Brain damage, diagnosis, and substance abuse among violent offenders

Langevin, Ron; Ben-Aron, Mark H.; Wortzman, G; Dickey, Robert; Handy, L.

doi:10.1002/bsl.2370050108

Cited by 63 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 91 publications

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“…Again, the research is limited but supports the general observation that neurological abnormalities and neuropsychological deficits are frequently observed among death row inmates. These findings are consistent with studies of murderers and violent felons reporting a disproportionate incidence of neurological dysfunction and abnormalities among these offenders (Blake et al, 1995;Langevin, Ben-Aron, Wortzman, Dickey, & Handy, 1987;Martell, 1992).…”

Section: Neurological Disorders and Neuropsychological Deficitssupporting

confidence: 93%

Death row inmate characteristics, adjustment, and confinement: a critical review of the literature

Cunningham

Vigen

2002

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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This article reviews and summarizes research on death row inmates. The contributions and weaknesses of death row demographic data, clinical studies, and research based on institutional records are critiqued. Our analysis shows that death row inmates are overwhelmingly male and disproportionately Southern. Racial representation remains controversial. Frequently death row inmates are intellectually limited and academically deficient. Histories of significant neurological insult are common, as are developmental histories of trauma, family disruption, and substance abuse. Rates of psychological disorder among death row inmates are high, with conditions of confinement appearing to precipitate or aggravate these disorders. Contrary to expectation, the extant research indicates that the majority of death row inmates do not exhibit violence in prison even in more open institutional settings. These findings have implications for forensic mental health sentencing evaluations, competent attorney representation, provision of mental health services, racial disparity in death sentences, death row security and confinement policies, and moral culpability considerations. Future research directions on death row populations are suggested.

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Section: Neurological Disorders and Neuropsychological Deficitssupporting

confidence: 93%

Death row inmate characteristics, adjustment, and confinement: a critical review of the literature

Cunningham

Vigen

2002

Behavioral Sci & The Law

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“…The main brain anomalies reported with CT is an enlargement of the temporal ventricle, interpreted as a consequence of cortical tissue reduction (Hucker et al 1988;Langevin et al 1988b). No such difference emerged between homicide offenders or aggressive assaulters and property offenders however (Langevin et al 1987), nor between pedophiles, incestuous offenders and sexually aggressive persons (Wright et al 1990). The sole imaging study concerned with noncontact sexual offences (exhibitionism) generated negative results (Langevin et al 1989b).…”

Section: Neuropsychiatry Of Sexual Deviancementioning

confidence: 94%

The Neuropsychology and Neurology of Sexual Deviance: A Review and Pilot Study

2007

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Current neurological hypotheses of paraphilia posit that sexual deviance is associated with frontal and/or temporal lobe damage. This broad conception is based on few investigations, however, and the first goal of this study was to review the existing data derived from neuropsychiatry, neuroimaging and neuropsychology. It is concluded that although fronto-temporal dysfunctions are sporadically reported among sexual offenders, the evidence is scarce and it might not be specific to this type of offending. The second objective of this investigation was to gather preliminary neuropsychological data with more homogeneous subgroups of sexual offenders. A profile of lower-order executive dysfunctions (e.g. sustained attention and inhibition) and verbal deficits with intact or good capacities for higher-order executive functioning (e.g. reasoning and cognitive flexibility) and visuo-spatial processing was preferentially found among sexual offenders, suggesting basal fronto-temporal anomalies. Importantly, pedophiles were more consistently and severely impaired than rapists of adults. However, this basal fronto-temporal profile is not characteristic of sexual deviance, as it is also found in association with delinquency and criminality in general. Future neuropsychological and brain imaging studies should consider subgroups of sexual offenders and recruit non-sexual violent persons and non-violent individuals in order to disentangle the complex relations between brain anomalies and sexual deviance.

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“…The systemic dimension addressed violence intrinsic to the lifestyles and business methods of drug distributors and traffickers.' ' Based on a review of findings from earlier studies, [4][5][6][7] Abram and Teplin 8 concluded somewhat similarly to the conceptualization by Goldstein 2 quoted above, as ''. .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Violent Behavior as Related to Use of Marijuana and Other Drugs

Friedman

Glassman

Terras

2001

Journal of Addictive Diseases

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ABSTRACT.The relationship of the degree of use of each of ten types of illicit drugs with each of eight types of violent criminal offenses, is reported for an African-American, inner-city, low SES, young adult study sample (N = 612). Prospective data from the time of birth was available for the statistical analyses, to provide 51 control variables on factors other than substance use which might predict to later violent behavior.Findings: Greater frequency of use of marijuana was found unexpectedly to be associated with greater likelihood to commit weapons offenses; and this association was not found for any of the other drugs, except for alcohol. Marijuana use was also found associated with commission of Attempted Homicide/Reckless Endangerment offenses. Cocaine/crack and marijuana were the only two types of drugs the frequency of use of which was found, for this sample, to be significantly related to the frequency of being involved in the selling of drugs. These findings may not apply to a middle-class African-American sample.

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Brain damage, diagnosis, and substance abuse among violent offenders

Abstract: Violent behavior is a complex phenomenon, influenced by a number of important factors such as brain pathology, mental illness, and substance abuse.

Cited by 63 publications

References 91 publications

Death row inmate characteristics, adjustment, and confinement: a critical review of the literature

Death row inmate characteristics, adjustment, and confinement: a critical review of the literature

The Neuropsychology and Neurology of Sexual Deviance: A Review and Pilot Study

Violent Behavior as Related to Use of Marijuana and Other Drugs

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