Crimes happen every day, all across the world, and many different types of people commit crimes. For a crime to be committed, in the eyes of the law, the person must have a mens rea, the intent on doing said crime, and an actus reus, which is actually committing the crime itself (“Mens Rea”, para. 2). If the person is missing either of those two elements, they have not actually perpetrated a crime. It is not uncommon for people to think about doing a crime, whether it is a thought about hurting someone who wronged them to thinking about doing something illegal to obtain more goods or money. However, just thinking about doing those types of things does not make a person a criminal because no actual crime has been performed. There are also cases,
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Studies have shown that brain structure and function, especially low levels of serotonin, play a role in someone’s likelihood to be impulsive with low self-control (Conklin, J., 2013). In the case of volitional insanity, the person knows that something is wrong but cannot stop themselves from doing it. That person could have already low levels of serotonin and then have a further decrease in it, causing them to temporarily go insane and perform a crime. These different imbalances in chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine have been shown to be linked to genetics because the parents of that individual are also likely to have abnormal chemical levels as well (2013). These imbalances are likely a considerable factor in why individuals go insane, as many tend to become competent after taking medications that balance out those chemicals, such as in the case of Kelsey Patterson. He would go into mental facilities often and while he was there, taking the medications, he would be competent, but when he was off of it, he resumed his insane behaviors. Andrea Yates, who will be mentioned in greater detail later, also stopped taking her medications two days before she committed her crimes. While there are certainly other factors in whether or not a person will be insane at the time of their crime, brain chemicals are definitely an element for some individual’s
Studies have shown that brain structure and function, especially low levels of serotonin, play a role in someone’s likelihood to be impulsive with low self-control (Conklin, J., 2013). In the case of volitional insanity, the person knows that something is wrong but cannot stop themselves from doing it. That person could have already low levels of serotonin and then have a further decrease in it, causing them to temporarily go insane and perform a crime. These different imbalances in chemicals like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine have been shown to be linked to genetics because the parents of that individual are also likely to have abnormal chemical levels as well (2013). These imbalances are likely a considerable factor in why individuals go insane, as many tend to become competent after taking medications that balance out those chemicals, such as in the case of Kelsey Patterson. He would go into mental facilities often and while he was there, taking the medications, he would be competent, but when he was off of it, he resumed his insane behaviors. Andrea Yates, who will be mentioned in greater detail later, also stopped taking her medications two days before she committed her crimes. While there are certainly other factors in whether or not a person will be insane at the time of their crime, brain chemicals are definitely an element for some individual’s