Violence, marginalization and cultural factors, the story behind a Sicario in Mexico

Translated by El Profe for Borderland Beat from Animal Politico

The X-ray of the Mexican hit man, conducted by the psychologist Arcelia Ruíz Vázquez, revealed that poverty, violence and narco-culture are factors that can predispose young people to choose to participate in criminal activities.

Photo: Cuartoscuro

Behind a person who chooses murder as a way of working in Mexico there are situations of poverty, violence, and, sometimes, psychopathic profiles, which are combined with sociocultural factors that enhance criminal activity, indicates an investigation carried out Arcelia Ruíz Vázquez, doctor in psychology, whose results were disseminated by Conacyt. 

Through psychometric tests carried out on prisoners in the Social Readaptation Center of Acapulco, Guerrero, and consulting with experts in criminal psychology, Dr. Ruiz devised The X-ray of the Mexican Sicario, in which she explains predominant features among those who dedicate themselves to this activity that has gained momentum during the last five years, in which homicides have increased 28.48%.

According to figures from the National Public Security System, in 2013, 18,110 intentional homicides were committed in Mexico, and for 2017, 25,316 were recorded. 

The study showed that there are four predominant profiles of hit men in the country: marginal, antisocial, psychopathic and sadistic. 

Being a hit man, a way out of poverty 

The sicarios of "marginal" profile, explained the researcher, are those that usually have an origin in rural environments of extreme poverty, and seek in organized crime an economic option to their personal shortcomings, so in principle accept work such as the cultivation and collection of drugs, to later enter in other activities "of greater rank".

Among the so-called "higher-ranking" activities is the care of safe houses, in addition to accompanying in extortion and murders, which, according to Dr. Ruíz, manages to "desensitize them and train them enough for their first murders". 

In terms of personality traits, these people share the criminal motivation of economic growth and subsequently manifest "a need for acceptance and social recognition," she said.

Violence from birth 

According to the specialist, those sicarios who are in the "antisocial" profile, are characterized because their origin takes place in criminal environments of the urban areas, "where gangs and the commission of crimes are a constant that even becomes accepted and encouraged by the similar society. " 

"This profile is distinguished by having a dysfunctional family where there is a commission of crimes, violence, drug use or abuse in childhood. This type of hit man penetrates the criminal life at an early age, joining gangs and committing low-level crimes," she added. 

Dr. Ruíz Vázquez indicated that this profile presents antisocial behaviors since childhood and adolescence, which are manifested by expulsion from school, fights, problems with authority or commissions of less serious crimes. 

When they reach adulthood, she said, the antisocial disorder of the personality is consolidated, making the commission of major crimes "and intensifying the features of intolerance to frustration, impulsivity, hedonism, recklessness and the search for immediate satisfaction." 

The researcher stressed that this type of hitman is the most commonly found in prison, "because characteristics in their personality, such as impulsiveness, ostentation and bravado often compromise the activities of criminal groups, so they can be murdered or betrayed to the authorities to be imprisoned. " 

Psychopathic hit men, the "most dangerous" 

According to the analysis, 85% of the population interviewed has its origin in economic need and social recognition, and the remaining 15% corresponds to the psychopathic and sadistic profiles.

Ruíz Vázquez explained that in the psychopathic profile "there are constant features of emotional coldness, total absence of remorse, cruelty and lack of empathy that, coupled with their developed cognitive abilities and leadership skills, make them a leading killer of criminal cells and high risk."

The specialist said that this set of characteristics makes this profile dangerous, since its primary motivation is purchasing power, "because it sees this activity as a source of income".

In the case of sadistic hit men, these share characteristics with the psychopathic profile, but with the distinction that "their criminal motivation is based on the need to execute the murder with imminent sadism traits, so it will seek to produce the greatest possible suffering to his victims," because he enjoys the execution process. 

The analysis carried out by the psychologist also revealed that there are cultural factors, such as the exaltation of criminal activity, which can be triggers to see the hired killer as a model of life to follow.

Other risk factors in psychic profiles are environmental factors such as family dysfunction, poverty, school failure or the rise of narcoculture, "since it predisposes young people from less privileged classes to participate in criminal activities to reach, although be for a brief period, satisfaction with material goods or social recognition that is not acquired within the law," he explained. 

Currently, the specialist is working on the creation of a program to prevent criminal activities, which will seek to make the children and youth population "more critical in their environment and know other options for social growth that do not include involvement in organized crime."

Therefore, she said, it will focus on the development of emotional and cognitive skills that allow them to face risk factors in their social nucleus and be agents of change in their environment.

The research emerged as part of a work in the inter-institutional doctorate in psychology, in which the University of Guadalajara, the University of Guanajuato, the University of Colima, the Autonomous University of Aguascalientes and the Michoacán University of San Nicolás de Hidalgo participated.