Understanding the Causes of Criminal Behavior: A Case Study

Running head: PSYCHOLOGY
PSYCHOLOGY
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Author note:

1PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction:
One of the important question that revolves among people making criminal offences is
their mental health. A person who commits a crime certainly becomes the criminal. However, the
question that arises is the reasons that made them do the specific crime. According to few
psychologists, the picture not that clear. Several theorists have debated over having rehabilitation
as the punishment for criminals. According to psychiatrist, Karl Menninger, people who
committed crime were only victim of mental illness (Devonis and Triggs 2017). Therefore, the
appropriate punishment for them would be rehabilitation and not prison. It is important to
understand the causes that make an offender commit a crime. The paper aims to understand the
same through a case study where the family is faced with certain problems. The paper will be
carried out by drawing on systematic approaches regarding the problems of the family. The
formulation of the report in this paper will involve sections on possible causes of the problems
that the family encountered, factors maintaining the problems and factors that would become
helpful in facilitating change for the client’s family.
The case study:
In the case study provided, the client’s name is Amy, a fifteen year old female. She is
referred by her social care as well as her family. Amy has been showing aggressive behavior and
performing actions that are risk-oriented. Amy has been sent for interventions before, however it
was not beneficial. Therefore, Amy’s parents are reluctant this as well for the counselling
sessions. Amy’s parents are highly concerned about her future for her inappropriate behavior.
They are also worried about her behavior impacting on their other children.

2PSYCHOLOGY
The possible causes of the client’s problem:
As discussed before, client is a 15 years old girl. There are several issues that can be
identified in the client. Amy has several emotional symptoms of behavioral disorders. She is
easily annoyed and furious. She gets angry is approximately all the time. Amy is identified with
oppositional defiant disorder, conduct disorder and to some extent attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder. Amy has become highly prone to risk taking behavior lately. She is serious behavioral
issues which even called for police involvement. Amy has also began hitting her half-brothers
and mother once in a week. Also, damaging property has become a common behavior for Amy.
Amy behaves aggressively while there is conflicts in the house. Amy’s aggressive behavior are
also demonstrated in her school which lead her to permanent exclusion. She has not complied
with school rules and regulation. Also, she is truanting from school once on a week on average.
The major concerns are the extreme conduct behaviors which involved her into illegal
actions such as shoplifting and anti-social behavior. The behaviors that Amy has been
performing are only seen highly concerning however, there is a possibility of mental health
disorder for Amy.
All children can be naughty, impulsive and defiant at certain age which even changes
along with time. However some children may face challenges and difficult behaviors that are
considered out of normal behavior as a children. Amy can be identified with oppositional defiant
disorders, such as easily angered, annoyed or irritated. She has frequent temper tantrum such as
damaging house problems, disobeying parents and school rules.
It is hard to identify exact causes of behavior disorders and in Amy’s case, there are
many factors that can be held responsible for it. There are several factors that can be