Materialism causing rise in criminal behaviour: Experts

In wake of the recent cases of violence in the city criminologists and criminal psychologists argue that contemporary societyrsquos materialism weakens self and social control leading to a psychological condition known as lsquoGrandiose Behaviourrsquo This evolves into a lsquoGod Complexrsquo where individuals believe they are superior and can act without consequencesAdverse impact on societyDr Arvind Tiwari professor and dean School of Law Rights and Constitutional Governance Tata Institute of Social Sciences highlighted the impulsive outbreak of violent aggression impacting society and causing a sense of insecurity Factors like frequent shootouts and a lack of fear of the law contribute to a concerning lawlessness situationldquoThe shootout at Chunabhatti Ulhasnagar firing incident inside a police officerrsquos cabin and the recent Avinash Ghosalkar shoot out case raise concerns of a situation of lawlessnessDr Madhava Soma Sundaram professor Manonmaniam Sundaranar University right Dr Tiwari TISSlsquoGoals and MeansrsquoldquoSecondly societal changes where in growing materialism and weakening selfcontrol have contributed towards behavioural change Also when a person is unable to achieve hisher goals through socially acceptable means they adapt themselves to act out in a deviant manner to meet the desired goalrdquo said Dr TiwariPrison reformldquoOvercrowded state prisons hinder classification and diversification of prisoners leading petty offenders to become habitual and eventually hardcore criminals The approved criminal laws BNSS BSA and BNS aim to address this offering new punishment methods and the potential for prisons to become true reformative centersrdquo explained Dr Tiwari3rdparty audit not happeningldquoLongstanding lack of thirdparty auditing in prison reformation programs necessitates the implementation of an audit mechanism The use of psychological measurement scales to assess reformation traits is paramount Recent security concerns postattacks in prisons hinder genuine researchersrsquo access The Ministry of Home at the Centre must address this for the larger interest of research academicians and prisonersrsquo welfare introducing resultoriented strategies to transform inmates into responsible productive citizensrdquo urged Dr TiwariBlame societal changeldquoThe law addresses the criminal act but the criminal mindset reflects societal influences and responses Aggressive conduct stems from childhood isolation and lack of parental care Society is moving towards aggressionoriented conduct and this shift is to blame Assailants believe they can escape legal consequences leading to unacceptable villainous behaviour Moreover judicial delays deny justice and fuel criminal recurrence Addressing ethical issues within families and society is crucial to prevent criminal behaviour The current punitive focus of our justice system raises concernsrdquo said Dr G K Goswami Director Uttar Pradesh State Institute of Forensic Science UPSIFSStringent audit of firearms ldquoEasy availability of firearms indicates a demandsupply chain fuelled by unaccounted funds The flaws in the arms licensing system contribute to the use of unregistered firearms in criminal acts emphasising the urgency for police intervention and stringent audit measuresrdquo says Dr P Madhava Soma Sundaram founder Professor department of criminology and criminal justice at Manonmaniam Sundaranar UniversityGrandiose behaviourldquoIn the recent shootout cases it is evident that the assailants had a feeling of being above the rule of law They had the feeling that they had power or access to power with money without realising that they were victims of an abnormal psychological disease called lsquoGrandiose Behaviour This behaviour is characterised by a sense of specialness and selfimportance and boasts about real or exaggerated accomplishments Individuals gradually develop a lsquoGod Complexrsquo and believe they possess exceptional power over others and can get away doing anythingrdquo Dr Madhava concluded