Hell Traits in Handwriting of Youths Involved in Crime: Evidence from a Correctional Facility in Hail City, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: Understanding the behavioural characteristics of youth inmates involved in criminal activities is crucial for crime prevention. This study examines the hell traits of youth inmates involved in criminal activities and detained in a Hail City, Saudi Arabia, remand facility. This study aims to show the evidence of personality traits in the handwriting of deviant youths in a correctional facility. Methods: This study reports from a more extensive study that looks at the relationship between handwriting and crime but focuses on the perpetrators of double crimes for two types of crimes in the study sample: fighting and stabbing, kidnapping, violence, and Blackmailing. The qualitative research approach was employed in this study, using a semi-structured interview with 15 respondents who are remand home youth inmates serving their various jail terms in a more extensive study. Three respondents were purposively selected out of the 15 inmates that committed fighting and robbery crime. Results: The finding revealed the presence of personality hell traits in the behaviour of the youth inmates under study. It related to the robbery and fighting crime committed, based on the connotations in their handwriting analysed by the researcher. The handwriting of the youth inmates detained in the remand house showed at least two or more characters of "hell traits" associated with fighting and robbery. This suggests a relationship between these two crimes and implies that the inmates share similar feelings and behaviours when committing criminal acts. Conclusion: The study findings could be helpful to the government and its agencies to reduce and control crime. More studies need to be done using more extensive data and multiple methods to ascertain the criminal behaviour of youths. Keywords: Crime, Correctional facilities, Handwriting, Hell traits and Youths.