people always act before they think. Some decisions they make may cost people their lives. They may end up picking fights with law enforcement. Less self-control also means these people may commit crimes. They won’t hesitate in causing havoc or doing something hazardous as driving carelessly. Self-control is important. If someone has an immense lack of control, they need help. Violent behaviors only disturb communities and make people feel unsafe, especially when people can easily access firearms despite their personality.
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Substance Abuse
People who tend to become criminals abuse substances. Abusing drugs and alcohol can quickly become a personality trait. It becomes hard to function without taking them every day. These people may always be under the influence and exhibit reckless behavior. Irresponsible drinking is a massive problem. Not only is your judgment impaired, but you can also end up killing someone in an alcoholic stupor. Drugs work in the same manner and make the user lose inhibition and harm themselves and others. Substances are also expensive, and increased usage means increased tolerance. So, a small amount may not work anymore, and the user may resort to crimes to get cash. It is not unusual for substance abusers to commit dangerous crimes for fast cash. Some may even domestically abuse their families for not getting their daily hit of drugs. So, there is a need to prevent drugs from escalating.
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Lying Comes Easy
While not everyone who lies may be a criminal, however, criminals can be liars. They lie frequently and as much as possible. Some do it to save themselves from interrogation from officers, while others do it to protect themselves. If someone is exhibiting lying tendencies at a young age, they may become a criminal. They won’t hesitate to lie or fib if it means they can get their way.
Lying can quickly become a personality trait. People start using it as a crutch to get them through their lives. In some cases, they may even lie to cause a rift between people with no remorse. While everyone lies at some point in their lives, no one relies on lying for everything. Therefore lying by default is a massive problem. Unless there is professional intervention, lying can quickly become pathological. So there is a need to prevent that from happening.
Conclusion
Certain personality traits indicate possible criminal behavior. The reason why there is a need to pay attention to these traits is to prevent potential criminals. Some of the most popular traits include criminal rationalization and low self-control. Psychologists use these personality traits to learn more about these criminals. It helps them relate to a person’s childhood until adulthood to see where they started acting up. While professional help can guide these people to get better, there is a need for systemic change. Not everyone possessing these qualities may become a criminal, but there’s a chance they may lose inhibition. So there is a need to study and explore these traits more.
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