The relationship of pathological gambling to criminality behavior in a sample of Polish male offenders

Background

THE AIM OF STUDY:

Considering the data from the literature presented above I decide to form and empirically verify a hypothesis that incarcerated men with a diagnosis of pathological gambling are characterized by psychopathic personality disorders, alcohol problems and criminality activities.

Material and Methods

STUDY PARTICIPANTS:

Those examined constituted three numerically equal groups (each 30 strong) of adult men. The groups of participants included 90 men at the age of 26–52 convicted with a legally binding sentence, while the age range resulted first and foremost from the fact of being sentenced for a crime as well as the time period in which the activity undertaken by those tested connected with violation of legal norms lasted. And so, in Group 1 – the average patient age was 39 (SD=10, min 26; max 51), in Group 2–42 (SD=9, min.29, max 52) while in Group 3–33 years (SD=6, min. 26, max 38).

Moreover, all participants had to fulfil the following clinical criteria: a) be diagnosed with pathological gambling and/or antisocial personality disorders by a psychiatrist b) obtain a result in the PCL-R test; c) estimate the relationship between gambling problems and crime. Taking into consideration the above mentioned criteria three patient research groups were formed: 1) Group 1 which included those for whom gambling had led to crime, 2) Group 2 – where gambling was a part of a criminal lifestyle as well as 3) Group 3, in which it was unclear as to the two way relationship between gambling and crime.

METHODS:

With the aim of empirically verifying the formulated problems, the following research tools were used:

The Psychopathy Checklist – Revision (PCL-R) by Hare in the Polish adaptation by Pastwa-Wojciechowska. PCL-R [25] is commonly accepted as the most powerful instrument to detect and measure psychopathy, and there is a wide consensus that, for the moment, there is no other procedure that can be so accurate and so well-correlated with antisocial variables. PCL-R encompasses an unidimensional measure of the disorder with two correlated factors, one related to personality traits and the other portraying an antisocial lifestyle. Items are scored from 0 (the characteristic is not present) to 1 (some features are present but not the whole description) and 2 (the characteristic is fully present), through the combination of the results of a long semi-structured interview with file consultation in different institutional sources. According to Hare [25], total scores can be divided into three groups: less than 20: non-psychopaths; 20–29 mild psychopaths, and 30 or more – psychopaths.

Interviews – offenders were asked additional questions about their gambling behaviour, particularly as it related to their motivation, criminal histories, in an attempt to determine if there was a relationship between the onset of their criminal behaviour and gambling problem. The relationship between gambling problems and criminal behaviour was examined in face-to-face interviews. A semi-structured interview format was used and the interview results were coded and analyzed statistically.

Results

First of all we would like to present the results of participants in the PCL-R scale, describing the relationship between crime, gambling, antisocial personality disorders and psychopathy (Table 1). All those tested were diagnosed by psychiatrists in relation to the manifestation of diagnostic criteria of pathological gambling and antisocial personality disorders as well as the result of the PCL-R being taken into consideration. As the results obtained show all those tested belonging to Group 1 (gambling led to crime) fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of pathological gambling (100%) and antisocial personality disorders (100%) as well as obtaining a result of 30 points and above in the PCL-R. In Group 2 (gambling part of criminal lifestyle) 37% of those tested fulfilled the criteria of pathological gambling, 100% antisocial personality disorders and 63% obtained in the PCL-R test a result equal or above 30%. In Group 3 (unclear or two way relationship) 17% of those tested were diagnosed with pathological gambling while 7% had antisocial personality disorders. None of those tested in this group obtained a result above 30 points in the PCL-R questionnaire.

Subsequently an analysis was conducted into the intensification of psychopathic traits within the test groups (Table 2). And thus in Group 1 all of those tested (100%) achieved a PCL-R test result equal or above 30 points which indicates the diagnosis of psychopathy. While in Group 2 63% were diagnosed with psychopathy and 37% were confirmed as having a moderate escalation of psychopathy features. In Group 3, in 70% of those tested a low intensification of psychopathy features were noted while 30% of those tested obtained results indicating an absence of psychopathic features.

Next, I would like to present the results of participants in the PCL-R scale, describing the intensity and structure of psychopathic traits (Table 3). Factor 1 (describing the constellation of psychopathic personality traits) dominated in Group 1, while factor 2 (describing antisocial behaviour) dominated in Group 2 and 3.

Next the relationship between psychiatric diagnosis, gambling and crime (Table 4) was analysed. The analysis conducted of the medical and psychological documentation of those tested showed that in Group 1 the most often identified was the cooccurence of pathological gambling (100%), antisocial personality disorders (100%) as well addiction to nicotine (63%) and alcohol (27%). In Group 2 – in 100% of those tested antisocial personality disorders were diagnosed, 80% addiction to nicotine, 63% addiction to alcohol while in 37% pathological gambling. In Group 3 the most often diagnosed was addiction to nicotine (43%), alcohol (37%) as well as antisocial personality disorders (30%).

After analysis of the intensification and structure of psychopathy, the relationship between game participation, gambling and crime was subjected to analysis (Table 5). It occurs that for individuals where gambling led to crime the most dominant were forms of gambling like private card games (63%), casino card games (57%), games of skill (40%). Those from Group 2 for whom gambling is part of a criminal lifestyle made use the most often of Internet gambling (83%), private card games (70%) as well as sports lotteries (47%) while in Group 3 – similarly to Group 2 it was Internet gambling (80%), private cards (73%) and sports lotteries (57%).

In analysing the motives for gambling, the court documentation, medical documentation as well as taking into consideration the data from the interview conducted with those tested was also analysed (Table 6). It turned out that in Group 1 and 2 there dominated a desire to possess money (57%, 63%) as well as emotional expression (53%, 43%), in Group 3 – the desire to possess money (80%) as well as the desire to pay off debts.

Of importance is also analysis of the type of dependence between gambling and the type of crime committed (Table 7). It turns out that persons from Group 1, where gambling is the direct reason for undertaking criminal activity, most often commit crimes such as: fraud (47%) and counterfeiting (37%), in Group 2, where gambling is a part of a criminal lifestyle there dominate theft (47%) and income producing (37%), in Group 3 (unclear or two way relationship) there dominate theft (60%) and robbery (50%).

Discussion

Analysing the reports from literature on the subject [1,25–27] one cannot notice a dependency between pathological gambling and psychopathic and antisocial personality disturbances. First and foremost it follows to pay attention to the fact that psychopathic and antisocial personality disturbances are not identical [26] something that equally finds reflection in the research undertaken. It turns out that individuals for whom there is diagnosed both pathological gambling as equally antisocial personality disturbances as well as obtaining a result in the PCL-R questionnaire equal to 30 points or above, committed offences as a result of gambling. This is particularly interesting for these individuals had not had any earlier conflict with the law while the environment as equally the materials collected proved the appearance of a dependence between gambling addiction and problems with the law. It is here worth emphasising that the tests conducted amongst individuals who underwent treatment as a result of addictive gambling showed that over 70% of this group fulfilled the criteria of antisocial personality disturbances – first and foremost the criteria concerning lack of responsibility, non-conformism and the undertaking of risky forms of behaviour [5,6,25,26]. While describing the personality structure it is emphasised that individuals with a psychopathic personality display an absence of a sense of moral principles as well as not upholding social norms that are identified very often with coming into conflict with the law. In other words, it is easier for these individuals to commit as well as equally undertaking actions in accordance with their expectations or needs with an omitting of the norms in force. This has equally found reflection in the motivation to take up gambling. And thus, in psychopathic individuals (Group 1) and the antisocial (Group 2) there dominates the motive to possess money as well as the experience of pleasure. It also follows to remember that psychopathic individuals are convinced that rivalry is a regulation of interpersonal relations. Therefore gambling is also treated as a form of rivalry, in addition rivalry based on the result obtained, which is to strengthen the ‘I’ of these individuals. The next question to which attention is drawn is the question of the cooccurence of diagnoses – if in a given individual the criteria of both disturbances (of pathological gambling and an anti-social personality) then according to DSM-IV-TR a double diagnosis is made [5]. Yet in the light of ICD-10 pathological gambling should be differentiated from gambling carried out by individuals with personality disturbances of a dissociative type [6]. It follows to note that the medical classification in force in Poland is ICD-10, that said however, particularly in relation to dissociative personality (antisocial, psychopathic), we find a large number of determinations. In the research conducted there appeared asocial designations of personality disturbance while the diagnosing psychiatrists claimed that they were based on DSM diagnostic criteria. Therefore, besides personality disturbances they diagnosed pathological gambling. Besides the above mentioned diagnoses there also appeared diagnoses concerning nicotine and alcohol addiction. Therefore the thesis contained in the relevant literature also seems valid [1,12,13,25,26] in talking about how pathological gambling like other addictions covering behaviour are subjugated to the obtainment of short lasting benefits, regardless of their long-term negative influence on the life of the addicted person. The description presented above is characteristic of a psychopathic personality structure, for these persons display impulsiveness as well as incapability for the long-term planning of actions[25,27].

Conclusions

As a result of the conducted studies I formulated the following conclusions concerning people with gambling and antisocial personality disorders:

Pathological gambling results in a host of consequences in social functioning, particularly social degradation, debts, crime.

The crimes committed by persons who gamble result from the personal and financial problems of those tested.

There was observed a cooccurence of pathological gambling, antisocial personality disturbances and addiction to psychoactive substances.

The type of crimes committed is connected with the choice of activity by the perpetrator, which is in their evaluation the most effective in the paying off of debts.