Changes caused by head injuries associated with an increase in juvenile delinquency

A new longitudinal study examined the impact on criminal persistence of head injuries related to the increase in the number of offenses committed among adolescents and young adults. She found that changes in people with head injuries were badociated with an increase in the number of self-reported offenders, including violent offenses.

The researchers sought to identify factors that promote or contribute to criminal persecution, that is, the likelihood of offenders continuing to commit offenses. A new longitudinal study examined the impact on criminal persistence of head injuries related to the increase in the number of offenses committed among adolescents and young adults. She found that changes in people with head injuries were badociated with an increase in the number of self-reported offenders, including violent offenses.

The study, conducted by a researcher from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, appears in Quarterly Justice, a publication of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

"These results provide preliminary evidence that acquired neuropsychological deficits and head trauma result in long periods of criminal persistence," suggests Joseph A. Schwartz, professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, author of the study. .

The study is based on data from the Pathways to Desistance study of 1,336 young people aged 14 to 19 who were tried in Philadelphia and Phoenix. The youth, who were predominantly men and of different races and ethnicities, were interviewed for seven years on criminal behavior and contacts with the criminal justice system. Nearly one-fifth suffered one or more head injuries during the study and almost one-third had suffered a head injury before the first interview.

In his work, Schwartz explored the effects of changes in individuals with head injuries on longitudinal arrest trajectories and monthly reports of global, violent, and nonviolent offenses. He also examined factors such as impulse control, intelligence, pre-existing prefrontal cortex dysfunction, family support, and socio-economic status.

Schwartz found that head injuries are five to eight times more common among those involved in the criminal justice system than in the general population. He also found that youth were more involved in global and violent offenses as a result of a head injury. While Schwartz notes that it's not possible to describe the causal link between head injury and violent offense, he mentions solid evidence of significant changes in the trends in the offense as a result of a head injury.

The badociation between head trauma and non-violent offender reveals a less consistent pattern, indicating that head trauma may affect specific forms of persistent crime differently. Young people who had suffered a head injury were more likely to be arrested (or to commit more non-violent offenses) than those who did not, but the probability of being injured was higher. to be arrested for the people who were injured did not increase after this injury.

Schwartz notes that his results should be interpreted with caution because he was not able to directly examine the underlying deficits of the link between head injury and persistence of the crime and because the measurement of the Head injury was self-reported and did not take into account the severity of the injuries.

"The impact of head injuries on the offending behavior is probably the result of neuropsychological deficits that compromise the normative development of the brain," suggests Schwartz. "We need more research on this critical issue, which would help us understand what types of treatment and intervention would work with those affected by head injuries and could help reduce crime overall." ".

Provided by
Crime and Justice Research Alliance