avatarChrissie Powers

Summary

The article suggests that the Swedish prison system's focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment provides a model for preventing the development of individuals like Putin, whose childhood trauma and abuse contributed to their malevolent behavior.

Abstract

The text explores the psychological underpinnings of Vladimir Putin's aggressive behavior, linking it to a childhood marked by abuse, neglect, and violence, which is compared to similar experiences in the lives of other dictators like Hitler. It posits that such early-life trauma can lead to a lack of empathy and a propensity for cruelty. The article contrasts the traditional punitive prison systems, which may exacerbate these tendencies, with the Swedish model that emphasizes rehabilitation and reintegration into society. This approach is credited with reducing recidivism and is presented as a potential means to prevent the rise of future authoritarian leaders shaped by early adversity.

Opinions

  • The author believes that early childhood experiences, particularly abuse and neglect, play a crucial role in shaping individuals like Putin who are capable of widespread atrocities.
  • There is a critique of traditional prison systems, particularly in the US and UK, for their harsh conditions and failure to rehabilitate prisoners, which may lead to further criminal behavior upon release.
  • The Swedish prison system is highly regarded for its focus on rehabilitation, liberal policies, and the respect and autonomy afforded to inmates, which has resulted in one of the lowest recidivism rates in Europe.
  • The article argues that society's demand for retributive justice may be misguided, as it overlooks the potential for rehabilitation and the role of past trauma in criminal behavior.
  • It is suggested that by adopting a more humane and rehabilitative approach to incarceration, similar to Sweden's, society could reduce the likelihood of creating individuals who inflict harm on a large scale.

We Can Prevent The Rise Of The Next Putin

Psychology and The Swedish Prison System Have Got It Right

Source: Sky News

The Ukraine war has encouraged booming research in Putinology and what has shaped his depraved brain.

He has been called “an evil genius”, a Hitler, a kleptocrat — Navalny exposed his “theft of Russian money” — and a dictator.

Putin meticulously prepared every stage of the Ukraine war by spreading deliberate cyber misinformation across the world, instigating Brexit, bringing Trump to the presidential seat, bribing Stolz and Marine Le Pen, and brainwashing whole populations with alternative realities, excelling even Trump’s — as I showed in another of my articles (currently doing well on Medium). My 77-year-old mum cannot comprehend how it is possible for someone to devote most of their life to planning evil. And then Ukraine — the atrocities there are daily shown on our TVs.

In comparison with this, even Hitler looks like a benevolent grandpa.

How do you create such a mind?

My mum remembers my father laughing while she was crying after he had put his fist through the living-room glass door. I remember emotionless beatings with very little twitch of his face. He made me think I was a non-entity, assigned to occupy as little space in corners as possible. Verbal humiliations sucked my life juices. He denied me anything that makes life desirable — having friends, a boyfriend, driving a car, living my own life without every movement scrutinized, commented on, controlled.

I felt that he was begrudging me any moment of happiness or fun; just like he had not been allowed any in his own childhood and youth. He had been abused even worse.

Deeply unhappy people cannot tolerate happiness in others.

Everything begins in childhood.

Putinology reveals to us that Putin’s childhood was as horrendous as befitting his current twisted self-esteem.

Putin’s “enviable” childhood in Communist U.S.S.R. is described by Stevens (2022):

Born in 1952 Leningrad, Putin was a street kid in a city devastated by a horrific, three-year siege by the Nazis during WWII. Putin’s father was badly injured in the war, his mother nearly died of starvation. Living in a rat-infested apartment with two other families, the family had no hot water, no bathtub, a broken-down toilet... His father worked in a factory; his mother did odd jobs she could find. A small child… Putin was left to fend for himself, severely bullied by other children. At some point the mother remarried; the stepfather added severe beatings.

To protect himself from bullying, young Vladimir took up martial arts and later joined the KGB, to learn its manipulative tactics: if deprived of opportunities, seize them by acting servile to those in power; once in power — avenge yourself on the world.

Stevens, a journalist, describes Putin as “…an absolutely average man … His voice was average … not tough, not high. He had an average personality … average intelligence, not especially high intelligence…).

To compensate, as president he avenged himself on his opponents, suppressed women’s and LGBT rights, used social media to create a cult for himself, and finally, ravaged Ukraine, causing it the same devastation as must exist in his own damaged psyche.

Putin’s credo: Never let them see you sweat; Source: The New York Times

Stevens further writes: “In her essay, “The Ignorance or How We Produce the Evil,” psychologist Alice Miller wrote: “Children who are given love, respect, understanding, kindness, and warmth will naturally develop different characteristics from those who experience neglect, contempt, violence or abuse and never have anyone they can turn to for kindness and affection. Such absence of trust and love is a common denominator….All the childhood histories of serial killers and dictators I have examined showed them without exception to have been the victims of extreme cruelty, although they themselves steadfastly denied this.

Research shows that early abuse and neglect damage an infant’s developing brain. If a child suffers for years without intervention, the consequences can be dire.

In his childhood, Hitler was also severely abused and humiliated by his father. He was rejected by the Academy of Arts where he wanted to study. He ended up unemployed and supported by his mother, which must have contributed to his sense of personal inadequacy. After his mother’s death, he lived in poverty. Going into politics and creating a cult around himself was a way to “shine”, stand out, and come out of the shadows. We all know how this ended.

Research proves that a large number of criminals come from dysfunctional families and abusive backgrounds. The link is too strong to be ignored. According to a UK government report, “many prisoners had experienced abuse (29%) or observed violence in the home (41%) as a child …Those who reported experiencing abuse or observing violence as a child were more likely to be reconvicted in the year after release than those who did not”. 59% came from care homes and had experienced neglect.

It has been found that children who have experienced cruelty and abuse lose their ability to empathize with suffering. Many of them end up as child killers — “fascinating” cases attracting thousands of YouTube views. According to Levenson (2016), “prolonged exposure to stress in childhood disrupts healthy brain development. This can manifest as emotional and conduct problems in childhood, and risk-taking and criminal behaviors in adulthood”.

The shocking documentary “Child Of Rage” tells about “Beth” — a 6-year-old, who attempted to kill both her adoptive parents and brother on numerous occasions. It reveals a tortured soul, horrifically abused at babyhood — an experience that left her unable to feel empathy for another human being.

Beth Thomas, the child of rage, who wanted to kill her parents and brother; Source: allthatsinteresting.com

Logically from these data, it can be debated whether punishment is really the right approach to criminal behavior, provided that the violence has been influenced by violence. Society upholds sentences in harsh prison conditions (the US is notorious for its “cruel, inhuman and degrading prisons; the UK is following closely after) as serving to achieve justice. How is this justice, since the murdered person cannot be brought back, but instead, the perpetrator becomes a victim of even more violence — this time in prison, thus doubling the evil? Nobody receives healing or help; instead, many “punished” criminals become so embittered and twisted in prison, that they come out with the determination to re-offend, just to get their back on society.

Putin never went to prison — at KGB he was part of the ruling elite and was rewarded rather than punished, for inflicting indescribable cruelty on others. It is too late for him to be redeemed. Yet, do we need to cruelly incarcerate thousands of other victims of cruelty, who committed cruelty themselves, since it is evident that this perpetuates the cycle and paves the way for even more cruelty in the future.

We can learn valuable lessons from the Swedish prison system.

Swedish prisons offer “rehabilitation, not incarceration”. “They are renowned for being liberal and progressive, focusing on the rehabilitation of prisoners, so as to not re-offend. Because of this, there is a very small amount of Swedes who do re-offend and return to prison after being released. The country has the lowest re-offending rate in all of Europe at just 16%” (Weebly.com).

Swedish prisons have been dramatically closing since their population numbers keep dropping. Since 2004, prisoner numbers have declined from 5,722 to 4,500 out of a population of 9.5 million. Since 2014 four of the country’s 56 prisons were closed. In contrast, the prison population in England and Wales is 85,000 out of a population of 57 million (four times more).

A room in a Swedish prison; Source: theguardian.com
Learn how to cook in a Swedish prison; Source: MIC.com

The Swedish system treats prisoners with respect and allows them freedom; the guards work collaboratively with the inmates, rather than against them. There is access to a library, many university courses, and apprenticeship courses for learning different skills. This prepares them for life outside when they are released. There is a focus on sporting games and cooperation. Counselors and therapists help them through past traumas. “Clients” (as prisoners are referred to in Sweden), are offered individual strategies, including alcohol and drug rehabilitation and psychiatric treatment. Since most inmates are there for relatively short periods, the programs must start from day one.

The Atlantic also agrees that Scandinavian prisons are “superior”, as they enjoy an “open” system, where detainees can live like citizens.

Swedish prison workshop; Source: weebly.com

Prison is not for punishment in Sweden; we work to get people into better shape”, claims director-general Nils Oberg.

Swedish prisoners do not wear uniforms; neither adhere to “infantilizing rules” like turning the lights off at 10.30 pm. Any such measures would be regarded as degrading to the individual and if a politician suggests anything of the sort, they would be thrown out of office.

What about the Swedish citizens’ sense of justice? Do they not demand harsher punishments for criminal offenders?

There is a lot of anger among the Swedish public when it comes to crime and criminals,” says Öberg. “But, regardless of what public opinion may be at any one time, whatever you do in the justice sector, you have to take a long-term perspective. Then he adds that the country’s well-educated population appreciates that one day prisoners will return to society, where they will need to know how to function.

It seems they are getting it right.

Want to know how to stop next Putin?

Ask the Swedes.

Putin
War
Crime
Society
Psychology
Recommended from ReadMedium