Criminology studies the patterns , causes and psychology of crime. Criminology and law overlap significantly. While criminology focuses on understanding the causes of crime, the mindset of offenders, and patterns of criminal behavior through theories, profiling, and victimology, law provides the framework within which these investigations must operate. But the question to ponder is whether it is possible to truly unravel the mind of a serial killer. The truth that no one really knows yet despite the efforts of modern day criminology to decode the brain of a serial killer, a concrete explanation has not been reached yet.
In criminology we are often driven by the question of “how”. But what about “why”? a question that every civilian wants to ask a criminal. This is why — the psychology and biology of crime — has fascinated criminologists, psychologists, and civilians alike. The brain, the psychology behind gruesome crimes. What is it about them that makes them want to commit crimes with such normalcy? All serial killers are driven by cold vengeance—some may say a traumatic , abusive childhood or maybe because they felt “different”. Serial killers are often driven by compulsion and detachment from empathy. A blood swatch does nothing, it's about getting behind the brains of serial killers , infamously like Jeffrey Dahmer , who took over the internet with a goosebump rising series "Monster: Jeffrey Dahmer's story”.
“Neurocriminology is an emerging sub-discipline of biocriminology and criminology that applies brain imaging techniques and principles from neuroscience to understand, predict, and prevent crime.”—says Wikipedia. But truly, is it that simple? Neurocriminology not only helps us understand patterns and codes behind certain killers, but understanding them makes us dwell deeper into human psychology.
This article explores whether dwelling into the brains of these killers- can do us advancement in the field of criminology and how to stop associating it with just “physical “ evidence.
Neurocriminology is backed by science, which can be defined as biological and neurological foundations of criminal behavior. It uses modern day techniques such as genetic scanning, brain structures and the extent to which a person is inclined towards committing a crime.
The story of Jeffrey Dahmer is rather an interesting one. The interview of Jeff raises one question in my mind- “is it okay to be that normal after committing such gruesome crimes?” it’s the normalcy that haunts us. For that let’s go deeper into certain aspects of criminology .
In the series, while being interviewed , Jeff Dahmer mentions a line that really has us asking questions. On being asked “ why did you commit the murders?” his reply was astonishing he knew what he did was wrong and that he should be punished for it. This is a proof of how conscious he was while committing those murders, which has us circling back to the concept of neurocriminology, and how intertwined both the concepts are. However, understanding these patterns is the first step, but it still doesn't answer our question of why.
Jeff had a traumatic childhood, abusive parents and never felt good in his own skin—the three pillars of “why”. This brings us to the concept of “labelling theory”- feeling different from others- one of the first reasons for proclivity towards crime- to prove a point and feel powerful. Upon research it was found out that he had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex/amygdala. So questions arise- Was it his childhood isolation? His psychological detachment? Or something neurological?
This is where criminology really helps us understand the various factors that affect a person to such an extent. It is not just caused by one factor but is an intersection of various sociological, psychological and in some cases neurological issues. Serial killers like Dahmer become case studies of how trauma, environment, and neurology can co-exist. A mirroring case to Dahmer's is the Nithari killings in India that showcases how our society plays a major role in shaping an individual . These cases remind us that no two killers are alike, yet their crimes reflect patterns that criminology tries to decode.
Neurocriminology does not mean to excuse crime, but a medium to understand it from its roots. It talks about how certain crimes are not just about being “evil” but –well just the way they are. Even though no amount of brain scans or MRI's can predict future Jeffery Dahmers with certainty, it does give criminology a chance to advance more in terms of human psychology. It also gives us the hope that one day maybe, such advancements could help those in need in the future. After all, behind every crime there is a mind waiting to unfold.
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