The construct of crime is difficult to define due to cultural variations (
1,
2). It is legally described as intentional acts that violate criminal law, committed without defense, and penalized by the state (
3). Traditional views on crime often face criticism for favoring powerful societal groups over moral norms (
4). Crime manifests in various forms such as personal crimes (e.g., murder, robbery), property crimes (e.g., burglary, theft), consensual or victimless crimes (e.g., prostitution, illegal gambling), white-collar crimes (e.g., embezzlement, fraud), organized crimes (e.g., kidnapping, human trafficking), juvenile delinquency (crimes by those under 18), cybercrime (e.g., cyber terrorism, Internet fraud), and public safety violations (
5).
Theorists often examine common traits among criminals when studying criminal behavior. Biological theories suggest that criminals are inherently predisposed to crime due to distinct biological characteristics. Sociological theories attribute criminal behavior to social opportunities and inequalities. Anthropological theories explore the influence of social relationships, class stratification, rapid social change, resource access, division of labor, colonized societies, power differentials, and wealth. Economic theories focus on cost-benefit analysis, proposing that individuals commit crimes when benefits surpass potential consequences. Psychological theories consider individualized and subjective factors such as cognition, personality, psychopathology, and positive reinforcement (
1,
3-
6).
Genetics and psychosocial variables both influence criminality. Men are more likely to commit crimes (
1,
7). Psychopathy and sociopathy are also linked to criminal activity, particularly antisocial personality disorder (
8,
9). Criminals exhibit chronic lying, lack of empathy, conditional love, blame-shifting, irresponsibility, intolerance, and poor self-control. Impulsivity, sensation-seeking, cognitive-social anxiety, antagonism, and violence are also common (
10). Childhood environment, inconsistent love and discipline, physical abuse, maternal smoking during pregnancy, low birth weight, perinatal trauma, child neglect, low parental attachment, family discord, substance abuse in the family, poor parental supervision, large family size, birth order, bed-wetting, school disciplinary issues, low academic performance, dropping out of school, and childhood lead exposure all contribute to criminal behavior (
7).
Criminal aptitude testing is essential in forensic psychology for identifying criminal inclinations. The existing literature lacks measures to test criminal aptitude in Urdu.