Criminal psychology

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Have you ever wondered why people commit crimes, what motivates them to break the law? We think that at least you had similar thoughts, at least while watching popular detective series. Meanwhile, there are people who are studying this problem professionally. There is even a special area of psychology that studies the behavior of criminals - criminal psychology. Today we will briefly tell you about what exactly she is researching, what she focuses on and what conclusions she leads.

Criminal Psychology: Research Areas and Theoretical Objectives​

Criminal psychology is a special section of legal psychology, which in turn is one of the sections of human psychology. She studies the mental phenomena that serve as the basis of criminal acts, as well as the criminal acts themselves, the personalities of criminals, criminal groups and the conditions of crime in society.

The object of scientific research in criminal psychology is mental phenomena that lead to the criminal behavior of individuals and groups of people. Also, the object is the very crime in society.

More specifically, there are several objects of scientific knowledge that criminal psychology deals with:

• mental phenomena, as a result of which criminogenic individuals and criminogenic groups are formed;
• mental phenomena that cause criminogenic defects of public consciousness;
• mental states and processes manifested in the criminal behavior of a person and groups of people (this includes the perception of objects of criminal encroachments and social situations, the motivation of criminal activity, the peculiarities of the formation of criminal intentions, the peculiarities of decision-making on the commission of criminal acts, the implementation of criminal intentions, etc.) ;
• criminogenic personality traits of criminals and criminal groups, which are subjective prerequisites for illegal behavior;
• features of public consciousness, acting as catalysts of crime in society.

The subject of criminal psychology consists in the types, qualitative characteristics, interrelationships of mental phenomena that produce the criminal behavior of people, groups of people and crime in society in general, as well as in the mechanisms and patterns by which the described phenomena are formed and manifested.

Hence, we can conclude that the subject of criminal psychology is an expression of aspects and forms of scientific description and interpretation of the objects of its study - mental phenomena leading to criminal behavior. And the description and interpretation of these phenomena from the standpoint of science and the deepening of the knowledge gained should be considered theoretical tasks of criminal psychology.

If we talk about the subject and theoretical tasks of this area of science in more detail, we can say that it is studying:

• psychological mechanisms and patterns of mental regulation of illegal behavior;
• psychological characteristics of various kinds of crimes and offenses;
• psychological mechanisms and patterns of the formation of a personality prone to criminal acts;
• characteristics of socio-psychological phenomena inherent in criminal social formations;
• psychological characteristics of different types of criminal groups of various sizes;
• types, structures and qualitative characteristics of the leading psychological properties of criminogenic persons;
• psychological characteristics of the personality of criminals of various types;
• types and characteristics of socio-psychological phenomena in society that produce criminal phenomena, as well as the patterns by which they are formed;
• psychological patterns and mechanisms of the impact of social conditions on crime in individual social groups and society in general;
• psychological patterns of the impact of social conditions, circumstances of situations and characteristics of the behavior of victims as a result of criminal behavior.

But criminal psychology, of course, is not limited to theoretical tasks. They serve as the basis for the transition to the practical plane, i.e. to the solution of applied problems. We'll talk about them in the next section, but first we suggest relaxing a little and solving a few problems on the topic of crimes and testing your observation, ingenuity and deduction.

Criminal psychology: practical tasks​

The practical tasks of criminal psychology are dictated by those areas where scientific data obtained by criminal psychologists are used. However, they all boil down to the fact that the methodological foundations of psychological research and analysis of different types of criminal acts and different types of personality of criminals and criminal groups, as well as the foundations of the study of public legal consciousness, are being developed.

Thanks to the data obtained through the study of objects of criminal psychology, it becomes possible to develop recommendations that allow to more effectively solve problems and achieve goals of a law enforcement nature.

First, scientific information about the personality of people prone to crime, and knowledge about the mental regulation of unlawful behavior are needed to investigate and solve crimes as efficiently as possible.

Secondly, the same knowledge is of great value for legal proceedings, since help to make a more correct assessment of the nature and characteristics of the crimes committed, to study their objective and subjective side.

Thirdly, psychological knowledge about the characteristics of a criminogenic personality makes it possible to assess the personality of the culprit as correctly as possible in order to assign an adequate punishment for him. And knowledge about the characteristics of criminal groups makes it possible to establish the roles of their members and the degree of their participation, as well as the degree of mutual influence of their members and the peculiarities of intra-group interaction in the process of committing criminal acts.

Psychological knowledge about a criminogenic person plays an equally important role both in the process of correcting convicts and in the process of individual prevention of various types of crimes.

Knowledge of individual and socio-psychological phenomena that serve as internal causes of criminal acts, and knowledge of the impact of social conditions on the legal positions of people, are extremely important for the prevention of crime in society.

If we summarize what has been said, we come to the conclusion that the information that criminal psychology operates can be successfully applied (and does so) in a variety of related areas of legal psychology: correctional, forensic, operational, expert, investigative, preventive and others.

At the same time, the methodology used by criminal psychology plays an equally important role in practice. Of course, within the framework of one article, we are unlikely to be able to consider this issue in all its subtleties, but we can still present the basic data.

Methodological base​

The methodological basis of criminal psychology is a whole complex of methods, categories and principles of research and scientific interpretation of mental phenomena that relate to its object. In addition, this base also consists of general psychological and particular specific scientific theories that serve as the basis for describing and interpreting mental phenomena - the causes of criminal behavior and crime in society.

In criminal psychology, categories common to psychology and theoretical knowledge related to its individual areas are used. Here we can single out psychological theories that reveal the main psychological categories, such as:

• psychic reflection;
• activity;
• consciousness;
• unconscious;
• installations;
• emotions;
• motivation, etc.

We must not forget about criminological categories, including:

• causes and conditions of crime;
• crime;
• criminogenic personality;
• criminal behavior;
• victim behavior, etc.

They find a place and categories related to the theory of state and law (legal consciousness, law enforcement, etc.)

Much attention in criminal psychology is paid to the psychological aspect of the phenomena denoting all of the above terms. Specialists are guided by general psychological theories and develop specific scientific theoretical propositions related exclusively to criminal psychology.

Scientific information, phenomena and concepts from the field of other humanities and social sciences are also a serious help in the practice of criminal psychology. This is psychiatry, and pedagogy, and ethics, and sociology, and social philosophy, and other areas that somehow come into contact with the study of human behavior.

It is worth noting that the results of scientific research and scientific developments from the field of criminal psychology are also used by many of the listed branches of psychology, the humanities, social and legal sciences. For example, for a systemic psychological explanation of a person's prosocial behavior, one must have knowledge of the mechanisms and patterns of illegal behavior.

The same can be attributed to the scientific approach to the problem of educating a socially respectable person. To understand and uncover this problem, it is necessary to have knowledge about phenomena of the opposite nature, such as criminogenic personality defects and the patterns by which they are formed.

Returning to the legal sciences, it can be noted that knowledge from the field of criminal psychology contributes to a deeper development of criminological teachings about the personality of a person prone to crime, conditions, causes and prevention of crime. it becomes possible to better understand the subjective side of the crime, the identity of the perpetrators, specific circumstances that can mitigate or burden responsibility.

For the theory of criminal executive law, criminal psychology serves as a source of valuable information about the personality traits of a convicted person and the degree of his correction. And for the theory of state and law - a source of knowledge about legal consciousness and other equally important phenomena.

In addition, it was the development of criminal psychology that gave birth to profiling, which can be considered as one of its practical methods.

The fundamental ideas and rules for obtaining and interpreting scientific facts concerning the object and subject of criminal psychology research are its principles. These principles can be divided into three large groups: general psychological, philosophical and specific scientific.

Among the general psychological principles are:

• the principle of interrelation and interdependence of mental properties, states and processes;
• the principle of the formation and development of personality in the process of activity, cognition and communication;
• the principle of a personal approach;
• the principle of the unity of consciousness and activity.

Philosophical principles are:

• the principle of development, which states that mental phenomena are formed, changed, transformed and stopped, and it is necessary to consider them in this way;
• the principle of consistency, according to which mental phenomena need to be studied in their totality, to single out the most essential and dependent on them, to build their structures and to reveal interrelationships;
• the principle of determinism, based on which social conditions and mental phenomena have causal relationships.

As for specific scientific principles, they include:

• the principle of a differentiated approach to the psychological study of the personality of criminals, criminal groups and criminal acts, which calls for distinguishing different types of criminals and criminal groups, studying the features of education and mechanisms of various kinds of criminal acts, and also establishing their qualitative differences;
• the principle of the criminogenetic approach to explain the formation of a criminal's personality, which requires taking into account the influence of life circumstances and social environment, the influence of a person's activities and actions during life on the formation of his social and legal orientation and legal consciousness;
• the principle of the hierarchy of criminogenic factors of crime, according to which the study of internal and external causes and conditions of criminal behavior occurs in such a way that all this is differentiated, based on how significant they are;
• the principle of the primacy of the personal prerequisites of criminal behavior, based on the idea of human free will and determining that personal qualities (internal prerequisites) act as a catalyst for criminal behavior, and the circumstances of the social situation are not predetermined when committing illegal actions.

One cannot but mention the research methods used in criminal psychology. In fact, there is nothing unusual here, because all these methods are used by other areas of psychological science. These include:

• conversation;
• observation;
• survey;
• testing;
• interview;
• biographical method;
• analysis of the products of activity (here they are criminal acts);
• analysis of independent characteristics;
• expert review;
• experiment.

With the help of these methods, specialists in the field of criminal psychology develop special methods for the study of mental phenomena in contact with its objects. The use of these methods and methods of psychological research derived from them allows solving specific problems of criminal psychology - both scientific and applied. Now let's summarize.

Briefly about the meaning of criminal psychology​

So, what can be said (besides what we have already discussed) in general and general about the significance of criminal psychology? Why is it necessary to study so carefully and scrupulously the characteristics of the personality of the offender, criminal groups and other related issues?

First of all, it should be noted that these requirements are prescribed by law. The principle of individualization of punishment, which plays a huge role in society, is based on them. This principle is the most important sign of a civilized and humane attitude towards the human person.

Criminal psychology allows making correct and adequate conclusions about the motives of crimes, which are their subjective side. And this can already be safely called the basis of the professional qualification of committed unlawful acts.

On the other hand, knowledge of the motives of criminals contributes to the development of measures for an adequate and effective educational impact on individuals in a correctional regime. Such information helps to clearly establish what exactly needs to be re-socialized through a change in the values, attitudes, norms and values of a person.

The information base provided by criminal psychology significantly simplifies and facilitates the process of preliminary investigation - pre-trial investigation of crimes, as well as carrying out preventive work necessary to prevent the commission of illegal actions in advance.

And, finally, criminal psychology makes it possible in an adequate and complete form to explain the motives of criminals and convey them to their own consciousness, which often helps such people to realize themselves and their difficulties, and therefore, to take responsibility for their actions and actions.

Thus, criminal psychology is of great importance for society, contributing to the effective prevention and investigation of criminal acts, as well as the explanation of the psychological characteristics of a criminogenic personality and the motives of the crimes committed.

But, of course, as we said, it is impossible to consider such a complex topic in all its details within the framework of one article. Therefore, if you want to study it in detail, we can advise you to read the thematic literature.

Here are some books by Russian authors:

• A. F. Zelinsky "Criminal Psychology"
• FS Safuanov "Psychology of criminal aggression"
• S. V. Poznyshev “Criminal psychology. Criminal types "
• V. F Pirozhkov "Criminal Psychology"
• V. V. Sobolnikov "Fundamentals of Criminal Psychology"

And several works by foreign authors:

• Cesare Lambroso "Criminal Man"
• Gabriel Tarde "Outlaw and the Mob"
• Robert D. Haer Deprived of Conscience. The frightening world of psychopaths "
• Kurt Barthol "The Psychology of Criminal Behavior"
• Philip Zimbardo “The Lucifer Effect. Why good people turn into villains "

And in addition to these books, we recommend that you watch the recording of the lecture "Criminal Psychology" by the head of the Department of Criminal Psychology, Faculty of Legal Psychology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education.

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