Diet and crime: An empirical examination of the value of nutrition in the control and treatment of incarcerated juvenile offenders

Abstract

VioLit summary: OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study by Schoenthaler was to investigate the relationship between sugar consumption and misbehavior among incarcerated juvenile offenders. METHODOLOGY: A quasi-experimental methodology was used for this study. 276 juveniles total were included in the study. The subjects consisted of male and female offenders between 12 and 18 years old who had been placed in the custody of a state administered juvenile detention home located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The facility usually holds 12-15 juveniles for a period of one month. Most typical offenses were alcohol and drug violations, disorderly conduct, public intoxication, larceny, and burglary. 25% were sent there for violent offenses. The subjects were incarcerated for more than a day between March 8, 1980 and March 8, 1982. A change in diet was instituted on March 8, 1981, thus creating two groups: 1) pre-reduced sugar and 2) post-reduced sugar. 102 juveniles fell into the first group, and 174 fell into the second. The changes in the diet of the children included such things as the replacement of the soda machine with a fruit juice machine, the elimination of high sugar desserts, serving of fruit juice and unsweetened iced tea instead of sweetened drinks, replacement of white sugar with other substitutes as molasses and honey, efforts to keep parents from sending high sugar snacks, and other direct manipulation of the diet. The dependent variable consisted of average number of disciplinary infractions per day spent in the facility. The personnel who were involved in bring up children on charges were not aware of the study, and the children were not told that they were participating in a study. They were told, instead, that the changes were due to health considerations. Age, race, gender, and type of past criminal behavior served as control variables. T-tests and chi-square were used to analyze the data. FINDINGS/DISCUSSION: Overall, a 48% decrease (significant at AUTHOR'S RECOMMENDATIONS: The author argued that further research at other institutions should be carried out to test these findings on a broader scale. It was also recommended that nutritional counseling be included and that follow-up study of recidivism among offenders who had received this care be done. Study was also advocated that would isolate which features of the diet were successful. EVALUATION: The medical community has grappled with the effect of sugar on childrens' diets in several areas including hyperactivity for a long time. This study argues, along the same lines, that the reduction in sugar would decrease institutional misbehavior. The methodological approach that can isolate the introduction of the independent variable (diet) and which examines its effect independently of possible antecedent explanations is a strength for making claims that the reduction in sugar is a likely cause of the decrease in problem behavior. The weaknesses of this study were, generally, identified by the author: 1) lack of generalizability to other institutions and 2) inability to locate which factor(s) in the diet were the main factors. Additionally, a design which would more systematically and simultaneously enter the controls into a single equation would also be helpful. (CSPV Abstract - Copyright © 1992-2007 by the Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Institute of Behavioral Science, Regents of the University of Colorado) KW - Virginia KW - Nutrition-Health KW - Diet KW - Sugar Consumption KW - Juvenile Inmate KW - Juvenile Delinquency KW - Delinquency Intervention KW - Incarcerated KW - Juvenile Correctional Institution KW - Juvenile Offender KW - Behavior Modification KW - Juvenile Antisocial Behavior KW - Inmate Antisocial Behavior