Sociopathic Tendencies

A unique fact that many people do not want to hear is that all human beings have sociopathic tendencies, however it is the individuals who act out on the criminal and perverse thinking that are considered to be truly crazy.  With this being said, let’s look at what the medical professionals and other scholars characterize a sociopath as.  First, the most known behavior that is associated with antisocial or sociopathic behavior is the lack of remorse or inability to care for the welfare of others.  Second, the other characteristics are described as being self-centered, having little or no sense of responsibility, emotional immaturity, and reoccurring behavior even after punishment.  As all of these “symptoms” are displayed through the work of police officers it can be suggested that they are sociopaths.  Although the sociopathic mentality during policing may be required, and certainly necessary at times, many of the law enforcement officers in the local, county, state, and federal agencies exhibit this type of behavior on a daily basis, which in turn means that the day-to-day activities of contemporary policing are conducted by crazy people. 

When one researches the conduct in any of the aforementioned law enforcement officials, the ideas of sociopathic tendencies should come to light.  However, much of the reasonableness (thoughts about police officers being a crazy person) is subdued or hindered because of the depiction or propaganda that the criminal justice system, media, laws, and other societal standards portray throughout the communities in the United States.  By now you may be wondering how the previously mentioned sociopathic tendencies are attributes of the modern-day law enforcers.  Easily done by giving an example of a common occurence; when a police officer uses their discretion to arrest someone the guilt that should be normal is not present.  Meaning that when a criminal justice professional decides to detain and charge an offender with a crime the feelings and thoughts (behavior) that they exhibit are not thoughts/behaviors of remorse or guilt, definitely self-centered, and not geared towards the welfare of others ( regarding the criminal offender to be precise, not the general idea of helping out the community).  Some will argue that arresting a person who has committed a crime is not the sociopathic behavior that is previously mentioned because of the necessary enforcement of laws; however this is how the use of the propaganda and instruments of society (laws, media, and societal standards) become relevant.  When there is a society that has common values and standards (in the United States this is done mostly by laws), then the sociopathic behavior to combat those who step outside of these rules is accepted.  Again, after learning about this information this is when many people stand up and shout out comments about how social control is needed, but if this is your mentality you have missed the point of the discussion entirely.  The idea that is being proposed is that the actions of police officers are sociopathic, but the sociopathic behaviors are approved of by members of society.  This is not a discussion about changing policing strategies that are used.  It is merely an educational blog that has intentions of showing how the behavior of the police officers in the United States is very similar to the behavior of the criminals in American society.  For example, and once again, when police officers arrest a criminal offender many of the actions/thoughts that are undergone are not ones of remorse or guilt, in respect to what will happen to the offender after his or her arrest, which is a sociopathic tendency, the difference is that the officers' “crazy” behaviors are permitted.

More interestingly, this is one of my favorite topics in the criminal justice system, specifically it is one that many practitioners  who are involved with the system will not participate in or acknowledge.  Hence the reason for not having a more detailed blog, regardless of what the so-called professionals think, the fact remains that the behavior of the police officers in American society is demonstrable evidence of what sociopathic tendencies are.  Happy New Year!