Topic > Born or Made: The Role of Genetics and Childhood Experiences in Violent Criminals

IndexIntroductionIs childhood upbringing a determining factor in psychopathy?Biological factorsEducation/familyWhat common elements attract someone to violence?ConclusionReferencesIntroductionA violent crime is considered a crime in where the offender uses or threatens force on the victims. This is evident in crimes such as murder, rape and theft. The violent act within a crime is what makes a person a violent criminal. Whether violence is the means to achieve the end of a crime or a prerogative, it still falls into the category of violent criminal (Psychiatry Advisor. 2019). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Violent criminals often have excessive charm and are extremely good at manipulation, to garner sympathy for themselves they are usually quite good at making up stories and creating themselves into victims of any situation. Doing this can help them commit their crimes more easily, as doing so will often lead to their victims coming to them and offering help instead of having to plan how to catch them without warning. Serial killers usually plan a murder for months before carrying it out and plan all the little details. They are extremely competent at finding information about their victims and usually know everything about their victims before moving on to the next stage. Psychopathy is a spectrum disorder, which can be defined as a disorder of mental incapacity, affecting almost 1% of the earth's population. psychopathic, however most do not have violent tendencies and do not act on their impulses, but may indulge in sexual and unlawful impulses with an inability to learn from their mistakes. The main psychological characteristics involved in psychopathy include lack of empathy, no emotional change between words, exhibiting a pattern of violence, and an intense fear of being alone. 70% of people are born with a good character and moral instinct, however with abuse and mistreatment this instinct can be suppressed. Psychopaths and violent criminals often show their lack of moral conduct due to their violent upbringings. Studies have also shown that stress can trigger psychopathic disorder, especially in those who feel vulnerable and helpless. The most successful serial killers only completed high school and did not pursue further education, even though they were found to have high IQs as serial killers still need to be intelligent and manipulative to dispose of their victims' corpses despite being intelligent enough so as not to leave traces of evidence for the police. Those affected by the psychopathic gene often have excessively superficial charm and are alarmingly good at manipulation and use of the victim card which helps give them a sense of self-worth. Violent criminals are commonly known to have been violent towards animals during their childhood before progressing to harm humans. It is believed that they do this to feel powerful and in control of the situation, as many of them often felt vulnerable and helpless as children and this helped give them security and fulfillment. Serial killers are usually bullied as children and become violent and insecure adults to ensure they feel more secure within themselves. Is childhood education an important factor in psychopathy? Biological A child's biological factors are not fully responsible for his or her psychopathic tendencies as adults; however, they are considered significantas the psychopathic gene is considered to be a hereditary gene that is passed down from generation to generation. The development of traits associated with psychopathy is typically transmitted through traumatic experiences in early childhood and progresses with age. In some cases the frontal lobe of the brain, which is considered responsible for behavior that influences stable and rational decisions is damaged. When the frontal lobe is damaged it affects the ability to think clearly and feel empathy. If the limbic system is damaged, it is a factor. which can cause uncontrollable anger and aggression; that without that injury it might have caused them to act differently and not react as harshly as they just did. Small accidents, such as someone hitting their head, are known to develop psychopathic tendencies as the smallest injury to the brain can be fatal (Psychology and the Brain 2019). Due to the complexity of the human brain, it is currently extremely difficult for them to develop methods to repair that part of the brain, and tactics to rehabilitate it are currently unknown. If this is studied further, the statistics of active psychopathy can be tamed and suppressed. Educational/Family Factors Statistics show that the trauma a child experiences before reaching age 6 can shape their entire mindset and is a major cause of adult psychopathy. When a child grows up in an abusive family, this is the social norm in which they grow up and leads them to develop bad habits as adults and to have a lack of respect for other human beings when they grow up (Shout Out UK. 2019. ).The serial killer Ted Bundy grew up believing that his mother was actually his sister and struggled when he discovered the real truth. His grandfather also physically abused him and his mother, children who grow up in families with little respect for women become like-minded adults with the belief that women are beneath them and deserve to be punished for their misdeeds (Robert Lee Yates, 2019). The trauma that a child experiences at a young age greatly affects the formation of his or her individual personality, and the trauma experienced can often lead to him or her becoming a solitary personality, depriving him or her of important social skills needed to grow and succeed. in their adult life (Consultant Psychiatry. 2019) Growing up in an abusive family can lead to them growing up with anger that they feel like they can't express and as adults with so much repressed anger that it gives them an inability to process it properly the emotions mature and they calm down. This can cause them to have unstable moods and be considered mentally unstable. Having a stable family life is of great benefit to a growing child as it helps develop the skills needed to create lasting relationships, without this young, disturbed child becoming an irrational, disturbed adult. What common elements attract someone to violence? If the psychopathy disorder is genetically determined, the abnormality in brain scans should be an immediate source of the psychopathic traits and their level on the spectrum. Brain scans have revealed that psychopathy among criminals is associated with reduced connectivity between the amygdala, a subcortical structure in the brain that produces negative stimuli, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a cortical region in the front of the brain that interprets the response. of the amygdala. When connectivity between these two regions is low, processing of negative stimuli in the amygdala does not result in strongly felt negative emotions. This fits well with the picture we have of psychopaths. They don't feel nervous or embarrassed whenthey get caught doing something bad. They don't feel sad when others suffer. Although they feel physical pain, they are in no position to suffer emotional wounds. Many numerous factors determine our behavior and whether a person is at risk of developing violent tendencies. These factors include biological traits, family ties, individual characteristics, intelligence and education, child development, peer relationships, cultural formation, and resilience. A factor can influence and be influenced by another factor. When the accumulation of negative factors (such as abuse or psychological problems) and the absence of positive factors (such as opportunities for success, adults providing encouragement, or a reasonable temperament) reaches a high level, that is when violence is more likely explodes as a means of dealing with life's problems. Notorious serial killer and rapist Ted Bundy took the lives of innocent women because he "harbored a grudge" against his first girlfriend who broke his heart, Bundy was sentenced to death after admitting to killing 30 college students in three different states in the 1970s and claimed responsibility for dozens of others after he was finally brought to justice. Conclusion Understanding how and why serial killers commit such horrific crimes is an important step in stopping their murderous rampage. Scientists have searched and found what is believed to be hard evidence that genetics plays a key role in determining who becomes a serial killer, unlike criminologists and psychologists who argue that major events like abuse and neglect create the environment and foundations in which serial killers grow up. sadistic mass murders. While both arguments are strongly proven and explained through research and statistics, neither individually is the answer to why serial killers exist. Analyzing the evidence for both explanations, I found that it is a mix of genetics and cultural upbringing. Although many humans face violent situations as children and experience horrific events, many do not become mass murderers. It is true that many abused children become violent in their adult lives, but to fall into the category of serial killers it is necessary to be born with a different biochemical composition. Please note: this is just an example. Get an article customization now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In my conclusion, nature chooses what traits we are born with, but at the same time these traits cannot be exhibited without a mechanism that causes these individuals to commit these horrible crimes. Without the alignment of natural genetic defects and the cultural nurture in which humans are raised, serial killers cannot become vicious murderers. If we can curb domestic violence, the chances of a serial killer becoming violent will decrease significantly, making our world a safer place. Bibliography Psychiatric consultant. 2019. From Abused Child to Serial Killer: Investigating Nature versus Nurture in Homicide Methods - Consultant Psychiatrist. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/violence-and-aggression/from-abused-child-to-serial-killer-investigating-nature-vs-nurture-in-methods- of-murder/. [Accessed 29 August 2019].Psychology today. 2019. Do all serial killers have a genetic predisposition to kill? | Psychology Today Australia. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/the-superhuman-mind/201803/do-all-serial-killers-have-genetic-predisposition-kill. [Accessed August 29, 2019].The Making of a Serial Killer: Nature vs. Nurture | THE: 2019].