Assignment: Psychological Aspects of Criminal Behavior

Recognizing Mental Illness and Substance Abuse: The Keen Family

Your Name

Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Walden University

CRJS-4102: The Criminal Mind

Thomas Kelley

January 31, 2021

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Recognizing Mental Illness and Substance Abuse: The Keen Family

A mental illness or disorder is defined as a combination of a broad group of psychological

states that to various degrees obstruct the development of human health. A substance use disorder

refers to drug dependency in the sense that the body has reached a point where a drug or alcohol

is needed to function normally (Bartol & Bartol, 2017). The Keen family displays signs of

mental disorders, from lack of empathy and respect for themselves and others to behaving

aggressively and violently. They also have drug and alcohol usage problems that affect their

everyday lives. They do not fit within the norms of what is acceptable in society, they act with

risk-taking behavior and the parents have no control over their usage amounts. Drug treatment

and psychological evaluations of this family would be a start to helping them adapt to what is

expected of them from society.

The Keen Family Parents

A psychopath is a person that exhibits a different pattern of conduct that varies in its degree

of sensitivity, empathy, sympathy, and feeling guilty that is different from the general population.

The father, Joseph shows signs of psychopathy behavior and is an alcoholic. When not in prison

he frequents bars and his drinking affects his life, it lowers his inhibitions when it comes to self-

control and intensifies his violent behavior. He shows signs of a narcissistic and antisocial

personality disorder as well. A narcissus will show patterns of a need for people to respect them

and lacks empathy for others (Robitz, 2018). Joseph has a great sense of self-importance, a sense

of entitlement, and a lack of empathy for others. This is most likely what led him to strangle his

wife and why he is in prison. He feels as if he did no wrong like he had a right to do it, with no

remorse. This behavior also shows a sign of having an antisocial personality disorder. This is

someone who has a habit of disregarding others' rights or abusing them (Bartol & Bartol, 2017).

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He does not stick to social expectations, he lies and deceives women and has done so repeatedly,

besides behaving impulsively.

Our immediate environment and surroundings influence our thoughts and behaviors. There

are internal factors that contribute to our behavior as well. The mother, Sandra has been an

alcoholic most of her adult life, she is so severe that she even drank during both her pregnancies.

She became addicted to opiates after being prescribed them after a car accident. Her job at the

hospital did not help with her addiction to opiates, giving her easy access to them and tempting

her, ultimately leading to her stealing them and losing her job. It is also the reason she is on

probation. Substance abuse lowers our restraint mechanisms when it comes to wrong behavior,

her physical dependency on the drug only makes it harder for her to do the right thing.

The Keen Children

Situational influences have a significant effect on human behavior, including social roles and

social norms. Psychological and/or behavioral theories assume that reinforcers and punishers

work the same regardless of age or developmental stage. While cognitive theories center on how

over time our mental processes or cognitions change (Bartol & Bartol, 2017). The Keen’s adult

daughter Tracey has watched her father’s violent outburst with her mother conditioning her to

think this behavior is acceptable. She too can become violent and has mimicked her father’s

violent ways when she attacked a high school teacher. Intimate partner violence (IPV) can be the

result of learned helplessness or reactive depression which may contribute to her diagnosis of

bipolar disorder. In addition to possibly being a reason for her violent and irrational behavior.

Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder that causes irregular changes in mood, motivation, levels of

activity, concentration, and the ability to perform everyday tasks (NIH, n.d.). Besides the

example her mother has set by stealing from her job has contributed to Tracey’s criminal

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behavior. She is on probation for writing bad checks which in her mind was okay because it was

to support her three-year-old daughter.

Both Keen children may have had Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) from their

mother drinking during pregnancy. This can cause many learning and behavior problems during

the teen years. Furthermore, the lack of oxygen and nutrition drinking causes for the unborn

babies causing neurological damage to the children. Throughout childhood, they may struggle

with interpersonal boundaries (The Recovery Village, 2020). The son Shawn, like his father,

shows signs of psychopathy behavior only unlike his father he seems more like a secondary

psychopath. Because of serious emotional issues or internal conflicts, he has had in life it has

caused him to perform antisocial actions. He also gets defiant when asked to do things in school

this may be a dyssocial psychopath behavior he is displaying. His at-home life may have given

the means to or caused him to become antisocial he is also expressing adherence to authority and

aggression towards others. This may be due to what he has seen concerning social learning at

home. He is also starting to show signs of a future alcoholic or substance abuser. At 17-years-old

he is already drinking with the consent of his mother and smoking marijuana. His experimental

substance use issues are only going to get worse if not addressed.

Social learning theory is a theory of human actions based on learning in the social

environment from studying others. This contributes to the growth of one’s perceptions, feelings,

desires, competencies, and values of a person (Bartol & Bartol, 2017). Criminal behavior's

developmental pathways are the different tracks people follow that contribute to antisocial

behavior. All Social, behavioral, and cognitive factors interact with the psychological factors that

can cause criminal behavior. If not addressed and/or treated early in life families in society will

continue to have the same problems with criminal behavior that the Keen family does. A quote

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from the show Criminal Minds (2016), says it best, “Sometimes we let the need to connect and

bond with our families, trump any kinds of judgment… That’s more powerful than anyone can

understand.”

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References

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2017). Criminal behavior: A psychological approach (11th ed.).

Boston, MA: Pearson

NIH. (n.d.). Bipolar disorder: Overview. Retrieved from

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml

Robitz, R. (2018). What are personality disorders? Retrieved from

https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/personality-disorders/what-are-

personality- disorders

The Recovery Village. (2020, December 11). How fetal alcohol syndrome affects adulthood.

Retrieved from https://www.therecoveryvillage.com/alcohol-abuse/side-effects/fetal-

alcohol-syndrome-affects-adulthood/

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