Nanjing launched the country's first Psychological Assessment Handbook on Officials’ Duty Crime Risks on December 27. It aims to probe the psychology of corruption by means of quantifying tests and providing psychological prevention of abuse-of-power crime. [stockstar.com]

Nanjing launched the country's first Psychological Assessment Handbook on Officials’ Duty Crime Risks on December 27. It aims to probe the psychology of corruption by means of quantifying tests and providing psychological prevention of abuse-of-power crime.

"There is no one who is inherently corrupt. Degenerate officials approach the abyss of crime step by step. For a long time, we have been trying to figure out this issue," said Feng Wenlan, director of the Committee of preventing duty crimes of Gulou District, Nanjing. Feng said the Gulou District Standing Committee, Commission for Discipline Inspection and Crime Prevention and Control Research Institute at Nanjing University had collaborated to analyze cases of duty crime in three major areas: the medical industry, universities and construction, from 2008 onwards.  They conducted face-to-face interviews with 47 inmates and carried out ongoing investigations on the psychological prevention of duty crimes.

To do in-depth analysis of occurrence, development and evolution of psychology of duty crimes, a survey was conducted among 200 criminals who had committed these types of crimes in terms of psychological characteristics, evolution,  externalization patterns and evolution, to form China's first psychological investigation report on duty crimes.

Through investigations of 300 criminals, officials are found to be prone to have imbalanced attitudes and commit duty crimes under five kinds of circumstances. These include being frustrated in their careers, when material desires can not be met by their remuneration, when they are blamed and self-esteem is damaged by their wives, when interpersonal tensions occur in offices and among family, or when they are carried away by variety of honors.

Based on the findings of the survey report, the Self-assessment Manual on Duty Crimes has been designed for civil servants of the Gulou District, Nanjing. The manual consists of 34 questions which helps in determining one’s own mental corruption index.

"The 34 questions are actually a mirror to those in high positions who are faced with temptation. It is significantly more effective than the law,” said by Di Xiaohua, director of Crime Prevention and Control Research Institute, Nanjing University. 

(Source:Xinhua)