NCJ Number
53674
Journal
British Journal of Addiction Volume: 69 Issue: 2 Dated: (1974) Pages: 149-154
Date Published
1974
Length
6 pages
Annotation
CRIMINAL HOMICIDE CASES RECORDED BY THE POLICE IN HELSINKI, FINLAND, FROM 1963 TO 1968 WERE STUDIED TO ASCERTAIN THE ROLE OF ALCOHOL IN AGGRESSIVE AND QUARRELING BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
TO TRACE THE 116 CASES INCLUDED IN THE STUDY, AUTOPSY RECORDS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HELSINKI INSTITUTE FOR FORENSIC MEDICINE AND CAUSE OF DEATH STATISTICS OF THE CENTRAL STATISTICAL OFFICE WERE CONSULTED. INFORMATION WAS THEN OBTAINED FROM THE HELSINKI POLICE DEPARTMENT ABOUT THE NAMES AND THE DATES OF BIRTH OF PERSONS WHO HAD BEEN OR WERE TO BE PROSECUTED FOR THESE CRIMES. OF THE 114 IDENTIFIED PERPETRATORS, 9 WERE WOMEN AND 105 WERE MEN. ALCOHOL DEFINITELY WAS ASSOCIATED WITH 92 CASES IN THE SENSE THAT IT HAD BEEN PRESENT EITHER IN THE VICTIM OR IN THE PERPETRATOR. AN INVESTIGATION OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR AND ALTERCATION THAT HAD PRECEDED THE CRIME REVEALED THAT SUCH BEHAVIOR HAD BEEN INITIATED BY THE VICTIM AS FREQUENTLY AS BY THE PERPETRATOR. ALCOHOL WAS ASSOCIATED WITH CASES PRECEDED BY AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR MORE OFTEN THAN WITH CASES THAT WERE NOT MARKED BY AGGRESSION BEFORE THE CRIME. HOMOSEXUAL PROBLEMS CLEARLY PLAYED A PART IN AGGRESSION PRIOR TO HOMICIDE IN FOUR ALCOHOL-POSITIVE CASES, AND JEALOUSY PROBLEMS WERE SIGNIFICANT IN SIX ALCOHOL-POSITIVE CASES. VICTIM BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS IN CASES WHERE AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR INITIATED BY THE PERPETRATOR PRECEDED HOMICIDE AND WHERE THE VICTIM AND THE PERPETRATOR HAD CONSUMED ALCOHOL TOGETHER AVERAGED 0.241 PERCENT. ALCOHOL, BEING APT TO REDUCE INHIBITIONS, APPARENTLY LED TO AN ACTUALIZATION OF LATENT AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES IN SOME PERPETRATORS AND VICTIMS. SUPPORTING DATA AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)