This article examines the importance of the typology of criminals based on their psychological traits. The author believes that this classification can help law enforcement develop more effective strategies for investigating crimes, interrogating suspects, and working out rehabilitation programs.

Keywords: criminology, offender, criminal typology, behavior analysis, psychological approach, type of personality, criminal’s personality.

While all offenders break the law, they have different motivations and behaviors. Typology of wrongdoers is an important tool for every stage of interaction with perpetrators, from initial investigation to assisting with their rehabilitation. Identifying common traits among certain types of criminals allows law enforcement to develop strategies to enhance crime prevention efforts and improve their efficiency.

The personality of a criminal is a complex and controversial topic in criminology, legal psychology and medicine. In scientific literature, the personality of a perpetrator is considered to be a set of individual characteristics of a person who has already committed a crime once or continues to commit crimes.

“Typologies can help with crime prevention and correctional efforts. The success of these efforts depends on accurately identifying and addressing the specific problems that lead to different types of lawbreaking behavior” [1].

Every criminal as human being is unique. However, all criminals can be divided into some groups based on one or more common traits they have.

In his scientific article «Criminological Classification and Typology of Criminal Personality: The Current State of the Problem», A. K. Artamonov points out that “the current classification of criminals in criminology does not fully capture all the characteristics and traits that lead to criminal behavior. Therefore, for individual prevention purposes, such a classification is not effective, as it does not account for the variety of criminal activity. Instead, a more effective approach would be to use the typology of offenders” [2].

Each offender’s personality can be described by several factors: the type of crime he or she committed, the form of guilt and motivation for committing an unlawful act, the way of perpetrating the crime , and the psychological attitude (mindset) of the criminal to the illegal act he or she committed [3].

There are three main criteria to categorize criminals into three different groups based on the degree of their social maladjustment, the depth and persistence of their anti-social orientation, and their motivation. For clarity, these criteria are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

Criteria for the typology of criminals

Before revealing the features of these groups, it is necessary to mention one of the most important postulates accepted in modern criminologyand related to the research of the criminal's personality.

It states that a person does not come into this world as a criminal, but rather becomes one. Of course, genetics play a role in the development of aggression or impulsiveness, but it does not determine criminal behavior. Biological predisposition may be just one of the factors leading to antisocial actions. The impact of social, economic, and psychological factors affecting and forming personality is far more influential.

Every criminal act reveals the will, aspirations, needs, habits, and views of the person committed it.

The first group, which classifies criminals based on the degree of their social maladjustment, is characterized by the following typology.

1. Asocial type (less violent). Some law researchers describe this category of criminals as those who commit a crime for the first time due to a set of unfortunate circumstances. These individuals do not intentionally cause harmful consequences. Others believe that these criminals are in lack of positive social influences and attitudes that could prevent asocial behavior in challenging situations. We agree that asocial criminals have a lower risk of involvement in criminal activity again compared to other types of offenders.

Often, while being in confinement under guard, antisocial criminals come into contact with professional criminals, such as recidivists who specialize in fraud or theft. These professionals with their skills of manipulation and survival in a criminal environment usually consider an antisocial offender as an easy target to achieve their goals. They may exploit his or her inexperience, threaten a newcomer with violence, or use blackmail. An antisocial offender, who has no experience with such interactions and protective mechanisms, can easily become a victim of exploitation.

Interaction with violent criminals can be particularly dangerous for antisocial offenders. The propensity for aggression and brutality of the former make antisocial criminals easy targets for violence, especially if they are not prepared to defend themselves.

It is important to note that despite their common characteristics, antisocial offenders can vary significantly in their personality traits. This can affect their ability to cooperate and interact with others.

2. Anti-social type (more violent). These individuals repeatedly engage in criminal activity and have a negative attitude towards society. They often exhibit aggressive behavior, lack control over their actions, and suffer from emotional volatility and impulsivity. These individuals require emotional stimulation and are unable to tolerate delays in meeting their needs. The threat of punishment by the state do not deter them from committing further crimes. Their misguided sense of social norms, such as taking compassion as a sign of weakness or placing the value of the person lower than other priorities, stimulate their negative outlook on life.

The interaction between antisocial individuals and other types of criminals is likely to involve their dominance and exploitation of the latter, whose passivity due to situational factors or lack of social skills makes them an easy target for the antisocial individual.

3. Type with mental disorders. These are people with some defects in their psychological self-regulation. Many criminals of this category are characterized by the defects in recognition, rating, predicting performance and decision-making, weak self-control, poor self-criticism, and emotional instability. There are some subgroups of this type including people who: a) commit criminal negligence or inaction; b) violate the law as a result of their needless self-confidence; c) commit an unlawful act as a result of a strong emotional stimulation or in response to someone's illegal actions. These character traits form the careless and irresponsible attitude of potential criminals towards their civil and professional duties.

The second group differentiates the personality types of criminals according to the depth and consistency of their anti-social attitudes. It is divided into three subgroups.

1. Accidental type. Criminals who fall within this category committed a first-time offense. Their general personality characteristic is socially positive, and the crime was committed as a result of a combination of circumstances [4].

The interaction between accidental criminals and hardened, violent, and antisocial individuals is absolutely undesirable and poses a significant danger. These individuals, who are skilled in manipulation and violence, can exploit accident criminals to achieve their objectives ranging from extortion to physical and psychological abuse. The lack of experience in dealing with such individuals makes accidental criminals extremely vulnerable. Therefore, the idea of general detention of accidental criminals and hardened ones should be considered unacceptably from the perspective of the safety and rehabilitation of the former.

2. Unstable type. This describes the type of persons who committed their first serious crimes, but had committed less serious offenses before. The threat of punishment and the fear of future negative consequences can effectively deter unstable criminals from committing further crimes, which makes them different from inveterate criminals, who demonstrate a high resistance to social control [5].

It is essential to minimize their contact with violent criminals and repeat offenders to prevent recidivism. These individuals have a profoundly negative impact, as their propensity for violence and manipulation can lead an unstable individual to repeat offences. In such an environment, a first-time offender may lose motivation to rehabilitate and reinforce negative attitudes.

3. Hardened type. These criminals perpetrated numerous crimes and are in constant opposition to society's interests.

Hardened criminals, who often occupy leading positions in the unofficial hierarchy in a prison, can use their power to control other cellmates. They may engage them in illegal activities or exercise psychological pressure.

Those who have difficulty in adapting to society or lack experience in a criminal environment are especially susceptible to this pressure. These individuals can easily succumb to the influence and become involved in criminal activities.

The third typology is based on the criminal’s motivation to commit a crime. In his context, we tell the difference between the following subgroups.

1. Violent type. Aggression is a key trait for those who commit violent crimes. They often demonstrate an emotional release, as a rule in a state of passion, jealousy, revenge, or insult. These individuals often use violence as a way of asserting themselves or achieving their goals. Hooligan crimes are characterized by the lack of motivation to act lawfully due to the increased aggression they feel. Violent sexual crimes can be a sign of psychopathy or problems with nurturing.

Destructive actions often come from a critical life event, when a person's system of values collapses and his or her self-concept crumbles. In these situations, the person may feel motivated to act violently considering violence as the only way to cope with an unbearable psychological state. It is important to note that this behavior is often linked to a subjective perception of reality rather than an objective assessment of the situation [6].

2. Mercenary type. From a psychological point of view, people who commit mercenary crimes are more socially adapted than violent criminals. They are less impulsive, experience less affect as well as have less anxiety and dissatisfaction with their social status. The aggressiveness of those thieves who belong to the representatives of mercenary criminals is lower than that of violent ones. They are more able to control their behavior. Many thieves have a relatively good orientation in social norms and requirements. They are sociable, eager to establish contacts and do not feel guilty. One of the conditions for the development of such a personality is the weakening of social control.

Mercenary criminals can make a harmful impact on accident offenders as their cynicism and pragmatism distort the perceptions of social norms and values.

3. Playful type. It is characterized by a constant desire for risk, seeking for excitement associated with danger, and the need to engage in risky activities. Some scientists believe that this is a subtype of mercenary criminals, while others differentiate such a personality separately.

Taking into account the above, we should note that criminals’ personality type is a key factor in determining the compatibility and potential influence of prisoners on each other. If the neighborhood is uncontrolled, it can lead to an increase in violence and destabilization. In addition to main personality traits, it is necessary to consider how compatible they are and whether their interaction can have a positive or negative impact on each other.

The American authors of scientific articles identify an extra criterion not mentioned in Russian-language literature, and that is geographic one.

Here is what one of the authors writes: “At its core, geographic profiling involves the examination of crime scenes, particularly their geographic distribution, to infer characteristics about the offender. This methodology assumes that criminals often operate within a familiar geographic range, leaving spatial clues that can be analyzed to deduce their potential residence or operational area” [7].

In conclusion, we would like to note that while typologies are a useful starting point for understanding criminal behavior, they should not be considered as strict classifications. A more dynamic psychological approach is needed to develop effective crime prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation strategies.

This approach should analyze a wide variety of factors that contribute to criminal behavior, including complex interactions between personal, social, and environmental factors. The goal of this approach is not just to categorize offenders, but understand the sources of their behavior and develop interventions to address them.

Continuous research and improvement of those methods are necessary to make the accuracy of understanding the causes of crime and develop effective ways of combatting it.

It is important to respect the dignity and rights of all people, regardless of their background or previous actions. By working together, we can build a safer and fairer society, in which potential for positive changes of each criminal will be considered and taken into account. In our opinion, this could become a starting point and a basis for resocialization.

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