The Crime
In 2013, an eighteen-year-old teenager, who was found guilty of raping a sixteen-year-old girl denied the crime. The girl woke up to find the boy raping her. The girl asserted that she was asleep and, therefore, did not consent to any act. The girl had adequate evidence that the boy had raped her. However, the boy emphasized that he had done nothing. The fact that the sexual crime was committed while the boy was sleepwalking, may suggest that the act has an association with sexsomnia (Eck and Weisburd, 1995).
Causes for the Crime
By raping the girl and claiming later that he had sexsomnia and was sleepwalking, this might be some form of self-actualisation. Through the rape, the boy might have been in a process of self- fulfilment. This means that the boy is a potential rapist and is, therefore, being actualised into what his potential being is. It is worth pointing out that the desire for creative fulfilment is usually greater than major basic needs. To prove his innocence and maintain his integrity and self-esteem, the boy blames sleep and sexomnia.
According to Abraham Maslow (Winfree & Abadinsky, 1996), several needs should be met for an individual to be satisfied (Winfree & Abadinsky, 1996). People have motivations within them, which make them aggressive in meeting their needs (Cressey and Ward, 1969). The hierarchy of needs is presented in a pyramid. On fulfilling some needs, people graduate to other needs, such as security and safety. The desire to have sex is one of the needs discussed by Maslow. Every individual needs to feel loved, intimate with other people, and maintain friendships with peers (Barlow, 1995). Needs motivate various actions; the boy needed to involve himself sexually with the girl. Consequently, he ended up raping her.
According to Attachment Theory, the majority of sex offenders have insecure attachments during childhood. In this case, the boy might have had an insecure childhood and, therefore, engaged in the act for self-interest (Winfree and Abadinsky, 1996). By engaging in rape, the boy was seeking some attachment and appreciation. Individuals who lack attachment during their childhood may use forceful means to acquire it in adulthood.
The Criminal Justice System
Criminal justice experts should first assess the boy’s level of attachment during his childhood, before passing judgement. There are several theories, which elaborate on why people engage in crime. Some social and environmental factors result in criminal behaviour. According to classical theory, every individual has free will and can engage in rational choice. However, some people are driven by social and psychological forces, even when they know the impacts of their acts. It is worth noting that criminals can make rational decisions. However, they engage in crime where they know there are no effective deterrence and punishment systems.
The criminal justice system should assess why the factors that contributed to the rape crime. There is a need to understand that environmental and genetic factors may result in a crime. Knowing these factors is useful in determining the individual’s rationality, and formulating effective disciplinary measures. In addition, they should offer advice to the guardians on how to help the boy. According to Agnew (2006), the recommended strategies for helping the boy include empathy training, cognitive distortions, autobiography, arousal control, and offence pathway.
Conclusion
Various factors lead to criminal acts. Human beings have various levels of needs. Lack of adequate attachment during childhood may make an individual a criminal. The criminal justice system should assess an individual’s background before passing judgement.
References
Agnew, R 2006, Pressured into crime: An overview of general strain theory, Oxford University Press, USA.
Barlow, HD 1995, Crime and public policy: Putting theory to work, Westview Press, New York.
Cressey, DR & Ward, DA 1969, Delinquency, crime, and social process, Harper & Row, New York.
Eck, JE & Weisburd, D 1995, “Crime places in crime theory”, Crime and place, crime prevention studies, vol. 4, pp. 1-33.
Winfree, LT & Abadinsky, H 1996, Understanding crime: Theory and practice, Nelson-Hall Publishers, New York.