Research Paper

Abstract:

People have always been under the impression that child led the most innocent and happy lives but they refuse to see that not all children enjoy this great life of happiness that they assume. This paper addresses the correlation between violent offenders and their traumatic events in childhood. These events in their early stages of youth can also serve as the reasons to why they became such violent criminals. The few of many emotions and factors that impact the mental state of mind will be discussed in this paper. These violent offenders need to be assisted in counseling and possibly psychiatric help instead of serving time in prison.

Innocence, purity, ignorance, enthusiastic, outgoing, obedience, are the words that one may use to describe children. Is it possible that there may be an alternate side of these children’s lives that people may not see or refuse to accept? Is there a darker more vile side hidden inside themselves or is it just a deranged, mentally they adopted due to certain events in their experience. In society, there are numerous crimes being committed by violent offenders. Some may start committing violent unlawful acts when they are young and progress in violence as they get older. The most common solution that one may think of is harsh punishments and imprisonment. However, what people fail to understand is that these children who commit such murders are also victims themselves due to various unpleasant experiences in their childhood. Jail and harsh punishments are not the way to deter murders and other gruesome crimes from occurring. Violent offenders need to be placed in a facility for psychiatric treatment and counseling. Criminals commit heinous acts as a result of prior harsh experiences they underwent in their childhood.

One’s behavior in adolescence can influence a child’s tendency to commit crimes at a young age or even later in their life. According to Kenny and Press, children who commit crimes often have signs of aggression or violent behavior at a younger age. They discussed how during the early stages of adolescence, many children experience different classifications or levels of violent behavior which correlates to the tendency to commit crimes. (Kenny, Press 2006) This behavior may go on to effect their childhood at first then continue on in their life. This constant aggressive behavior leads to these children committing crimes because they feel that there is nothing wrong with their actions since they are so accustomed to it. They will not feel remorse because no one has showed them that these acts of aggression are not acceptable at times. This shows how violent behavior in the early stages of their life greatly relates to children who commit crimes. Depending on the levels of aggression and violent behavior it may also be a characteristic of another reason, psychopathy, that young offenders commit crimes.

Another reason that impact a criminal’s heinous behavior are because of the fact that they are defined as psychopaths. Young offenders who are diagnosed as psychopaths or have psychopathic tendencies are the ones who usually commit crimes as they reach adulthood. According to Giuseppe “Psychopathy is a complex personality disorder, characterizing individuals with emotional deficits who lack a regard for social norms, empathy, and remorse” (Giuseppe 2013). Many of the violent offenders are categorized as psychopaths and they have no regard for other people’s feelings nor do they seem to have feelings. They are able to murder another person and not be able to feel ashamed about it. They have no feelings and they are not concerned about other people. Many children show signs of psychopathic behaviors and that can lead them to committing violent crimes since they possess no empathy for others. There are studies composed to prove that psychopathy in childhood usually possess an increase of violence in their life as they mature with age.

A study was done and it consisted of comparing young offenders that were referred to a Youth Forensic Psychiatric Services for assessment and their level of psychopathy to the risk of violence that occurs in their young adulthood. They were able to record the amount of violence in their adulthood because the experimenter was able to keep up with the subjects’ lives for 10 years. The researchers used a Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL: YV) and found that adolescents with high PCL: YV scores were the ones with high risk to violence in adulthood and the ones who scored low on the PCL: YV had low risk to violence (Gretton, Catchpole 2004). Children or young offenders with high PCL: YV suggests that they are more likely to expose themselves to violence and commit crimes according to the study. Children have developed these psychopathic tendencies since an early age and most parents may be oblivious to the signs from their behaviors. Since these behaviors are not being emphasized as wrong actions, children may feel that they violent actions they are committing are normal (Muller 2015).  For example, if a child takes pleasure in hurting animals and no one punishes him or her telling them it is wrong to do such a thing then they will feel not view the act of hurting animals as something wrong or unacceptable. They will not develop any remorse because they feel like what they are doing is normal and okay. This discussion illustrates how psychopathy can lead to violent offences in youth or adulthood as children do not yet know how to distinguish right from wrong.

 Childhood trauma has a large impact on violent offenders. Robertson and Burton stated that “Violent offenders reported significantly greater frequency of physical or sexual abuse score a higher total score on the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire than nonviolent offenders.” (Robertson, Burton 2010) This shows that violent offenders, tend to have past experiences during their childhood, tainted with abuse and violence. Some of them may have experienced sexual abuse from someone in their family and that abuse could result in confusion and anger in the child. This anger will then cause them to feel hatred towards people. The person who abused them may be someone who the child is supposed to confide in so they could easily be a parent or relative. Since the abuser could be someone close to the child, they will feel helpless from the abuse since they are unable to tell others about this terrible experience.  Enduring this sexual abuse may become a stressor for most of these offenders. This stressor will then cause offenders to resort to violent behaviors that will led to harmful outcomes like imprisonment. Childhood experiences, especially the ones that can serve as stressors have great impact on a person’s life as they mature with age, causing them to be a violent offender.

Neglect and disregard of a child from a family member can also result in the child using violence to cope with issues regarding family relationships as they grow older. Not every child receives the attention and care that they deserve. Some parents may not be the best role models for their children and may even participate in illegal activities like drug abuse. They may not provide the most stable living environment for their children to mature in. Sometimes these unfit parents are selfish and sole care for themselves instead of the well-being of their child. These scenarios can lead to unwanted results in children’s emotions.

Muller (2015) Children who have severe attachment problems (which often result from unreliable and ineffective caregiving), and a history of abuse may develop very aggressive behaviors. They can also have trouble controlling emotions, which can lead to impulsive, violent outbursts directed at themselves or others. (Muller 2015)

This shows that if a child does not receive the right care or attention, they may develop emotional problems as they grow older. Children will eventually feel resentment and anger towards people. They will not be able to cope with their negative feelings because there was no one in their childhood to guide them. Being that they are not able to control their emotions, it will lead to violence. They may feel like violence is a way of expressing their inner emotions or outbursts. This shows that neglect from family members can cause violent crimes committed by children as they get older.

In scenarios where children experienced a rough childhood and had difficulty coping with emotions, led to increased amounts of exposure to violent behavior. Bruce and Laporte explain that criminals that had a childhood trauma were more likely to engage in violent acts than those who do not possess a traumatic childhood. They also found results that suggest offenders who reported possessing antisocial behavior or conduct from childhood, are the ones at elevated risk of engaging in violent behaviors. (Bruce, Laporte 2015) This proves that there is a correlation between rough adolescent life and violent behavior. These children with antisocial behaviors withdraw themselves from any social activity and make sure to keep their feelings unnoticeable. Behaviors like this will eventually turn into habits and become what is normal to these children. They will feel like they are unable to speak to others or reveal their true emotions and feelings because they can only trust themselves. When they feel this way, they will turn to violent activities or actions because that is how they will relieve their stressful feelings inside. Antisocial behaviors in childhood have a big impact on violent offenders.

Many factors impact a development of a violent offender. What is most crucial is how they grew up and the actions that they made habits until they are older. Their behavior in childhood can be the reason for a violent offender. The amount of aggression they project in childhood or the amount of violent behavior they possess, if they were showing psychopathic tendencies, experiencing traumatic events like physical or sexual abuse can harm their emotions at a young age, and neglect from someone they are suppose to trust can cause these children to lose control of their emotions and resort to violence. All of these reasons can influence a child and cause them a lot of damage emotionally. With this emotional damage, these children will grow up to be violent offenders who have no regard for others. They will commit violent crimes because that is what they feel is right since that is all they knew from childhood experiences. These violent offenders need counseling to help mend these psychological issues that they have been allowing to impact their decisions in life.

           

  

References

Gretton, H. M., Hare, R. D., & Catchpole, R. H. (2004). Psychopathy and Offending From      

Adolescence to Adulthood: A 10-Year Follow-Up. Journal Of Consulting And Clinical Psychology, 72(4), 636-645. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.72.4.636

Giuseppe, C., Adriano, S., & Vincenzo, C. (2013, July 1). Traumatic experiences in childhood

and psychopathy: A study on a sample of violent offenders from Italy. Retrieved May 4, 2015, from

http://www.academia.edu/5489808/Traumatic_experiences_in_childhood_and_psychopathy_a_study_on_a_sample_of_violent_offenders_from_Italy

Kenny, D. T., & Press, A. L. (2006). Violence classifications and their impact on observed

relationships  with key factors in young offenders. Psychology, Public Policy, And Law, 12(1), 86-105. doi:10.1037/1076-8971.12.1.86

Muller, R. (2015, February 5). Children Who Kill Are Often Victims Too. Retrieved May 4,

2015, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/talking-about-trauma/201502/children-who-kill-are-often-victims-too

Robertson, C. B., & Burton, D. L. (2010). An Exploration of Differences in Childhood

Maltreatment between Violent and Non-Violent Male Delinquents. Journal Of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 3(4), 319-329. doi:10.1080/19361521.2010.523065