There are many degrees of psychopathic behavior and different types including the sexual psychopath and the work psychopath. Most studies indicate that there are no conventional methods available which cures psychopathic behavior. On the opposing, when conventional methods have been used, the psychopath becomes empowered, and reacts by improving their cunning, manipulative methods and their ability to conceal their true personality, even from trained eyes. Since the psychopath has no real emotions, sometimes they develop their own personality throughout their life or can be biological. Their inability to control inappropriate outburst of anger and hostility often results in loss …show more content…
of jobs, disassociation with friends and family, divorce and to the extreme to commit a crime. This in itself is filtered by the psychopath into a justification process for more aggressive behavior. (Montaldo, n.d.)
No guilty by reason of insanity
It is necessary to provide a brief overview of the terminology used to describe the psychological study of crime and criminality. Forensic psychology is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system. It is also refer to criminal psychology.
Major most psychological theories of crime causation make the following fundamental rules:
1.
The primary unit of analysis is the individual
2. Personality is the primary motivational element because it is the bench of drives and the source of motives.
3. Crimes result from abnormal, dysfunctional, or inappropriate mental processes within the personality.
4. Criminal behavior may be purposeful for the individual insofar as it addresses certain felt needs. Behavior can be judged “inappropriate” only when measured against external criteria purporting to establish normality.
5. Normality is generally defined by social consensus (what the majority of people in any social group agree is “real,” appropriate, or typical).
6. Defective, or abnormal, mental processes may have a variety of causes, including a diseased mind, inappropriate learning or improper conditioning, the emulation of inappropriate role models, and poor adjustment to inner conflicts.
Psychological and psychiatric theories of criminology are derived from the behavioral science and focus on the individual as the unit of analysis. These theories are divided as …show more content…
below:
Psychiatric Criminology: This approach foresees a set of drives and motives operating from recesses deep within the personality to determine behavior and it is also known as forensic psychiatry. The concepts for these theory are: Psychopath, sociopath, antisocial and asocial personality.
Psychoanalytic Criminology: This approach, emphasizes the role of personality in human behavior and sees deviant behavior as the result of dysfunctional.
personalities. Concepts: Id, ego, superego, sublimation, psychotherapy, Thanatos, neurosis, psychosis, schizophrenia, the Oedipus complex.
Frustration Aggression Theory: Frustration is a natural consequence of living and a root cause of crime in this theory, and criminal behavior can be a form of adaptation when it results in stress reduction. Concepts: Frustration, aggression, displacement, catharsis, alloplastic and autoplastic adaptation.
Modeling Theory: This theory states that people learn how to behave by modeling themselves after others whom they have the opportunity to observe. Concepts: Imitation, interpersonal aggression, modeling, disengagement.
Behavior Theory: A psychological perspective, this theory posits that individual behavior that is rewarded will increase in frequency while that which is punished will decrease. Concepts: Operant behavior, conditioning, stimulus response, reward, punishment.
Self-control Theory: This approach sees the root cause of crime as a person’s inability to exercise socially appropriate controls over him or herself. Concepts: Self-control, general theory, criminal opportunity. (Frank Schmalleger,
2012)
In addition psychological and psychiatric conceptions of mental illness, antisocial personality, and even psychopathy are not readily applicable to the criminal justice system, which relies instead on the legal concept of insanity. While the legal concept of insanity is bad upon claims of mental illness, it has no precise counterpart in the jargon of contemporary psychologist or psychiatrists. A good example of this mental illness concept is the case or the tragedy of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother convicted of methodically drowning her five children in the bathtub, provides stark evidence for the need to recognize and treat women with severe postpartum depression. Here is up-to-date information psychiatrists can use to help mothers and their partners make informed decisions about treatment. While this case was very popular due to the media, Andrea was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. In July 2006, the conviction was overturned because of the false testimony of forensic psychologist Park Dietz. (Court TV News, 2005) Andrea got retried and acquitted of capital murdered and found not guilty by reason of insanity (NGBRI). Then she was immediately order to commitment in a mental hospital, where she will remain until she is no longer considered to be a threat to herself or others.
Conclusion
In my opinion, having folks to be able to be convicted and send to a mental facility may not be the best process for punishment. I disagree with the majority of the researches because I think people need to be hold accountable by their actions regardless of what their mental status may it be. On the above mentioned type of psychological or individual behavior there are many ways to convict people. If someone is in a mental stage that may harm other or themselves, they should be at the mental facility before they actually hurt someone.
References
Court TV News. (2005, November 9). Court Lets Stand Ruling That Tossed Andrea Yates Murder Convictions. Retrieved from http://www.courttv.com/trials/yates/110905_cnn.html
Frank Schmalleger, P. (2012). Chapter 5: Psychological and Psychiatric Foundations of Criminal Behavior.
Montaldo, C. (n.d.). Psychopath Behavior. Retrieved from About News: http://crime.about.com/od/serial/a/psychopaths.htm