Should We Humanize Inhuman Acts?
KEY POINTS
- I Am A Killer is a docuseries that gives a nuanced account of murders from multiple points of view.
- There are often many, layered factors that lead people up to the point at which they commit terrible crimes.
- If we want to prevent crimes, we need to understand and fix the problems that create the humans who commit those crimes.
- While people should be held accountable, their crimes were committed within a context that needs to be understood.
As a psychologist, especially one who has spent a large portion of my career in forensics, it’s not a huge surprise to me that I enjoy memoirs, documentaries, and docuseries. Real-life stories give us access to the incredible diversity of human experience.
When Netflix and Crime+Investigation UK released the docuseries I Am A Killer, I was intrigued, but the premise of I Am A Killer is (deceptively) simple and I admit I was initially skeptical. The summary on Netflix states “Death row inmates convicted of capital murder give firsthand accounts of their crimes in this documentary series.” Because American culture, and TV media in general, tends to sensationalize stories and depict them in largely binary terms–good versus evil–I wondered if this might be just another dehumanizing depiction of a bad guy. Or equally as bad, an overly sentimental, no-accountability view of people who commit crimes. As someone who spent much of my career evaluating and working with people who have committed crimes, I can attest that life is complex and people are as well. Unfortunately, this nuanced picture is rarely depicted.
I decided to give it a go, and I’m not at all sorry I did. The convicted murderers, most of them on death row in states with the death penalty, share their versions of the killings in question, as well as their thoughts and feelings about it today. But we also hear from prosecutors, attorneys, law enforcement officials, friends, and family who all share their versions, thoughts, and the impact of the crime.
What results is surprisingly nuanced. As an audience, we expect a story that’s simple–one that will evoke predictable and clear-cut feelings about everyone involved. A person killed someone else and was convicted for it. End of story. We expect to feel anger, outrage, and repulsion about the killer, and sadness, compassion, and horror about the victim. Thankfully, the show often doesn’t give us what we expect. We do always feel sadness for the victims and grief for the loved ones left behind. But how we (and the victims’ families) feel about the perpetrators is not always so cut-and-dry. There are often many, layered factors that lead people up to the point at which they commit terrible crimes, and the show helps us to sit with the discomfort of seeing the humanity in many of the criminals.
Read the full available article on Psychology Today
Reflection: Have you ever watched a series that has given you a new perspective on life and why people do what they do?
*I have watched "It's okay not to be okay" that promotes emotional healing and " Juvenile Justice" and it gave me a profound understanding as to why some young people commit crimes.*
#Crimes #Accountable #PointOfView
@professionalVision2624
the whole post can be triggering to many. I personally, can't watch that stuff.
@LostTurtle22
I understand :/ Thank you for your comment! <3
@professionalVision2624 This is so true. Tht's a reason why I believe restorative justice can be so effective and useful.
Punishing the killer won't bring the victim back and -lte's be honest- won't prevent them from commiting a similar crime in the future. According to some, it only happens for the victim's family to feel better.
It is crucial that we accept the nature of a crime and the reasons that lead a person do it in therapy and education for longterm crime prevention.
Thank you for the post!
@calmDew1576
Yes! I agree with you! It's important that we do get a good insight into criminals pshyce to be able to understand why they commit crimes rather than only zooming in with punishment. Since this is the way we can prevent others from commiting other or the same crimes.
@professionalVision2624 It's amazing how the chemistry in our brain really changes how a person can act. I think there are criminals who really can't control what happens in their lives and it's a shame that they end up where they do. I am definitely not condoning crime, but some criminals really do suffer from serious mental illness and they would probably do better in intensive therapy than in jail. So much of their childhood is out of their control and it shapes who they become.
@fruityPond7887
That's an amazing perspective to have! Thank you for commenting
