Criminal Psychology in War and Violence: Transformation of Criminal Behaviour in Zones of Armed Conflict

Int J Psychiatry Med. 2026 May 26:912174261451521. doi: 10.1177/00912174261451521. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

ObjectiveThis study conducted a comprehensive analysis of psychological and institutional factors that lead to the transformation of criminal behaviour in conditions of armed conflict, using the Russian-Ukrainian war as a case study.MethodThis research was based on qualitative analysis of secondary data. The study examined reports and analytical materials from international monitoring missions, including the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Amnesty International. These sources were compared with theoretical approaches from criminal psychology and criminology in order to identify patterns in behavioural transformation under wartime conditions.ResultsThe findings demonstrate that the transformation of criminal behaviour occurs at 3 interconnected levels. First, the destruction or weakening of legitimate legal institutions in occupied territories creates an institutional vacuum and a state of anomie, which facilitates opportunistic crimes such as looting and organised criminal activity, including enforced disappearances. Second, among combatants there is a normalisation of violence supported by psychological mechanisms such as dehumanisation and moral disengagement, which contributes to systematic war crimes, including torture, sexual violence, and indiscriminate attacks. Third, changes occur in the behaviour of the civilian population, manifested in survival-related crimes, aggression caused by trauma, and forced criminalisation through collaboration with occupying authorities.ConclusionsThis report describes how armed conflict significantly alters patterns of criminal behaviour through the interaction of institutional collapse and psychological adaptation to violence. The results emphasise the need to incorporate psychological factors into post-war justice mechanisms and conflict-zone law enforcement strategies. They may also contribute to the development of post-war rehabilitation programs, improvements in transitional justice systems, and the training of peacekeeping personnel and law enforcement agencies operating in conflict environments.

PMID:42187019 | DOI:10.1177/00912174261451521