Criminal behavior
Justin Pena was 23 when he was arrested and arraigned in court for the crime of attempted murder and reckless endangerment charges. Justin a homeless man had shoved a 36-year-old man onto the subway tracks in midtown subway. Justin claimed that he did not like the way his victim snubbed him and said no when he begged the man to give him one dollar to pay for his K2 debts. “Police said that Pena later told the cops that he had anger issues” (Fitz-Gibbon & Woods, 2020). He fled the scene but was arrested later own, his victim survived the ordeal and was pulled back to safety by bystanders where he sustained minor injuries. This was not Pena’s first crime as he has another assault case for allegedly punching a woman in her 60s unprovoked. According to his mother Angela Pena he had also been jailed for four years when he was 18 for gun possession (Marino et al, 2020).
Justin Pena crimes seems to fit in with the psychological theories (mental illness) of crime, according to his mother Pena suffers from bi polar and attention deficit disorder his mother is quoted as having told reporters that her son never got the help he needed to stay on medication for the conditions he suffers from. People suffering from mental disorders such as bi polar if not well medicated are susceptible to committing crimes. Bi polar disorder is a condition in which people suffer from extreme mood swings. People suffering from bipolar disorder go from being extremely happy to being extremely depressed, when they are happy people suffering from this disorder often have a lot of energy and feel euphoric and when they become depressed they often feel sad and hopeless (Mayo clinic, n.d.).
Psychological theories assumptions
Psychological theories of crime are anchored mainly on a person’s development and try to connect an individual’s behavior to the environment they grow up in, it assumes that an individual’s potential for criminality is mostly constant. It also does not associate conscience as natural to humans but rather as something that is instilled in us as we grow.
Psychological theories of crime have three main principles
This theory focuses on people’s thoughts and feelings which means that how an individual’s psychological state majorly contributes to their actions including whether or not they commit crimes.
- Psychodynamic theory: This theory focuses on the childhood experience of the individual according to Sigmund Freud humans have instinctual drives that must be fulfilled and moral and ethical codes. This theory concludes that the conflict between the instinctive drives and the ego leads to criminal behavior.
- Cognitive theory: This theory states that how the individual perceives the world and its happenings governs how they act. “The assumptions of this theory is that thoughts are the primary determinants of emotions” (Block, 2020).
- Behavioral theory: This theory bases its ideas on experience. For example, children will develop a behavior based on the reaction they get for their behavior, they also learn how to act by observing those around them. Therefore, if a child grows up in environment where bad behavior is not punished they will see no need to change
Why I picked psychological theories of crime
I picked the psychological theories crimes (mental illness) because the version of how the accused committed the crime match with the theory. The accused himself admits to the police that he has anger management issues. You can also see this on how Pena handles his victim by punching him and throwing him into the train tracks because he refuses to give him one dollar and as he says he dint like the way he snubbed him this are all signs of a person who is quick to anger and who suffers from a mental illness. We can also see signs of mental illness in his earlier crime of punching an aged woman without provocation. Also since Pena is homeless at the time of committing the crime he is most likely not taking any medication for his condition. Being on a synthetic drug as he admits only serves to worsen his condition.
References
Block, D, B. (2020, June 26). How cognitive theory is used in phobia treatment. Verywellmind.
Fitz-Gibbon, J., Woods, A. (2020, November 25). NYC panhandler charged in subway wanted. New York post. https://nypost.com/2020/11/25/nyc-panhandler-charged-in-subway- attack-wanted-cash-for-k2-habit/
Marino, J., Raskin, S., Balsamini, D., Italiano, L. (2020 November 21). Authorities predicted subway shover would become a menace. New York post. https://nypost.com/2020/11/21/authorities-said-suspected-subway-shover-would-become- nyc-menace/
Mayo clinic. (n.d.). Bipolar disorder. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bipolar- disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20355955
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