As in science and in fiction, criminology has perpetuated the myth that criminals are other than human beings. In the mass media, on crime drama television series, or in discredited psychology, the “criminal mind” myth has controlled opinion and policy. But it is now apparent that this is not only incorrect but also dangerous. We have to address the psychological roots of crime rather than punishing it.
The concept that criminals view the world differently from the law-conforming citizenry emerged during the 19th- and 20th-century school of criminology. Theories like Cesare Lombroso’s “born criminal” theory postulated that criminals were born and not made. Such theories were debunked decades ago, but the vestiges of such still linger in our crime lexicon today.
Modern psychology and neurology confirm that criminality is the result of a complex dance between socio-economic, psychological, and environmental factors, rather than a function of an inherently “evil” mind. Research in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that adversity in childhood brought about by poverty, abuse, and neglect boosts by far the likelihood of criminality. That would imply crime is an expression of structural disadvantage, rather than moral weakness.
Crime is typically regarded as a single moral failure, but the statistics demonstrate otherwise. The criminal justice system disproportionately consists of the poor, as explained by research at Harvard University. This correlation suggests that economic uncertainty, reduced access to education, and social disintegration are more likely to generate crime than is any so-called “criminal mentality.”
One of the best examples is linking crime with recession. Studies have seen rises in property offense with the recession of 2008, most notably within areas most adversely affected by employment decline. If crime was so much an issue of moral failing by individual, then financial crisis should not have these deconstructive effects. Again, this implies crime avoidance is something to be countered via social policy, rather than excessive policing and prisons.
A common rebuttal is that everybody suffers adversity but is not a criminal. Therefore, whoever is truly a criminal must have deliberately chosen to do it. Even though there is individual responsibility, this answer overlooks the psychological effects of chronic stress, deprivation, and trauma. Research by Adrian Raine revealed that individuals who are raised in unstable environments are more impulsive and take risks. Poverty and trauma are not an excuse for crime, but they increase its prevalence, especially if one is alone.
The criminal justice system is also disproportionately enforced. A study at Northwestern University discovers racial and socioeconomic bias being utilized in sentencing, where people of color are treated more severely for the same crime. If crime is purely a matter of personal choice, then there should be no differences.
If we are determined to reduce crime, we have to break the myth of the “criminal mind” and scale up through policy to causes. Evidence-based policy would include:
- Early childhood intervention: Housing, education, and health care interventions for at-risk children can reduce future crime by up to 50%, a UNC Chapel Hill study found.
- Restorative justice: Restorative justice programs, instead of punishment, make offenders take responsibility for the victims’ and community’s benefit.
- Mental health and alcohol and drug treatment: Untreated mental illness or alcohol and drug addiction is a particularly significant factor of crime, especially non-violent crime. Increased access to treatment can be more useful than incarceration.
The “criminal mind” myth has created ineffective policy that is punitively skewed and allowed preventable crimes. Embracing the social, psychological, and economic roots of crime will enable us to design an approach to justice that holds people accountable but heals the causes of crime. It is time to transcend old stereotypes with evidence-based remedies that make communities safer for everyone.
