| For many years, psychologists have debated on just | | | | There is no arguing that the nature of one's |
| how big a factor mental health is in the criminal mind. | | | | environment and influences growing up play a role in |
| After all, some of the world's master criminals aren't | | | | this argument. However, there is still debate over |
| clinically insane and have little in terms of mental | | | | whether it is a larger factor than psychology. There is |
| disorders. Certainly, there is an abundance of mental | | | | an old study into a New York family known as the |
| health problems in criminals whose crimes are | | | | Jukes (a false name) that chronicles observations into |
| subjected to sensationalism by the media, but there | | | | what drove such a large extended family to criminal |
| are others. There are criminals out there that are not | | | | behavior. The study systematically removed family |
| insane and can easily pass even the most scrutinizing | | | | members that were not exposed to the primary |
| examinations without even the slightest indication of | | | | branch of the family. Certain other factors were also |
| any known or documented mental health disorder. | | | | used to remove even more members. Finally, when |
| Also, insanity does not automatically make one a | | | | the core of the family had been determined, the |
| criminal and sanity does not automatically make one | | | | study was conducted and returned interesting results. |
| an innocent bystander. So, with that in mind, what | | | | Of the remaining 709 members, a startling 180 of |
| exactly is the relationship between psychology and | | | | them had grown up as criminals in some way, shape, |
| crime? | | | | or form. Further study into the details show that the |
| The first concern in unraveling this link is whether or | | | | 180 were in constant contact with family members |
| not there is such a thing as a "born criminal." Is there | | | | who were known criminals, though not necessarily |
| a combination of genetics and hereditary mental | | | | close blood relations. |
| health problems that automatically labels a person as | | | | There is little arguing against the adage that criminals |
| a criminal for life? The number of people who believe | | | | are made, not born. However, the debate still rages |
| in this is starting to decrease rapidly, particularly in the | | | | as to how exactly criminals are made. Studies have |
| light of recent arguments. Even in families with a long | | | | been conducted to prove a relationship between |
| history of mental illness, criminal behavior is not a | | | | genetics and crime, but there is no substantial proof |
| common trait of the offspring. Hereditary mental | | | | that a "criminal gene" exists. A connection between |
| health disorders may manifest, but they do not | | | | mental illness and criminal behavior has also been |
| automatically become triggers for criminal behavior. In | | | | suggested, but the fact that not everyone who's |
| the cases where they do, it is found that the | | | | crazy is a criminal makes the hypothesis suspect. For |
| environment they grew up in also played a large role | | | | the time being, the debate will continue, with no clear |
| in the transition. However, like any other aspect or | | | | answer in sight. Ultimately, all of the aforementioned |
| facet of the complex human psyche, it would be a | | | | factors could play an integral role in turning a person |
| mistake to assume environment alone plays a major | | | | into a criminal. |
| role. | | | | |