No one wakes up one morning and suddenly decides to commit a crime. Behind every crime, there is a psychological breaking point, a trigger, an unmet need, or a childhood trauma. This article is not written to justify or lessen the impact of crimes, but to lift the curtain behind the facts and remind us that each of us carries within the potential to be drawn toward crime — and to encourage a new perspective.
The Echoes of Crime in Childhood
They say, “The home you’re born into is your destiny.” Is it true? No one is born knowing crime, but some children learn it step by step by growing up in environments filled with neglect, lovelessness, and mistrust.
The life one is born into — living conditions, relationships, and even the neighborhood — can influence one’s predisposition to crime.
In psychology, there is a concept called the “mirror effect.” It’s a method of communication and empathy used to better understand the person in front of us. Think of a small child — over time, they begin to mimic your behavior, your smile, even how you interact with animals. Through empathy, they try to understand and get to know you.
The behaviors modeled by parents, the routines normalized within the household, eventually become a way of life for the child. Isn’t that life — the one they were born into — their reality?
The way children are raised and the traumas they experience are critical factors. Neglect, abuse, feelings of worthlessness, and the behaviors they adopt as models from their caregivers can be early signs of a growing seed of anger within the child.
A psychologist who interviewed convicted individuals noted:
“Most of the people I met had a common wound — an unfinished childhood. Many were silenced by their families, grew up feeling worthless, and experienced severe neglect. This upbringing seemed to turn the concept of danger into something familiar. Sometimes, crime becomes the silent scream of an invisible child.”
Anger, Impulsivity, and the Breaking Point
We often hear similar phrases from people who commit crimes:
“I did it in a moment of rage,” or “I lost control.”
While our inner sense of justice may not accept these as valid excuses, psychological research paints a deeper picture.
According to Attachment Theory, individuals who fail to develop secure attachments in early childhood may struggle later with impulse control, empathy, and the ability to adapt socially.
Childhood trauma can also decrease empathy toward crime and normalize danger. For example, a child who grows up experiencing violence may later perceive violence as a form of communication.
The adult “criminal” identity we encounter may simply be the reflection of psychological patterns ingrained and accepted during childhood.
One psychologist commented:
“Over time, the emotions and experiences from one’s past begin to manifest as anger, aggression, or substance abuse. The individual starts searching for a path — either to find themselves or to escape from themselves.”
A Sip of Escape, a Step Toward Crime
People often seek something to hold onto to escape painful memories or moments, but sometimes what they reach for is too fragile to carry that weight.
The first intention of someone using substances or alcohol is rarely to commit a crime. Most often, that first use is an escape from mental noise, suppressed emotions, or the lingering marks of the past. But this type of escape can silently pull a person into a deep pit.
Psychology explains this through the brain’s reward mechanism. The short-term pleasure derived from substance use is coded in the brain as a reward, and the individual seeks to experience it again. Over time, however, this system begins to malfunction, and the person experiences a decline in moral judgment and self-regulation.
As a result, under the influence of substances, a person may act in ways they normally wouldn’t, or suppressed anger and trauma may erupt to the surface.
Although substances may seem like medicine in the short term, in the long term they begin to shatter the self, distancing the individual from their own character and life.
On the path from addiction to crime, as the mind becomes numb, so too does the conscience begin to lose its voice, quietly screaming for help from within. Substance use is not a solution — it is a casualty of war.
A general observation from a psychologist working with substance-using offenders:
“Many of the individuals I interviewed said they just wanted to try it once, but then it took over, and they gradually lost control. During this process, their ability to self-reflect, control impulses, and assess risk diminishes. In time, logic is set aside, and they continue down that road. At this point, criminal behavior becomes not a decision, but a reflection. And this process is not something to be underestimated.”
Rethinking Crime
Those who commit crimes need not only punishment but also psychological support. This support should be continuous and accessible to everyone at an affordable level.
Let’s not forget that we are all human — and no one is born to commit a crime.
Children growing up in neglectful and unstable environments must be identified and supported with appropriate education, helping them understand and integrate into society with shared moral values.
Please remember:
To understand crime is not to normalize it — it is to understand the human being behind it.
References
Keysers, C. (2011). The Empathic Brain. Istanbul: Alfa Publishing.
Uysal, B. (2015). Child and Crime: Crime Psychology Based on the Story “The First Murder.” Gazi University, Ankara.