Innate and Environmental Factors

Let us now discuss the innate characteristics and environmental factors in some detail. Personal pathology consisting of physical factors like poor health, chronic diseases, physical deformities may cause an inferiority complex and impel the individual to seek for short-cuts to compete in this competitive world. Mental factors like low intelligence, neurotic or psychotic disorders may lead to exploitation or compulsive actions or deviant sexual gratification. There is the possibility of prolonged emotional and social withdrawal, the frustration culminating in an outburst of violent behaviour. The emotionally mature individual is one who has learned to control her/his emotions effectively, and who lives at peace with himself and in harmony with the standards of conduct which are acceptable to the group. Many authorities believe that delinquency and criminality are the result of serious emotional imbalance or conflicts in personalities of individuals. They are at odds with the values and mores of their groups and typically offend the sensibilities of those closest to them. Thus, from the psychological point of view, individual exhibits a distorted personality; his personal whims are largely responsible for his antisocial behaviour and he is alienated from those in his immediate social environment.

Reality Versus Fantasy: Stated somewhat differently, since few persons have a completely satisfactory set of experiences from birth onward, or find life entirely to their liking in adulthood, the great majority of normal human beings create for themselves a realm of fantasy in which they realise aspirations denied to them in actual life. But in all these normal cases reality occupies the leading role in their life interests and activities. On the other hand, those with emotional disturbances are unable to face reality, resulting in mental conflicts. Their life experiences, childhood onwards, might have been such that they have created mental reaction patterns that make it very difficult for them to meet adult responsibilities. They may have suffered from insecurity, rejection, severe resentment, harsh living conditions, professional failures, and a large number of other unfortunate experiences. This may make it extremely difficult for them to face realities of life and they get into conflict with law. Physical abnormalities as mentioned earlier and many personality problems of children and adults are developed by physical handicaps or other such abnormalities. Short stature, skin blemishes, oversised ears, obesity, to refer to a few, are likely to cause serious personality or emotional difficulties in social relationships among those afflicted. They are usually avoided in social contacts and find themselves at a disadvantage in marriage opportunities, in securing employment, and in numerous other ways. The pent-up resentment may become acute and compensatory behaviour develops, in such a manner that various forms of alienation result. A youth may compensate for his feeling of inferiority by becoming a daring robber; one may get very angry and hit back his actual or imaginary tormentors. But we must not forget, however, that quite a majority of persons thus afflicted make an adequate adjustment in their world. This is particularly true of those who have grown through childhood with a set of understanding parents and friends who have not rejected them.

Health and Disease: As regards poor health or chronic diseases, we do experience that persons who are ill (or fatigued, for that matter) often are irritable, unreasonable, and less controlled in their behaviour than usual. Feeble minded persons and probably more easily led to crime and delinquency because they have less ability to think critically and very often cannot make satisfactory decisions and govern their conduct accordingly. Any mental disease condition which alters the individual's judgement or capacity for self-restraint will affect his behavior which may take absurd, dangerous, or antisocial directions. Sex murders, arson, compulsive thieving (kleptomania) are instances of crimes which involve a neurotic element.

Environmental Factors in the Family

There can no doubt be personal factors in every delinquency or rime situation in which an individual disobeys a law. But there are also social, economic and community factors commonly termed as environmental factors, which are important in stimulating antisocial activity. We usually think of the environment as merely the more apparent factors in the life of an individual– his neighborhood, the house he lives in, his family life, his school or workplace, and the interactions he has with his friends. These are of course part of the environment. But as a scientific concept, environment must include every stimulus that impinges on the individual's structure from the moment of conception–the moment the new life begins. The environment is represented by every possible interaction between the individual and every other individual with whom he comes in contact. His reading, the motion pictures (even posters!), the radio, television–all are a potent part of the environment.