Question

2. Is crime psychologically abnormal? Can there be “normal” crimes?

Answer 1

All people facing abnormalities in their life, may not end up in being a criminal, however, criminals might have some form of psychological abnormality in them. This may not be necessarily constrained to mental illness alone, societal and environmental factors need to be understood too.

Criminality is basically a socio-legal concept and not a psychological concept. It is the form of social deviation which every society needs to face. The statutory regulations determine if a behaviour is criminal and individual psychological motivation determine if the behaviour is abnormal.

Behaviour always has a purpose- that is to maintain the equilibrium between one's personal and physical state. This principle holds true for all human activities including the ones that would be considered as a crime. Individuals always try their level best to achieve this equilibrium. The route that they would use would depend upon factors such as their childhood experiences, psychological state, in-born abnormalities, level of intelligence, economic background, societal position, etc.

Psychologically abnormal criminals are those who are unsuccessful in coping with their inner conflicts and thereby manifests unacceptable behaviour. This individual basically acts out his internal problems through ani-social behaviour.Such individuals are generally considered as psychopaths.