Lack of Outlets for Anger Leads to Increase in ‘Anger Crimes’ | Be Korea-savvy

Lack of Outlets for Anger Leads to Increase in ‘Anger Crimes’


‘Anger crimes’, in which small arguments or sudden rage lead to extreme actions, are on the rise. (Image : Yonhap)

‘Anger crimes’, in which small arguments or sudden rage lead to extreme actions, are on the rise. (Image : Yonhap)

GWANGJU, Jan.18 (Korea Bizwire)‘Anger crimes’, in which small arguments or sudden rage lead to extreme actions, are on the rise.

Some say that the increase in the number of anger crimes is derived from individual behavior, but experts comment that cases resulting from structural problems in society are increasing. Because societal pressures are causing anger to build up and blocking people from finding healthy ways to get rid of it, experts state that countermeasures should be developed.

On January 15, Kim (52) killed an individual referred to as ‘A’ (52), who owned a small street food cart, following an argument over the location of the cart. Kim also killed a banker ‘B’ (52) who tried to stop the fight.

A man in his 30s was arrested on January 14 for throwing stones at people from the roof of an eight-story building. He claimed that he didn’t have an outlet for his anger after he got fired from his job.

Experts say that anger crimes are increasing as the number of people who feel like they are the only ones treated unfairly is growing due to the intensifying polarization of society, and an increase in the number of people who are stressed under rapid societal changes.

A task force consisting of 11 profilers was created by the police last year to deal with anger crimes and impulsive crimes. Crimes in the 1970s and 1980s often had a clear motive, such as revenge, crimes of passion or for a living. The task force said that crimes which express anger towards unspecified individuals out of social deprivation started to appear in the late 1990s, and in the 2010s, impulsive crime based on sudden rage is increasing.

The perpetrators of anger crimes claim that they committed the acts out of ‘rage’. The number of accidental crimes and patients treated for impulse control disorders is increasing every year.

According to the police, from 2011 to 2013, accidental crimes made up more than 40 percent of the total number of crimes.

In addition, the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service says that the number of patients who visit hospitals with symptoms of impulse control disorders is increasing every year.

As a result, psychology experts, doctors and professional investigators are suggesting the need for measures to create a social atmosphere where anger can be expressed in a healthy way, which should lead to a concurrent decrease in crime rates.

By Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)

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