Demographic Summary
The suspect is a male at 56 years of age, born and raised in a metropolitan city, thus exposed to city tussles and hustles at an early age. He was born as the second youngest sibling in a large family of 13 children. The family's size presented him with probable sibling rivalry and competitions for family resources to a formidable extent. His father was a lot attendant and his mother, a maid, who likely lacked adequate family resources to raise a family of 13 siblings. His father, Billy, was strict, abusive, and alcoholic. These are traits that the suspect was born and grew up being subjected and exposed to. Both parents never raised the suspect to adulthood. His parents divorced, thus subjecting him to divided attention and inadequate parental love at an early age. At age 12, his mother died, subjecting the suspect to single parenthood. Notably, the suspect mother died when he was just entering the adolescent phase. The suspect’s sister, Margaret, who took over the role of parenting was also unstable in her social life. She had several temporary relationships, thus exposing the suspect to social instability at a tender age. The possibility of the sister to having abused the suspect sexually is also noted. Besides the frequent change of relationships, Margaret also had unstable employment relationships, attempted suicide, was verbally abusive and alcoholic. The suspect was active in sports, indicating excellent physical ability. His rough handling of the opponent also gives light on his personality and lack of empathy. His failure to attain enough credits denied him a chance to graduate, leading to possible peer rejection and antisocial character.
Biological Factors
Biological factors impact criminal and antisocial behavior in three major ways: psychophysiology, genetics, and brain mechanism (Ling et al., 2019). In this case, brain mechanism and genetics have more grounds as potential causes for the antisocial and criminal character of the suspect. The suspect's demographics indicate that he comes from a family with a history of alcoholism. Besides being born to an alcoholic parent, the suspect is raised with an alcoholic sister, potentially exposing him to alcohol at a young age. Parental exposure to alcohol may result in the common fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs), including partial fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (Williams, & Smith, 2015). The two are associated with the disruption in brain mechanisms, specifically the brain's structural and functional aspects, which may fuel antisocial behavior (Ling et al., 2019). The three brain regions that are biologically susceptible to impairment by alcohol and are linked to crime are the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and striatum. Ling et al. (2019) point out that the amygdala's maldevelopment disrupts learning that typically discourages crime. This explains why individuals with antisocial traits have been found to have dysfunctional striatum. These alcohol-related biological factors strengthen the suspect’s susceptibility to crime and antisocial behavior.
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Developmental Factors
Harsh and over-strict discipline, parental inconsistencies, and lack of parental care have all been linked to developmental anomalies that lead to psychopathy in children and adolescents. A magnetic resonance imaging of children and adolescents exposed to these inconsistencies has shown to have a decreased volume of the gray matter within the orbitofrontal cortex (Uytun, 2017). The affected children and adolescents portray little or no empathy, poor behavioral control, and persistence in antisocial and criminal conduct (Anderson & Kiehl, 2014). The suspect, in this case, has background details that point to the developmental factors of psychopathy. His parents were less caring, had a strict father, lost motherly love at age 12, and was exposed to her sister, who had inconsistencies in relationships. These scenarios, coupled with his show of little empathy while roughing up team opponents, indicate developmental issues that fueled his psychopathic personality.
Environmental Factors
Exposure to a dysfunctional environment also promotes psychopathic traits in children and adolescents. The suspect’s environment was dysfunctional in numerous ways. His parents divorced while he was still young, his mother died while he was only 12 years, and he was also brought up in a harsh economic environment. All these portray environmental factors that escalate the tendency to antisocial traits and crime. Besides, possible peer rejection after failing to graduate may also have increased his already antisocial traits. These reasons accumulated to form the suspect's secondary psychopathy traits, which Hicks et al. (2012) suggest, are mostly acquired from environmental exposure.
Application of Theories
Different approaches to the biological theory would partly explain the linking of the suspect to the crimes. William Sheldon, for example, described the biological theory by linking strong and athletic individuals to crime. This is applicable in this case, as the suspect is athletic, a necessary trait to execute crimes that require high physical abilities. Modern versions of the biological theory link brain’s functional and structural deformities to antisocial behavior and crime, which are potentially present in this case. This is due to the suspect’s exposure to alcohol and social constraints that might have altered his biological growth. Notably, non-biological factors that fuel the biological theory, such as poverty, are also present. The psychological theory explains antisocial behavior and crime using the biological and social approaches that define an individual's personality. Biologically, personality traits can be genetically inherited or may result from biological deformities. Social experiences such as grief, divorce, inconsistencies in parenting, and exposure to drugs, also combine with the biological factors to determine psychological traits that may fuel antisocial and criminal behavior. Therefore, in this case, biological, social, and psychological factors cascade from the suspect’s childhood to his teenage and adulthood, accumulating into antisocial and criminal behavior.
References
Anderson, N. E., & Kiehl, K. A. (2014). Psychopathy: Developmental perspectives and their implications for treatment. Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience , 32 (1), 103-117. https://doi.org/10.3233/rnn-139001
Hicks, B. M., Carlson, M. D., Blonigen, D. M., Patrick, C. J., Iacono, W. G., & MGue, M. (2012). Psychopathic personality traits and environmental contexts: Differential correlates, gender differences, and genetic mediation. Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment , 3 (3), 209-227. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025084
Ling, S., Umbach, R., & Raine, A. (2019). Biological explanations of criminal behavior. Psychology, Crime & Law , 25 (6), 626-640. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316x.2019.1572753
Uytun, M. C. (2017). Development of psychopathy from childhood. Psychopathy - New Updates on an Old Phenomenon . https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.70119
Williams, J. F., & Smith, V. C. (2015). Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Pediatrics , 136 (5), e1395-e1406. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-3113
