| Getting
Inside a Criminal's Mind
Kate
O'Brien
Each
individual in a society is ruled by standardisation. Why
conform to the norm when one can stand apart? Individuality
sets the scene, creates the characters and tells the story.
She must sift through the lies to find the truth, uncover
the problem and discover reality. She is a forensic psychologist,
helping those in need, investigating the truth and informing
the rest of society about individuality.
Kate
O'Brien and Dr Anita Duffy (r) |
Dr.
Anita Duffy works in a private practice and spends her
days interviewing and assessing people who have been involved
in a large variety of different crimes. It is her job
to uncover the truth about these individuals and provide
us with an insight into their behaviour. She is not looking
for excuses or providing justification for wrongs; she
is simply looking for insight into the truth about people,
their pasts, themselves and their actions.
Usually,
Anita is employed by her clients’ solicitors, and very
rarely by the prosecution. She interviews each person
either in a correctional facility or in her office, and
conducts some basic assessments of their personality and
abilities. It is hard to believe that in a very short
period she can gain enough insight to assess an individual’s
character. However, she insists that her job is made easier
by the fact that most people are generally willing to
offer information about themselves. Anita believes that
this is because most people are grateful to have the chance
to explain their actions and be listened to.
After
a session with a client, reports are compiled and passed
onto the client’s solicitor. Solicitors often use Anita’s
analysis of their client to make their own arguments about
the defendant. In contrast, Anita has heard a few stories
of her reports being “shoved in the bottom drawer and
never seeing the light of day again” as a result of her
saying uncomplimentary (yet true) comments about clients.
However, solicitors and their clients are generally happy
with any insight she can provide.
When
asked about interesting or bizarre cases, Anita retorts
there are too many to tell. She asserts that they are
all interesting in their own way as everyone has a different
past making us all unique individuals. Anita’s clients
are people who have committed various offences from shoplifting,
fraud and assault to murder. She admits that many are
similar stories, involving different forms, featuring
other people.
It
is not always easy to push personal beliefs and prejudices
aside. Anita simply smiles and says, “I try to keep an
open mind. That person is the person of focus and you
can see that they have had a really terrible life that
led them to do whatever they have done. To try to understand
how that came about is really the issue.” Anita also believes
that her reports are extremely useful in assessing the
best way to assist a client.
Anita
herself does not provide any private therapy or treatment.
This is the job of other people more qualified and specialised
in that arena. After the truth has been sought from the
client, she recommends the best avenue of treatment for
these people. Anita admits that sometimes her job can
be very difficult as time is the essence and resources
are limited. Money is an issue with free facilities often
not specific or effective enough in serving each individual.
Until more resources can be made available for those in
need, Anita’s work appears to be an uphill battle.
Nevertheless,
do not mention this to Anita; she is as passionate about
her job today as she was when she started twenty years
ago. You can hear it in her voice and see it in her enthusiasm
to help those she can. Anita is quick to answer when asked
whether she ever finds her job monotonous. “No, everyone’s
different,” she assures me. She admits that she often
gets worried about people whom she sees making the same
mistakes again and again; however she is never discouraged.
“They’re all individuals. They’ve all had different lives,
experienced different paths and they’ve got different
personalities. It’s always interesting…”
Could
you set aside all that you believe to help another? Think
you are passionate enough to do this? If so, then perhaps
you are another special one…
Originally
published in
A
day in the Life Sciences in Australia
|
