NCJ Number
57480
Journal
INDIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: (1976) Pages: 243-251
Date Published
1976
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THE SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILES OF 50 SUBJECTS CONVICTED OF MURDER OR ATTEMPTED MURDER IN PUNJAB, INDIA ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE GOAL OF THE STUDY WAS TO DETERMINE THE CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CRIME, THE MENTAL STATE OF THE MURDERER AT THE TIME, AND HIS SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND CULTURAL PATTERNS. FAMILY BACKGROUND AND THE PREVALENCE OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS WERE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. FINALLY, THE ROLE PLAYED BY ALCOHOL AND DRUGS IN COMMISSION OF THE CRIME WAS CONSIDERED. RESULTS REVEALED THAT PERSONS COMMITTING MAJOR CRIMES ARE MOSTLY YOUNG MALES IN THE 21-30 AGE GROUP (46 PERCENT) AND ANOTHER 34 PERCENT IN THE 31-40 AGE GROUPS, WITH DECREASING NUMBERS OF CRIMES CORRELATED WITH ADVANCING AGE. THE GREATEST NUMBER OF THESE CRIMINALS CAME FROM THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SOCIOECONOMIC CLASSES (74 PERCENT). THE SUBJECTS WERE CONVICTED OF MURDER IN 44 CASES (88 PERCENT) AND ASSAULT WITH INTENT TO MURDER IN 6 CASES (12 PERCENT). THE ATTACK WAS PLANNED IN 52 PERCENT OF THE CASES, UNPLANNED IN 48 PERCENT, AND THE VICTIM WAS NEARLY ALWAYS KNOWN TO THE ASSAILANT. THE MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECTS (80 PERCENT) DENIED HAVING COMMITTED THE CRIME AND SOME CLAIMED COMPLETE IGNORANCE ABOUT THE ACT. NONE OF THE SUBJECTS HAD EVER BEEN ACCUSED OF A MAJOR CRIME BEFORE. THE DATA ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE THEORY OF MEGARGEE (1966) THAT SUGGESTS THAT A LARGE PROPORTION OF THOSE WHO COMMIT CRIMES OF EXTREME VIOLENCE HAVE NO HISTORY OF ASSAULTIVE BEHAVIOR. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE TO ASSESS THE STATE OF MIND OF THE CONVICT: 42 PERCENT SAID THEY COMMITTED THE CRIME IN A CALCULATED MANNER WITH NO ABNORMAL REACTION, IN 28 PERCENT OF THE CASES THE ATTACK WAS IMPULSIVE, AND IN 26 PERCENT OF THE CASES THE CRIME WAS COMMITTED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL. THE MOST COMMON REASON FOR THE CRIME WAS RETALIATION IN AN OLD FAMILY VENDETTA. SUBJECTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR USE OF ALCOHOL AND DRUGS--43 PERCENT COULD BE CONSIDERED TO BE SUFFERING FROM ALCOHOLISM. THE PERSONAL AND CHILDHOOD HISTORIES OF THE SUBJECTS INDICATED THAT 82 PERCENT HAD NORMAL CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND ONLY 18 PERCENT REPORTED SERIOUS FAMILY CONFLICTS. THE ONLY SIGNIFICANT FEATURE WAS THE DEATH OF ONE OR BOTH PARENTS BEFORE THE AGE OF 15 IN ONE-THIRD OF THE CASES. AT THE TIME OF THE EXAMINATION, 30 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS SHOWED NO SIGNS OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS. IN 16 PERCENT OF THE CASES A PSYCHOPATHIC PERSONALITY DISORDER WAS NOTED. TABLES AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (STB)