Motives for selected crimes against life and health

Abstract

Criminal behavior undermines both social and individual security. Exploring the motivational process in criminal acts focuses on searching for the sources of these acts and determining the factors that sustain criminal activity. Crime is not a homogeneous phenomenon, which makes the motives for crime diverse and complex. Criminological theories explore the causal factors of crime such as biological (including genetic), sociological (social), and psychological. A criminal act can be caused by an unformed drive, frustration, and be learned, including through following others. In the process of determining the motives for criminal behavior, it is not enough to point to direct motives because motivation should be approached as a process, which indicates the possibility of the development of motives over a certain time, and even many years. Thus, it is necessary to take into account socialization, personality traits (the level of aggressiveness, directiveness, and dominance), psychological needs (especially those unmet), and values, which, in a sense of responsibility, often can be considered anti-values. The major crimes against health and life are homicide, fights, and battery. In addition to ordinary murder, the Polish Penal Code lists aggravated murder (e.g., with extraordinary cruelty or as a result of motives deserving special condemnation) and privileged murder (committed under the influence of strong agitation justified by the circumstances), which can also be referred to as murder of passion. Fights and battery can be committed with or without the use of a dangerous object. A review of the literature indicates the following motives for homicide: robbery (economic), sexual, emotional, delusional, revenge, threat, insult, sense of harm, and jealousy. Perpetrators of fights and battery may be characterized by component factors of antisocial personality disorder as specified by DSM-5, such as non-compliance with legal and social norms, impulsivity, irritability, aggression, irresponsibility, and lack of guilt. In the case of crimes against life and health, it seems reasonable to identify several motives for the act. Motives are assessed primarily by a clinical interview. However, it should be taken into account that the perpetrators of these acts, for a variety of reasons, may obstruct justice.