Psychological Causes Of Criminal Behaviour: Nature Vs Nurture
- IJLLR Journal
- 32 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Astha Mishra, LLB, Amity University, Lucknow
Dr. Taru Mishra, Assistant Professor, Amity University, Lucknow
ABSTRACT
Through the lens of the nature versus nurture controversy, this research article investigates the psychological underpinnings of criminal behavior, looking at how both biological and environmental factors influence criminal tendencies. The study examines how criminal behavior is influenced by family history, socioeconomic circumstances, peer pressure, social learning, neurological disorders, and hormonal abnormalities. To comprehend how unresolved conflicts, taught behaviors, and flawed thought patterns motivate illegal acts, psychological theories—including psychoanalytic, behavioral, and cognitive perspectives— are examined. The article also discusses adolescent delinquency as a crucial area impacted by social and developmental variables and emphasizes the significance of mental illnesses like psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder in raising the probability of criminal activity. Concepts like mens rea, the insanity defense, and the significance of psychological evaluation are examined from a legal standpoint. In the end, the study highlights an integrative strategy that takes into account how nature and nurture interact to guide preventive, rehabilitative, and legal tactics.
Keywords: Nature versus Nurture, Psychoanalytic theory, Behavioral theory, Cognitive theory, Mens rea
