Read about CCD Student Associate Eboni Freeman ’21, and how she gravitated toward the field of psychology by …… watching hours of TV.
From around the age of 14, I have always been intrigued by criminals, specifically serial criminals, and the factors that lead them to commit such heinous acts. My initial interests manifested as a result of watching shows such as Criminal Minds and NCIS. I took my first Psychology course in high school and loved learning and dissecting why humans behave the way that we do; looking at how our biology, cognition and our social environment interact and influence our behavior. I found myself to be so intrigued by the stories of serial killers, their motive behind their actions, and the psychology of it all. I always question the moment in which an individual turns into a killer- what changed to lead them down such a terrible path?
As stated above, my gravitation toward the field of psychology, and desire to attend graduate school for Criminology, was derived from the amply hours I would spend engrossed in episodes of Criminal Minds and NCIS. The way in which the characters profiled suspects based on previous acts, evidence, interviews with family and friends, drew me closer and led me to begin analyzing the behavior of those around me. My combined interest in psychology and criminal justice have caused me to be more empathetic towards individuals who commit minor crimes and has led me to better understand why other individuals murder; specifically, what processes are taking place in the mind of this individual that has led them to believe that this action is the right action for them to take. Our criminal justice system is an oppressive and racist system that Americans, and those who decide to gain citizenship, must abide by. It is a system that I do not believe constantly takes into consideration the situation and circumstances which cause individuals to commit, criminal, actions.