Can Psychopathic Traits Predict Homicidal Behavior in Male Murderers?

Background: The Increase in homicide has made criminologists think about basis of this crime. It seems the most successful, prolific killers are extraordinarily ordinary. Method: This research was carried out as cross-sectional study among 136 male criminal inmates in Tehran prisons. These individuals are evaluated by using SCL-90-R. Results: Most of these individuals were within 30-37 age range with an average age of 33.6. About 87% of them had psychological traits, among which aggression, anxiety, and somatization were the most abundant (P < 0.01). Conclusion: This investigation clearly shows that majority of the cases in our study suffer from some of psychological traits such as aggression, depression, paranoia etc. Although according to Islamic Criminal Law, these psychological traits do not result in a reduction in penalty responsibility, but supposing in the presence of mild psychological disorders or traits, tendency to commit more severe crimes such as homicide may increase.