NCJ Number
57497
Journal
British Journal of Psychiatry Issue: 9 Dated: SPECIAL PUBLICATION (1975) Pages: 287-295
Date Published
1975
Length
9 pages
Annotation
RESEARCH ON THE MEDICAL ASPECTS OF DELINQUENCY COVERING PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS PRENATAL AND GENETIC FACTORS IN BEHAVIOR ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE EVIDENCE OF ASSOCIATION IS SCANTY.
Abstract
PERTINENT RESEARCH IS CITED INVOLVING PHYSICAL HEALTH FACTORS, BRAIN INJURY, EPILEPSY, BRAIN LESIONS, PRENATAL AND PERINATAL FACTORS, GENETIC FACTORS, AND MENTAL ILLNESS IN RELATION TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR AMONG DELINQUENTS. ALTHOUGH NO DIRECT RELATIONSHIP CAN BE CLAIMED BETWEEN PHYSICAL ILLNESSES AND DELINQUENCY, PHYSICAL ILLNESS, IF IT AFFECTS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM, MAY HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON BEHAVIOR APART FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES. THE EFFECT MAY MANIFEST ITSELF IN AN INCREASED DEPENDENCY, SOCIAL SHYNESS, AND OTHER SECONDARY HANDICAPS. A MARKED CHANGE IN PERSONALITY MAY FOLLOW BRAIN INJURY FROM INFECTION OR TRAUMA, AND THE CHANGES COULD INCLUDE ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR, ANXIETY, POOR PERFORMANCE IN SCHOOL, SUDDEN MOOD CHANGES, AND INABILITY TO CONCENTRATE. BRAIN INJURY, THEREFORE, COULD BE A PRECURSOR OF DELINQUENCY, ALTHOUGH STUDIES SUGGEST THAT DELINQUENCY IS DEPENDENT ON THE EMOTIONAL BACKGROUND AND UPBRINGING OF THE INJURED INDIVIDUAL. ALTHOUGH EPILEPSY FREQUENTLY INDICATES BRAIN DAMAGE, EPILEPTICS ARE NOT PRONE TO CRIME, AND WHEN THEY DO COMMIT CRIME, DO NOT SHOW ANY PARTICULAR PREDILECTION FOR VIOLENT CRIME. BRAIN LESIONS, IT HAS BEEN POSTULATED, CREATE A STATE OF 'ORGANISMIC EXCITABILITY,' A POSSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR. HOWEVER, RESULTS OF STUDIES ALLOW ONLY ONE SAFE CONCLUSION ABOUT LESIONS--THEY ARE NOT MECHANICALLY REPRESENTED BY SPECIFIC BEHAVIOR PATTERNS BUT ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACT INDIRECTLY IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, INCLUDING INFLUENCE ON THE LEARNING SITUATION. EVIDENCE ON RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN DELINQUENCY AND PRENATAL AND PERINATAL FACTORS (SHOCK, ANXIETY, AND STRESS DURING PREGNANCY, CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES, BIRTH COMPLICATIONS) AND GENETIC FACTORS SUCH AS ABNORMAL SEX-CHROMOSOME COMPLEMENTS IS NOT SIGNIFICANT, ALTHOUGH THE LATTER IS WORTHY OF MORE RESEARCH. ALTHOUGH AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN MENTAL DISORDERS AND DELINQUENCY IS NOT DEFINITE, BOTH CRIME AND MENTAL DISORDERS HAVE COMMON ROOTS IN ENVIRONMENT AND INHERITANCE AND THIS SUGGESTS AN INDIRECT LINK. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)