- Hey, everybody.
(upbeat electronic music)
Today we're gonna talk about
the psychology of a criminal.
What causes someone to
engage in illegal activity?
And if there's anything we can do
to prevent or stop it.
But before we jump into that,
are you new to my channel?
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First, I think it's
important to understand
what parts of the brain are involved
in our decision-making.
Because really, we're makin' a decision
to engage in illegal behavior.
Now first, there is the amygdala,
which you probably heard
me talk about, before.
And it's a small almond-shaped portion
of our temporal lobe.
It's kinda like in the
middle of our brain,
but over here, maybe.
And it's responsible for emotions,
survival instincts, and memory.
And I've talked about this portion
when it comes to managing trauma or upset
because the amygdala is
like our brain's fire alarm.
And it sounds that alarm
when we are upset or angry.
And when we're children, they believe
that it's the amygdala that
can cause us to throw tantrums.
Next, there's the frontal lobe.
Yes, it's just like it sounds.
It's at the very front of our
brain, behind our forehead.
Now, this portion of our
brain is responsible for
emotional expression, problem solving,
memory, language, judgment,
and sexual behaviors.
It is, in essence, the control panel
of our personality and our
ability to communicate.
Last, there's the hippocampus.
This is part of our limbic system.
And it's connected to
our amygdala as well.
It's responsible for memory
and more specifically,
our long-term memory.
Now, the reason I bring up
these different portions
of the brain is because when
these areas are damaged,
underdeveloped, or affected in any way,
they can cause us to be easily upset
or aggressive, make poor decisions,
and not remember any punishment
that we may have received as a result.
It is believed that these
portions of the brain
are involved in someone
becoming a criminal
because they overall shape who we are
and how we interact with those around us.
Second, it's important to
note that if we grew up
around people who were committing crimes
or harming others in front of us,
we can be slowly conditioned
to believe that that's normal
and what's okay to do in life.
Just like we can notice ourselves
acting like another member of our family,
in the way we talk or gesture.
Sometimes, I'm like, "Oh, my
God. I'm just like my mom."
Those who are raised by
criminals or sociopaths
can pick up on their
actions and mannerisms
in the same way and act
them out, accordingly.
In psychology, we call this
"observational learning."
Now, there are, obviously,
other ways to learn.
Like if we're jumped into a gang,
meaning like almost beat to death
to get into the gang, that happens.
Just ask around.
But we're jumped into a gang and forced,
by fear of physical harm, to commit crimes
and then rewarded when we
complete the illegal task,
we can learn that being
a criminal is acceptable
and how we stay safe and belong.
And we call that, in psychology,
"operant conditioning."
And also, if you are only rewarded
when you engage in illegal
or harmful behavior,
let's say your family or
caregivers or your only friends,
you know, reward you or laugh with you
when you do something
harmful to someone else,
then you'll keep doing that harmful thing.
We all want to be rewarded,
noticed, and cared for.
So we will learn to keep
doing whatever it is
that gets us what we need.
And that is called
"classical conditioning."
And I bring up all three types of learning
to show you that it is possible
to be shaped into becoming a criminal.
That doesn't mean that we
aren't still responsible
for the choices that we make.
We totally are.
But I do believe that
certain situations could,
in essence, create a criminal.
Now, I really love this
TED Talk by John Rigg,
where he discusses how trauma to our brain
can affect our behaviors.
It's so fascinating and, I think,
another important thing to understand.
Aside from people who commit crimes
and are involved in illegal
activity, there are also
people with antisocial
personality disorder.
I have an old, old video
all about what it is
and how it's diagnosed.
So if you want to,
you can click the link in the description.
You can check that video out.
But for the sake of this video,
it's important to understand
that people with ASPD
can be criminals, too.
And the term "antisocial,"
in this context,
doesn't mean that they
don't like to socialize.
It really just means that they act in ways
that are harmful or lack consideration
for the wellbeing of others,
meaning they just don't care
what happens to other people.
And they'll act in really
harmful, dangerous ways.
Many with ASPD can be very
charming and seductive,
in order to get what they want.
So be careful out there
'cause you might not
notice that they're odd
or harmful, right up front.
One famous psychologist, Al Carlisle,
was asked to assess
serial killer Ted Bundy
to see if he could be dangerous
to others in the future.
He was supposed to assess,
you know, as if he can read the future.
He can't.
But he did a lot of assessments.
And he reported that Bundy
was really easy to talk to,
super charismatic, well liked by others,
but evasive when it came time
for really difficult questions.
Try to change the subject.
Ask him things about himself.
Now, what Carlisle was looking for
was to see if Bundy broke rules easily,
lied easily, stole from others frequently,
or if he could quickly
shift his personality
to match that person that he's talking to.
And surprise, surprise.
He did all of these things.
I mean, we know Ted Bundy
is a pretty bad man.
So maybe, those are just
some of the red flags
that you and I should all be aware of
in order to not engage with someone
who could potentially be really dangerous.
Now finally, there are
some signs that we believe
are precursors to becoming a criminal.
Aside from, obviously, parts of our brain,
if they're underdeveloped or damaged,
if we're around people who
show us it's okay to be bad.
We can also become criminal if we're male.
I know; this is a bit
crazy to say it this way.
But statistically speaking,
most criminals are males.
I'm just throwin' it out there.
Next red flag is having a
prior record of aggression.
'Cause if we've been
aggressive in the past,
we could be aggressive in the future.
Also, if we've been
physically abused in childhood
or we had a substance-abusing parent,
that's a precursor, too.
Having a diagnosis of adjustment disorder
or evidence of psychopathy.
A paranoid attitude
or if we fantasize about harming others.
Now, I know some of these
are kind of obvious,
but others aren't.
And they also find that
those who've been diagnosed
with ODD, which is
oppositional defiant disorder,
or CD, conduct disorder,
are more predisposed
for ASPD as well.
Well, now that I've thoroughly scared you
or at least made you more aware
of what causes someone to be a criminal,
remember and know that not all people
who are dangerous or are criminals
will look like they are.
Many are very good at fitting in
and making people like them.
So if something seems off,
or if someone seems to
only consider themselves
and their own personal gain,
be careful!
Also, trust your gut.
Even though these people
can be very charming,
there's usually just
something off about them
and the way that they
interact with others.
And they usually don't have
any long-term, close friends.
So pay attention.
Ask questions.
And protect yourself.
And I also have videos
on how to avoid or even
manage toxic relationships.
So if while I'm talking about this,
that's something that's come up for you
and maybe you're struggling with,
click the links over there
for more on that.
(upbeat electronic music)
I know this video was a bit different.
But I hope that you found it interesting.
I know I did.
It was really fun to research it.
But please let me know what you think.
Do you like different topics, like this?
Would you prefer that I stick to more,
you know, specific diagnoses?
Or are there traits or
things that I left out
that you'd like me to include?
Let me know all that stuff
down in those comments, below.
And I will see you, next time, bye.
