Neha Masurkar, Psychologist
The crime rate in India has been on the rise for more than a decade, and Goa has been a part of it for quite a long. From murders to robbery to gang rape, Goa has experienced it all. If good human beings exist, then there is no question about the existence of the bad ones. With 3884 registered cases in Goa, crime has been on the rise even more since the pandemic. The real question is, how do we make our Goa our India safe again?
When, where and why the crime has occurred may not be in our hands, but we can understand the criminal mind. Crime is a result of various things in our life, money, lust, dysfunctional family, defects in the brain, revenge and more. Education on law and psychology in crime should be prior in our early education today. Educating people can help to reduce the crime rate. On the outside, violent offenders come in all shapes, sizes, colours and ages. But from the inside, they may share some traits.
6 warning traits that may lead to criminal behaviour
Anti-social values: Also known as criminal thinking. It includes criminal rationalization or the belief that their criminal behaviour was justified. Individuals possessing this trait often blame others for their negative behaviour and show a lack of remorse.
Criminal Peers: Individuals often have peers that are associated with criminal activities. Most are often involved with substance abuse, including drugs or alcohol. Peer influence often persuades the individual to engage in criminal behaviour. They will also typically present with a lack of pro-social community involvement.
Anti-social personality: Atypical behaviour conducted before the age of fifteen and can include running away, skipping school, fighting, possessing weapons, lying, stealing and damage to either animals or property.
Dysfunctional family: One of the most common traits includes a lack of family support, emotionally, financially or otherwise. An individual’s family cannot resolve issues at work, home or society and often cannot communicate effectively with the family. An unhealthy state of the house and a family member’s inability to express emotions appropriately can help develop anti-social values. More often, they are also involved with criminal activity.
Low self-control: This involves one’s ability to control temperament and impulsivity. People who carry this trait often do things they didn’t plan and fail to think before acting. The mindset is of the here and now and not on the consequences of the behaviour.
Substance abuse: The use of drugs or alcohol significantly affects one’s ability to engage in a successful and productive lifestyle. There is often an increased tolerance to substances, in addition to an inability to stop use. Freedom to abuse combined with justified anti-social behaviour could give rise to a criminal mind.
We in Goa may not face crime as intense as other parts of the country but educating will help us to keep our family and society safe. We cannot shut ourselves away from the world we live in to protect ourselves, yet the best protection comes from knowledge about the crimes, criminal behaviour and precautions. Be safe.
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