The mechanisms of individual criminal behavior are widely considered in criminology, which explores the possibilities of preventing future illegal acts and investigating previous events. This is necessary to exclude the formation of conditions in which a person is able to commit a crime. So, for example, drunkenness and unemployment can significantly increase the risks of crime in the region.
The process of forming the prerequisites for the implementation of an unlawful act
The mechanisms of individual criminal behavior are considered far before the beginning of the emergence of a motive for the implementation of the plan. Take into account the environment of a person, his social level, working environment. The psychophysiological state, mental abilities are analyzed.
Considering the mechanisms of individual criminal behavior, there are several successive stages of the origin of the motive for an illegal act. Each individual must go through all 3 stages. If you pass at least one of them, a person has a better chance to stop in time and think about the consequences.
Stages of the mechanism of individual criminal behavior:
- Awareness of the future act. Often this is a long internal process of motivation formation. Environmental circumstances, personal thoughts, based on accumulated life experience, can induce unlawful action.
- Confirmed intentions. A person thinks in detail the method of committing an offense, chooses a victim and an excuse for himself. A clear plan of action has been outlined, the instrument of crime has been chosen, the place where everything should happen.
- There is a situation in the mechanism of individual criminal behavior, called an unlawful physical act or act dangerous to society.
- The mechanisms of criminal behavior include psychological torment of the individual after the implementation of an unlawful act.
The period of formation of the conditions for misconduct
The main elements of the mechanism of individual criminal behavior include: motivation, planning, execution. The first is formed under the influence of external conditions. These include the level of social security, collective influence, military operations.
The main elements of the mechanism of individual criminal behavior are not implemented without motivation. It acts as the primary source for inducing a person to action. It can appear with a lack of benefits: money, food, other needs.
Often motivation is formed regardless of the will of the person. However, the action itself takes place consciously according to a pre-planned plan. The psychological mechanism of individual criminal behavior always works under the influence of external conditions:
- Stratification of income in society.
- The idle lifestyle of the group surrounding the person: parasitism, alcoholism, contempt for the positive qualities of society.
- A criminal environment where theft and other more serious acts are perceived as a norm of behavior.
Planning
The structure of the mechanism of individual criminal behavior includes the period when a person thoroughly thinks out the method and time of his act. It takes into account the tools by which the illegal action will be committed. Suitable events are selected.
Planning is an integral part of a crime. Since any illegal action occurs consciously, and therefore intentionally. The time frame a person is forced to consider. This is what criminology is trying to prove, pointing to the guilt of the misconduct.
Combining with motive, planning is transformed into action. The purpose and method of its implementation depend on many factors due to human activity. The accumulated experience of previous years, habits, goals plays a large role here.
A positive lifestyle does not always preclude the appearance of a motive. So, a crime can be committed because of the envy of a more successful opponent or because of racial hatred. Planning begins only when a person has clearly defined the ultimate goal.
Motives
Forensics examines the causes, conditions and mechanism of individual criminal behavior. The first component determines the initial stage when a person first thinks about committing an offense. These thoughts arise for many reasons:
- material, sexual needs;
- psychological abnormalities;
- a sense of danger;
- desire to acquire knowledge.
Under the conditions in which a person is daily, forensic investigators are able to determine whether he will be able to commit a crime in the future. Thus, new laws can transfer law-abiding citizens into the category of criminals with only one wording. The very concept of the mechanism of individual criminal behavior relates more to the internal contradictions of the individual. Let's consider them in more detail.
The concept of the psychological mechanism of individual criminal behavior is considered based on two points of view:
- The motive of material needs.
- Social needs.
Material motives are less aggressive and are aimed at enriching the individual. Here the role of the good plays: money, objects, jewelry. This includes everything that you can pick up, feel physically.
Social needs are classified as moral benefits. They give rise to crimes in the name of faith, sexual nature, satisfaction of personal ambitions. The motive arises from anger, hatred, personal beliefs, for the sake of self-affirmation.
Types of needs
The motive that arises on the basis of material needs can be of several types, depending on some conditions:
- Vital necessities give rise to criminal activity. So, a person commits an unlawful act to obtain food, when there is no other way out.
- The motive of crime can also be formed under the needs usual for a given society.
- Excessive needs also push a person to a crime. This is manifested in the desire to have more than others. Otherwise, this desire is called hypertrophied for a given society.
- A separate place in forensics is the study of perverted needs. The motive for crime is most likely here. It occurs against the backdrop of alcoholism, drug addiction, gambling. These human desires are aimed at causing harm to society, otherwise they are called perverted.
The material motive determines the mechanism of individual criminal behavior, and its elements are considered from the standpoint of the individual’s desire to be enriched at the expense of others. This group includes the majority of small and medium-sized crime-related crimes.
The motive arising from social needs appears to satisfy the psychological component of the criminal. Illegal actions result from revenge, hatred of a racial or class, envy. An individual acts for the sake of his own self-affirmation or increase of significance in society.
The value system as a barrier to the formation of motive
Considering the mechanism of individual criminal behavior, they try to classify the concept and elements according to the psychological component. So, the motive often arises due to the manifestation of interest, feelings of negative and positive, attraction (usually sexual), emotions. The purpose of actions can be satisfaction of physical needs, thirst for power, receiving praise and approval of others.
From an early age, an individual is instilled with a system of values that becomes a barrier to the commission of a crime. Conscience, fear of the inevitability of punishment do not allow to commit an unlawful act. But often these very values make a person hostage to a situation when there is no other way. This is possible during periods of crisis, unemployment, natural disasters.
The value system is necessary for society. It can perform negative functions:
- The motive is strengthened by the convictions of society, overlapping their own. Media organizations influence the formation of antisocial activities.
- There are examples in history when religious or political beliefs became the motive for the criminal act of several million people. This happened and is happening under nationalism. Generations were raised on the basis of religious false teachings, calling entire countries apostates and calling for the killing of infidels.
Implementation of the Conceived
In the mechanism of individual behavior there are several options for the act, depending on the circumstances. Consider them as separate groups of crimes:
- Concretization of the motive has not yet occurred. In action, spontaneity is observed. More often this happens when the situation changes to unfavorable and uncomfortable for a person.
- Inertial mechanisms of behavior work without intended goals and a sound assessment of the situation when a person does not think about the consequences of his act.
- Instant response to a negative situation. The individual used the first tool on his way.
- The action takes place without hesitation, the process of awareness of the seriousness of the act is weakened. The criminal is unable to control himself.
- In the criminal process there is no action of the mind, more mechanical movements are inherent. In this case, the main part of the crime is committed without meaning.
- In the latter case, the entire period of the crime is committed under the influence of only one unconscious state. Most of the mental process.
Each wrongful act is the result of the action of a motive. Criminology identifies the sources of formation conscious and unconscious. Whereas criminal law distinguishes only intentional crimes.
Objective reality and internal component
Each illegal action is the result of some relationship of the mental state of a person and the surrounding reality. External factors determine the direction of the act.
There are several links in the formation of individual criminal behavior:
- The formation of personality. During this period, the external environment has a maximum effect on the formation of internal qualities. Social norms are determined.
- The social environment has a negative effect. An individual forms an antisocial vision of the world, develops harmful habits. So, theft is becoming the norm in some group. Having moved to a new place, an individual can no longer get rid of a criminal skill.
- The risk of crime increases when an individual has already formed antisocial social norms, and he falls into a crisis life situation.
Surrounding reality
The crisis situation is estimated on the basis of the internal representations of the individual. Here social norms, physical and psychological conditions, inculcated since childhood, are involved. Reality is divided into a real environment and subjectively perceived (assessment of the situation by each individual).
Two kinds of reality never coincide. For one person, a crisis is when gold ends. For another, there is no life without alcohol. In both cases, the risk of committing a crime is quite high. The difference is observed only in the reasons for the formation of the motive.
Basically, subjective views significantly affect the decision on an illegal act. Two different people will behave differently under the same conditions. Another important parameter of a crisis situation is duration. In a short period of time, many are not able to move to an illegal act.
The frequency of recurrence of crisis situations leads to the commission of a crime, when a person no longer withstands and breaks down into an act of retaliation or aggression. The scale of the events also have a devastating effect on the psyche. Actions become massive, often the situation does not depend on the individual. The motive is imposed by the public.
Differences of opinion
Many scientists build models of criminal behavior from various points of view. For some, the decisive factor in the formation of the motive is the antisocial position of the individual. For others, the current criminal situation plays a major role .
Most researchers on this issue agree that in a criminal situation, personal attitudes of a person fade into the background. Consciousness and will are completely subordinate to the current process, are suppressed by stress, conflict events. From another point of view, the antisocial mood of the individual can prevail over reason, and in favorable conditions a crime is committed.
The factor of internal antisocial sentiments plays a significant role in the commission of an unlawful act, but it is considered in conjunction with the prevailing conditions.