What turns people into savages?
Two men were arrested for the heinous tragic murder of two women and two children in Troy, New York. The story made CNN, USA Today, the New York Post and many other news outlets. In the minds of most of us they are guilty although all the court proceedings haven’t taken place. Once it is in the paper or on TV, many of us believe it is true. We want to believe it is true so we can see justice done or feel safer.
If they are guilty how did they get to be savage killers? It is a question that can’t be answered because human development is so complex. Maybe they had viscous or absent parents or physically, sexually and emotionally abusive ones. Years of torture in this manner, can produce severe mental disturbance.
My colleague, a local psychologist, said that a lot of the development of pathology has to do with what is commonly called in psychology “attachment.” This is the emotional bond that typically forms between infant and caregiver and is the means by which the helpless infant gets its primary needs met. It then becomes the engine of subsequent social, emotional, and cognitive development.
I think that criminal gangs, who act as a peer group for some young people, sometimes minimize the maiming or killing of other humans. It is odd that youngsters often join gangs for love and acceptance even though they are committing to a membership in a criminal enterprise.
When I worked in New York City, I told a seemingly gentle young man that I was counseling that it was hard for me to believe that he was involved in an armed robbery. “It was the drugs” he responded. Years later, I posed the question to another young man in a local jail who was accused of murdering a relative. His response was, “I was angry but the cocaine pushed me over the edge.” He was sentenced to 30 to life in state prison. So some individuals are influenced by the drug high of the moment.
You have seen the term psychopath or sociopath in the media and on TV crime drams. In the psychology field these terms describe what is usually called anti-social personality disorder. Two of the dominant symptoms of this disorder are an absence of guilt and anxiety. In the Tarantino film, “Reservoir Dogs” a main character, “Mr. Blonde” kills some unarmed employees in a jewelry store. When confronted about his actions by the other criminals, he said in an emotionless manner, “They got what they deserved.” No guilt. When an angry gang member points a 9 mm Glock at him at close range while screaming, Mr. Blonde calmly continues to sip his chocolate shake – no anxiety or nervousness.
Some cultural groups espouse the use of killing to achieve their ambiguous goals. This concept is especially difficult for Americans to understand. I was kicked off a local radio talk show once for saying something positive about Muslims. Before I was tossed, I asked the host his nationality, he said Italian. I said, “Did the mafia ever kill innocent women and children? How about the Irish Republican Army?” I could have gone on and on but my point was that almost all cultural groups have had extremists who commit heinous acts. Innocent families are maimed and killed for what? To prove a point? I’ll never get it?
I wrote a related column in October. Excuse me if I have revisited the topic. It often confounds me.
No one will ever know exactly what factors produce a murderer. All I know for sure is that all these criminals were at one point toddlers like my kids. Probably, innocent, loving and adorable.