IndexTheory n. 1: PsychopathyEmpirical EvidenceTheory #2: Patterson's Coercion TheoryEmpirical EvidenceApplication of Theory #1: PsychopathyApplication of Theory #2: Patterson's Coercion TheoryConclusionLuis Garavito, a man who was convicted of killing one hundred and thirty-eight children and admitted to the he murder of over four hundred children across Colombia, murders that led a broken nation to band together to capture the sadistic man behind them. He was known for his gruesome and horrific crimes which led to him gaining the nickname "The Beast". Garavito was born and raised in Colombia and came from a poor family that had very little, Colombia was known for being a country with a poor economic situation and in turmoil of unemployment, which left many people homeless. Since Garavito was the eldest of his seven brothers, he was often left to fend for himself and earn money to survive in such a poor country. Shortly after, he moved out at the age of 16. Garavito turned to crime at a young age to earn money in a poor nation. He suffered many hardships during his childhood, such as being sexually and emotionally abused by his father and neighbors. His father had been very dominant towards Garavito, leaving him unable to turn to anyone for solitude and guidance throughout his childhood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout all of his murders, Garavito exhibited many characteristics of a person with psychopathy, including a lack of remorse and empathy (Lyone and Gallese, 2017, P.124). This lack of normal human emotions can be the result of a traumatic childhood and prolong suffering by making him incapable of feeling emotions and ultimately compassion for anyone. Garavito's childhood is said to have had a great impact on him, Lyon and Welsh state that "parent-child interactions play a significant role in the genesis of chronic antisocial behavior" (Lyon and Welsh, 2017, P.77) . In making this comment, Lyon and Welsh paint a picture of how Garavito's childhood relationship with his parents played a significant role in his conditioning to, in due course, become a delinquent. His inability to create a positive interaction with his parents as a child ultimately led him to commit crime. His insecurities bestowed upon him by his coercive and unpleasant upbringing are said to be the root of his offending. There are many ideas as to what could have been the causes of Garavito's connection to the crime, however, this article will analyze and delve into two main theories. Patterson's psychopathy and coercion theory are suitable theories to be the foundation and stepping stone into Garavito's crime-filled life and will help to better understand his true roots that led him to crime. Theory no. 1: Psychopathy Psychopathy is usually assessed according to the PCL-R checklist created by Canadian psychologist Robert D. Hare, also a checklist in which Garavito has almost all of the traits listed. The clinical description and key research of the symptoms of psychopathy that are interpersonal, affective, and behavioral are attributed to Hervey Cleckly. The theory of psychopathy revolves around these three symptoms and evaluates individuals who possess them. The link between criminality and psychopathy largely depends on the symptom an individual displays as each symptom has its own unique characteristics that lead to different behavioral patterns. As Patrick describes, "There is broad consensus that interpersonally psychopathic individuals are dominant,forceful, arrogant and deceitful" (Patrick, 2007, P. 92). Interpersonal symptoms usually lead to crime involving impersonation of someone else, this is usually used as a tactic by the psychopath to gain the trust of the individual he is trying to entice or manipulate. Individuals who possess the affective symptom of psychopathy are known to "lack the range of emotions that color the human experience – i.e., they seem incapable of feeling love, anger, sadness, or fear as the rest of us do" (Cleckly, 1941/1976; Hare, 1993). The connection to crimes involving individuals exhibiting this symptom is usually where the crimes are most horrific. Because the The individual is unable to feel any kind of emotion such as remorse or empathy, does not fully recognize or realize the extent of what he is doing, and ultimately does not care about who he is hurting psychopathy is behavioral. Individuals who exhibit this symptom usually display a key characteristic of impulsivity, as Hare reveals: "Their lives are characterized by constantly changing goals, occupations, and activities" (Hare, 1993). They also show a need for excitement, a need to increase their stimulation as described by Lyon and Welsh: “They become bored easily and often exhibit thrill-seeking behavior” (Lyon and Welsh, 2017, P.125). All these symptoms are the roots and foundation of psychopathy and ultimately also explain why psychopathic individuals are criminals. Empirical Evidence In 1996, there was a study conducted by Ralph C. Serin that was used to determine how great a convicted criminal's psychopathy tendency to reoffend is. The sample size consisted of eighty-one offenders who were followed for up to sixty-seven months and an average of thirty months. Accordingly they were divided into groups according to the PCL-R checklist, the groups consisted of people identified as psychopathic, non-psychopathic and a mixed group. The data collected showed that the overall recidivism rate for the entire sample was 57%. People classified as non-psychopathic had a recidivism rate of 40%, the mixed group had a rate of 51.2%, and the group classified as psychopathic had a recidivism rate of 85%. Further results showed that the rate of violent recidivism was 10% for those classified as non-psychopathic, 7.3% for the mixed group and 25% for those classified as psychopathic. This study provides evidence to support the claim that people identified as psychopathic and carrying the core symptoms of psychopathy indicated in the PCL-R are more likely to commit crimes than people who are not identified as psychopathic and do not carry these symptoms. Theory n. 2: Patterson's Coercion Theory A coercive childhood is one that no parent would want their child to have, and furthermore to have a relationship with their child that relies on coercive tactics to communicate with their child. Unfortunately for Luis Garavito, his entire childhood consisted of this, leading everyone to believe that, due to his harsh and coercive upbringing, it provoked and aided him in committing a crime. The basis of Patterson's Coercion Theory comes from this idea, as Bor and Sanders explain: "A number of studies have identified parental coercive behaviors (hitting, yelling, and scolding) as one of the most important risk factors for future psychopathology. , including the emergence of antisocial behavior" (Bor and Sanders, 2004, P.738). This theory explains as crucial the importance of children learning appropriate social behavior and mannerscommunicate with others in their familiar environment. Failure to learn these social skills necessary to live a better life, have a better job and better relationships will lead the individual to be rejected by society. The inability to form normal relationships with others or hold a job usually leads individuals to turn to delinquency instead of trying to improve as individuals, making this the link to crime that a coercive childhood can lead to. Another aspect to focus on is to focus on the early stages of delinquency that a child exhibits and the family environment he or she finds himself in, as Patterson and Dishion state, "coercion theory holds that early-onset delinquents are raised in families characterized by inept or poor parenting strategies and a generally negative environment, where parental supervision and discipline are inconsistent, excessively harsh, or both" (Patterson, 1982, 1986; Patterson & Dishion, 1998). This leads back to the main point of coercion theory, which is that those children who exhibit early-onset delinquency usually determine the course of that person's life. Empirical Evidence In 2007, an 18-year longitudinal study was conducted by David M. Fergusson and Michael T. Lynskey that supports the idea of ​​Patterson's theory of coercion. This study was conducted with the aim of presenting evidence that coerciveness during childhood leads to juvenile delinquency and difficult periods of adjustment during adulthood. The data sample was from a birth cohort of one thousand two hundred and sixty-five children from New Zealand. Data were collected at age eighteen and reports of their exposure to coercive treatment were collected, they also assessed measures of psychosocial adjustment which included juvenile offending, substance abuse behaviors, and psychiatric disorders. The results showed that youth who reported exposure to coercive actions showed higher rates of juvenile crime, substance abuse and mental health problems. This study leads to three main conclusions that Fergusson and Lynskey state: "(1) Those exposed to harsh or abusive treatment in childhood are a population at risk for juvenile crime, substance abuse, and mental health problems; (2 ) Much of this elevated risk arises from the social context in which harsh or abusive treatment occurs (3). However, exposure to abuse appears to increase the risks of involvement in violent behavior and alcohol abuse" (Fergusson e Lynkey, 1997). Application of theory no. 1: PsychopathyOne of the best known traits of Psychopathy is the ability to lie profusely by exploiting the superficial charm they possess to get what they want or to gain the trust of the individual from whom they want something. As Lyon and Welsh describe, “Psychopaths are masters at impression management” (Lyon and Welsh, 2017, P.123), thus demonstrating how deceptive and manipulative they can be. This was a trait that Luis Garavito displayed and in fact counted on to lure his victims. He was known to impersonate people to gain the trust of victims. He was known to disguise himself as a priest, farmer, homeless man and elderly man, often changing disguises to avoid suspicion. Once he found his victim, he would use these disguises to gain the trust of these boys and then make them walk with him until they were tired and easier to handle, eventually raping and killing the victim. Luis Garavito also possesses the psychopathic characteristics of being unable to feel any range of human emotions such as remorse or empathy which were eminent.