CRIMINOLOGICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND ETHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF DOMINANT-SUBORDINATE RELATIONS IN THE ‟AGGRESSOR-VICTIM” DYAD

Abstract

The investigation of sexual crimes against minor children is the most complicated and responsible work of the investigation. Children who have been involved in criminal acts experience severe stress and mental shock, suffer from borderline personality disorders and even worse mental disorders. Without professional social and medical care, in adolescence and adulthood the depression, neurosis, self-blame, anxiety and guilt they experience are aggravated. It is not uncommon that they lock themselves in, try to hide information because they are afraid of publicity. Working with victims requires empathy, understanding and empathy for their difficult life situation. Sexual abuse of a child includes many criminogenic, social and psychological factors that form the picture of the crime. Learned helplessness and submission appear in disharmonious child-parent relationships and can form the victim’s subordinating behaviour towards the molester. The authors give a description and mechanisms of the emergence of the behavioural pattern ‟submission – dominance”. The aspects of pathological socio-psychological relations from the side of ethology, psychology and criminology are analysed. They give examples from their own practice on victimisation of minor children. The article may be of interest to psychologists, law enforcement and supervisory authorities, lawyers, medical psychologists and psychotherapists.