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Abnormality: A Legal Concept
One of the earliest explanations of mental illnesses and abnormality, dating as far back to the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, was possession by evil spirits and acts of devil himself. Even in modern times, it is difficult to define abnormality as it can take many different forms and involve various different features.
Abnormality can be defined in a number of ways. Considered as a deviation from the ideal mental health, it can be characterized as unusual behavior that is different from the norm and/or doesn't conform to the social expectations. It also involves the failure of a person to function effectively or that there is a presence of pronounced psychological suffering or distress (Kagan, 2008). Psychopathology is a term that refers to the study of mental illnesses or mental distress and how it manifests on a person in terms of behavior and experiences. Such a study allows the detection of psychological impairment and helps treat the person accordingly. Psychiatrists are usually very interested in descriptive psychopathology, which...
In legal terms, all forms of abnormality are termed as insanity (Arce, 2010).
Persons are considered criminally liable for their actions only if they can be taken as to be responsible for their actions. The Courts do not punish the alleged criminals unless it finds them guilty and conscientious for their actions. Therefore, a person is dubbed insane by the Court of Law, when he/she is unable, due to inherent limitations of their medical condition, to discern right from wrong. The responsibility of one's actions stems from a person's awareness and their capabilities of controlling their actions. If a criminal is unaware of the consequences of their acts or has not control over them (despite their awareness), then they shouldn't be responsible for their resultant acts. According to the legal system, no person is to be convicted of any criminal charge when at the time of the act or omission alleged against that person, he/she was suffering from a mental disorder, and by reason of such a mental disease, that person did…
Works Cited
Arce, R. (2010). The European Journal of Psychology applied to Legal Context. 2(1):3-18.
Kagan, J. (2008, November 10). The Meaning of Psychological Abnormality.
R v. M'Naghten (House of Lords 1843).
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Freud was Right, Peter Muris discusses Freud's analysis of abnormal behavior. He acknowledges that Freud's research methods were flawed because he focused on case studies rather than empirical analysis to try to determine causation. Despite that, Muris suggests that Freud's theories about the etiology of psychological disorders and abnormal behavior being rooted in childhood and showing emerging behavior in children and adolescents may be supported by what is known of
Psychopathology Criminal Behavior Part What might be some of the implications for the forensic field of the differences between the "low-fear hypothesis" and the "high-impulsive" subtypes of psychopathy? In other words, how might the differences in the models help inform us about best practices for such activities as police work on the streets, interrogation methods, trial and sentencing practices, providing treatment, or evaluating recidivism risks? In retrospect, theorists view Lykken's conceptual framework
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