Unraveling the relationship between personality and crime : a professionals’ perspective

Abstract

When an offender commits a crime, the offender will be prosecuted and given a sentence according to the harm done. The role of personality and its relationship to crime is the main focus of the study. It sought to investigate how personalities can come to influence one to commit crimes. This study sought to explore this relationship by delving into the experiences of different mental health professionals that have an extensive history of working with offenders. The data collected from the interviews was analysed through thematic analysis to determine the salient themes and subthemes that could be identified in the research. The themes identified were Traits of Offenders, Intelligence in different types of Crimes, Experiences leading to crime, and the role of mental health in crimes. This study also includes recommended measures on personality-crime relationship regarding the importance of additional research on the topic, more qualified and trained experts, early interventions and more programmes and structures.