Crime and Abnormal Behavior
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Classification of normal and abnormal behaviour varies depending on the experiences an individual had while growing up. From a clinical perspective, normal behaviour is an action or character that abides strictly to a given standard in society while, abnormal behaviour represents actions that are contrary to the expectations of society and are said to cause more harm than good (Kring & Johnson, 2018). Such classification is challenging because there is no clear line between normal and abnormal behaviour. This means that there is no clear position or definition as to what point signifies a switch of behaviour from normal to abnormal. Cultural and social challenges also prevail in trying to classify the two; rules on morality and proper & accepted behaviour vary from society to society and what might be normal in one, may probably be abnormal in another. Only for extreme actions such as murder is there a common definition of abnormal.
The psychosocial, biological, and sociocultural models in abnormal psychology help doctors and researchers to understand the nature of mental diseases as they can only be felt but not seen. The psychosocial model involves life experiences that reflect one’s learning patterns; this happens through exposure to given situations within the social context and the individual is brought up (Kring & Johnson, 2018). researchers focus on how an individual’s thoughts relate to their social behaviour. the biological model of abnormal psychology states that abnormal behaviour is directly linked to an individual’s medical issues that result in mental illness; these may either be the chemical imbalances in one’s brain or physical accidents that may result in lesions or injuries to the brain. The sociocultural model places focus on a person’s social behaviour as influenced by the cultures they are exposed to. Researchers analyze fluctuations in moods, sexuality, substance abuse, psychotic incidences, gender identity, and the personality of a large group of people to understand what they view as normal and abnormal (Kring & Johnson, 2018).
Abnormal behaviour and criminal behaviour are very much related to each other. Abnormal behaviour involves actions against the moral standing of society while criminal behaviour involves actions prohibited by the laws of a community or a country. People experiencing abnormal behaviour have a high level of deficiency in their reasoning and perception and do that which is against the moral code of conduct set by the society (Caruso, 2017). This maladaptive behaviour in an individual with abnormal psychology is what brings about criminal behaviour; the individual sees it normal to carry out n activity considered a crime.
Abnormal behaviour has had a strong negative impact on the running of correctional facilities within the United States. With a high rate of individuals experiencing abnormal behaviours, there have been high rates of prison violence, sexual exploitations and mistreatments between inmates, and an increased number of solitary confinements (Caruso, 2017). Tougher control measures have placed, hence, increasing the severity of these cases for those confined. These stiff measures may also cause a relatively okay inmate to develop abnormal behaviour while incarcerated. With the increase of abnormal behaviours, there has been the introduction of therapy centres both inside and outside correctional facilities to reduce the occurrence of these unacceptable behaviours (Caruso, 2017). Better control strategies coupled with more humanistic laws that prioritize mental health would work to resolve the issues.
References
Caruso, G. (2017). Public health and safety: The social determinants of health and criminal behavior. Gregg D. Caruso.
Kring, A. M., & Johnson, S. L. (2018). Abnormal psychology: The science and treatment of psychological disorders. John Wiley & Sons.
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