Expert: Study criminal mindset to curb crime

SHAH ALAM: Studying the criminal mindset can help reduce crimes, Universiti Sains Malaysia criminologist and psychologist Dr Geshina Ayu Mat Saat said.

She said learning the characteristics and behavioural paterns of people in a community could help determine who was more likely to commit crime.

“Don’t judge a book by its cover. Understanding the complexity of a criminal mind cannot just be done through the way a person looks and dresses,” she said after a talk with about 150 community leaders and community policing members at the Selangor police headquarters yesterday.

She said basic psychological evaluation skills including the use of psychometrics and mental health evaluation tests could be taught to community leaders.

“These skills can help them identify potential criminals living within their community,” she said.

She also touched on the use of projective tests to identify victims of crimes who remained silent.

“A projective test is a personality test aimed at allowing a person to respond to ambiguous stimuli, presumably revealing hidden emotions and internal conflicts.

“These tests are particularly effective for children and allows for intervention at an early stage,” she said.