Violent Offenses Research Articles

Prevalence of Mental Illness in Inmates of District Jail of Etawah

This paper presents the prevalence rates of mental illness like schizophrenia and major affective disorders by age, substance abuse and nature of offence among male jail detainees. This study was aimed to study socio-demographic profile of prisoners of district jail and to find out the current prevalence of mental illness among prisoners. This study was carried out on total 1200 male prisoners in district jail of Etawah. We included only those prisoners who were clinically diagnosed as suffering from some mental health problem and were under psychiatric treatment for the same. Out of the total 1200 prisoners only 79 were found to be suffering from some sort of mental illness. A large part of mental morbidity was contributed by substance abuse and its related consequences. We have observed that most of the mentally disturbed individuals are involved in commission of violent offences. There could be a significant reduction in crime rates if such individuals were timely diagnosed and treated thus we recommend regular checkup of all prisoners by a psychiatrist for early diagnosis and treatment.

Making a difference? Ten years of managing people with intellectual disability and forensic needs in the community

Purpose – Nationally community services for patients with intellectual disability and forensic needs are limited, and research to guide service development for this patient group with highly complex needs is sparse. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of referrals to and case management by the multi-agency Fife Forensic Learning Disability Service (FFLDS), including demographic data, treatment, risk assessments and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – All referrals received between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed to identify key demographic factors and to clarify the outcome of the referrals. Risks levels and presence of factors related to ongoing risk management were identified. For those accepted, final outcomes were noted. Findings – In total, 145 referrals were received by FFLDS between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014. Of these 117 were accepted for ongoing case management. In total 106 patients were discharged from FFLDS over the review period, with the vast majority remaining in community settings. Patients were overwhelmingly male, with an age range of 16-79 (mean age of 30). Approximately half of referrals were from criminal justice agencies, and sexual and violent offences predominated. Alcohol and/or illicit substance use was problematic in 49 per cent of patients. Research limitations/implications – FFLDS needs to consider building links with Drug and Alcohol Services, for assistance in developing expertise in managing problematic alcohol and/or illicit substance use. Links with professionals working with female offenders may increase the rate of referral of female patients. Originality/value – Policy and legal frameworks emphasise the need to manage people with learning disabilities and forensic needs in the least restrictive environment possible. This paper provides information on a cohort of forensic patients over a ten-year period, including characteristics and outcomes, to inform the evaluation of these frameworks and the planning of both community and in-patient services for this patient group.

Offending and mortality

Abstract Background Previous research has shown that offenders are at increased risk to die prematurely, but the etiology of this association is still unknown. Moreover, most previous studies use relatively short follow-up periods and do not take into account variation within the offender population with respect to frequency, timing and types of offenses. Method Using conviction data for a number of families at high-risk of offending born on average in 1932, we study mortality in both offenders and non-offenders, from a similar socio-economic background, until 2007. We condition on life expectancy of the parents, age, gender, year of birth and marital status. We investigate associations between mortality and offending for different types of offenses: violent offenses, property offenses, weapons offenses, drugs offenses and driving under influence. Results In general, offending sample members were not significantly more likely to have died than non-offending sample members. Compared to the general population, however, both the offending and non-offending sample members were at increased risk to die. Sample members who were convicted for driving under the influence of alcohol or weapons offenses were at increased risk to die prematurely compared to non-offending sample members. Conclusions The relationship between offending in general and mortality is largely spurious. Limitations The use of official conviction data might have influenced the results.

Career Criminals and the Antisocial Life Course

Career criminals account for more than half of the crime in society and an even larger proportion of the most violent offenses, including homicide. In recent years, biosocial criminologists have specified the etiological bases of pathological criminality using data from twin and genetic studies. Coupled with environmental factors, several endophenotypes (e.g., self-regulation, self-control, neuropsychological functioning, and temperament) connect biological vulnerabilities to behavioral phenotypes. The antisocial repertoire of career criminals is traceable across life as aggressive and antisocial conduct continues from early childhood through adolescence and into adulthood. Prevention programs and interventions can reduce the incidence of career criminality.

Risk profiles and serious antisocial behaviors of incarcerated children in care

Children in care (CIC) are at a heightened risk of engaging in serious and violent offending. This has been explained in relation to cumulative risk, whereby CIC are more likely to be exposed to traditional criminogenic risk factors, in addition to those specific to placement in care (e.g. removal from parental custody, placement shifts among caregivers). Limited research has been conducted on CIC engaging in serious and violent offenses, and thus it remains unclear whether these youth are at an increased risk of engaging in antisocial behavior when compared to other young offenders who are also exposed to a multitude of risk factors. Using a sample of 417 male-incarcerated youth in British Columbia, CIC and non-CIC were compared across a range of risk factors and antisocial behaviors to ascertain whether CIC represent a distinct population with unique risks and needs compared to their non-CIC counterparts. Though several risk factors were observed at a high frequency among CIC participants, few significant differences were observed in bivariate or multivariate analyses.

Juvenile Offending and Crime in Early Adulthood: A Large Sample Analysis

Using large sample archival data from the state of South Carolina’s juvenile justice agency and other state agencies, we examined the background, early experiential and delinquency-related variables predicting young adult (ages 17–30 years) offending among juvenile offenders. We also examined characteristics of juvenile offenders who committed only a single misdemeanor offense, compared to non-juvenile offenders. Finally, we examined the variables that accounted for group differences in persistence of juvenile offending. Early adverse experiences including family-related adversities, mental health problems, identification as having school-related disabilities and juvenile recidivism accounted for more than 20 % of the variance in adult offending. Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed several time-dependent covariates including gender, age at first offense and repeat versus one time offending. Contrary to the view that the one time, misdemeanor level juvenile offending represents only minor departure from normative adolescent behavior, we found that this group of offenders differed significantly from non-delinquents on every category of risk for adult offending and also were more likely than non-delinquents to commit felonies as adults. Finally, in comparing adolescence-limited offenders with life-course persistent offenders, we accounted for more than 50 % of the variance in criminal outcomes on the basis of measures of background, early adversity, psychological characteristics and age of first juvenile arrest or referral.

Predictors of suicide attempts after violent offences in schizophrenia spectrum disorders

The aim of this survey was to identify predictors of suicide attempts that immediately followed a violent crime in patients with schizophrenia. Documentations of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia and released in a 10 years period from the National Institute of Forensic Psychiatry were reviewed. Twenty‐six out of 223 patients attempted suicide after the violent crime. The young age of the victim, and living in partnership were those factors differentiating suicidal violent offenders from their non-suicidal counterparts.

Alcohol, drug and other prior crimes and risk of arrest in handgun purchasers: protocol for a controlled observational study

Background and objectiveAlcohol abuse is common in the USA and is a well-established risk factor for violence. Other drug use and criminal activity are risk factors as well and frequently...

The effects of binge and problem drinking on problem behavior and adjustment over the life course: Findings from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development

PurposePrior research has documented linkages between alcohol use and crime and drinking and adverse life circumstances, but this evidence has largely been gleaned from cross-sectional studies or studies conducted over brief time periods. MethodsIn recognition of these limitations, the current study relies on prospective longitudinal data from 411 South London males who are participants in the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (CSDD) to evaluate the prevalence of binge and problem drinking typologies (e.g., juvenile only, adult only, and juvenile and adult binge and problem drinking; ages 18–48) and the relationship of these typologies to non-violent and violent offending over the life-course (e.g., ever convicted for either a non-violent and/or violent offense over ages 10–50) and adult adjustment problems into late middle age. ResultsResults suggest that binge and problem drinking typologies are significantly related to both forms of offending and that these drinking behaviors are associated with a number of adult adjustment problems into late middle age, particularly for adult only and juvenile and adult binge and problem drinkers. ConclusionsThe findings highlight the importance of evidenced-based alcohol prevention and intervention efforts initiated early on in the life-course.

Female adolescent sexual and nonsexual violent offenders: a comparison of the prevalence and impact of risk and protective factors for general recidivism.

BackgroundThis study adds to the scarce literature on female adolescent sexual offenders by examining differences between female adolescent sexual and nonsexual violent offenders in the prevalence and impact of dynamic risk and protective factors for general recidivism.MethodThe sample consisted of female adolescents who were convicted for a sexual offense (FSOs; n =31) or nonsexual violent offense (FNSOs; n = 407), and for whom the Washington State Juvenile Court Assessment was completed.ResultsIn FSOs, considerably more protective and fewer risk factors were present than in FNSOs in almost all domains (i.e., school, relationships, family, attitude and aggression). In addition, differences in the impact of risk/protective factors on general recidivism were found. In FSOs, risk/protective factors in the family and aggression domains were especially important, whereas in FNSOs, risk/protective factors in the attitude domain were especially important.ConclusionsThe results of this study indicate that treatment programs developed for mainstream female offenders may also be useful for female sexual offenders in reducing general recidivism. Furthermore, the results are of importance for determining the main focus of treatment for both mainstream and sexual female adolescent offenders.

Treatment of psychosis in prisons and violent recidivism.

BackgroundViolence among released prisoners with psychosis is an important public health problem. It is unclear whether treatment in prison can influence criminal behaviour subsequent to release.AimsTo investigate whether treatment in prison can delay time to reoffending.MethodOur sample consisted of 1717 adult prisoners in England and Wales convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence. We used Cox regression to investigate the effects of treatment received in prison on associations between mental illness and time to first reconviction following release.ResultsPrisoners with current symptoms of schizophrenia reoffended quicker following release. Nevertheless, treatment with medication significantly delayed time to violence (18% reduction). Treatment for substance dependence delayed violent and non-violent reoffending among prisoners with drug-induced psychosis.ConclusionsIdentifying prisoners with psychosis and administering treatment in prison have important protective effects against reoffending. Repeated screening with improved accuracy in identification is necessary to prevent cases being missed.Declaration of interestNone.Copyright and usage© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2015. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Non-Commercial, No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.

Domestic abuse and the duties of physicians: a case report

Domestic violence against women is a global issue. An earlier report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA, reported that injury caused by domestic violence was the second most common cause of death during pregnancy and in the postpartum period (1). The pregnancy-associated homicide ratio was found to be 1.7 per 100,000 deliveries and firearms were identified as the main source of injury. Domestic violence is more common in developing countries than in the developed world, and rural areas are worse affected than urban ones. The risk factors associated with intimate partner violence include husbands being unemloyed, belonging to a lower socioeconomic group, poor educational status, and alcohol and substance abuse. In a hospital-based study of 500 women, around 12.6% reported physical abuse by their spouses in index pregnancy (2). In another hospital-based study in which women were interviewed during the postpartum period, 23% reported physical abuse during index pregnancy (3). Death as a result of violence is not a new phenomenon. In 1994 the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan reported 372 cases of domestic violence, due to which around 274 women died during an 8-month period. According to a report for the year 2012-13 around 389 cases of domestic violence were reported in the Pakistani media that year. The same report states that in 2013, more than 800 women committed suicide due to domestic violence. In 2013, the Provincial Assembly of Sindh, Pakistan, passed The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2013, which imposes a fine of Rs 20,000 for violent offences against women. Such bills have not been passed in other provincial assemblies of the country. Other countries in South Asia (India, Nepal, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan) have national laws which make provision for extending medical assistance to women who have suffered domestic violence (4). However, a lot remains to be done to translate these laws into actual practice. In Nepal, special cells have been set up in police stations to offer services to women reporting domestic violence. Among those responsible for the implementation of these services, only a few were found to be aware of the fact that such services were supposed to be provided (5). Only 8% of women knew that such services were available (6). In Bangladesh, crisis centres have been established in tertiary care hospitals to deal with domestic abuse. Manuals have been designed for the attending doctors on how to provide assistance to the women and on the reporting of such events (6). In India, providers of medical care do not consider it their duty to report domestic violence (4).There is a need to sensitise the medical fraternity to this issue, especially since many victims present to hospitals. Health providers also need to be given guidance on the steps they can take when confronted with cases of domestic violence. Around two decades ago, the American Medical Association recommended universal screening for intimate partner violence. This led to a sharp increase of 30% in reporting of intimate partner violence among certain groups of the population (7).

National cohort study of absolute risk and age-specific incidence of multiple adverse outcomes between adolescence and early middle age.

BackgroundPsychiatric illness, substance misuse, suicidality, criminality and premature death represent major public health challenges that afflict a sizeable proportion of young people. However, studies of multiple adverse outcomes in the same cohort at risk are rare. In a national Danish cohort we estimated sex- and age-specific incidence rates and absolute risks of these outcomes between adolescence and early middle age.MethodsUsing interlinked registers, persons born in Denmark 1966–1996 were followed from their 15th until 40th birthday or December 2011 (N = 2,070,904). We estimated sex- and age-specific incidence rates of nine adverse outcomes, in three main categories: Premature mortality (all-causes, suicide, accident); Psychiatric morbidity (any mental illness diagnosis, suicide attempt, alcohol or drug misuse disorder); Criminality (violent offending, receiving custodial sentence, driving under influence of alcohol or drugs). Cumulative incidences were also calculated using competing risk survival analyses.ResultsFor cohort members alive on their 15th birthday, the absolute risks of dying by age 40 were 1.99 % for males [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.95–2.03 %] and 0.85 % for females (95 % CI 0.83–0.88 %). The risks of substance misuse and criminality were also much higher for males, especially younger males, than for females. Specifically, the risk of a first conviction for a violent offence was highest amongst males aged below 20. Females, however, were more likely than males to have a hospital-treated psychiatric disorder. By age 40, 13.25 % of females (95 % CI 13.16–13.33 %) and 9.98 % of males (95 % CI 9.91–10.06 %) had been treated. Women aged below 25 were also more likely than men to first attempt suicide, but this pattern was reversed beyond this age. The greatest gender differentials in incidence rates were in criminality outcomes.ConclusionsThis is the first comprehensive assessment of the incidence rates and absolute risks of these multiple adverse outcomes. Approximately 1 in 50 males and 1 in 120 females who are alive on their 15th birthday will die by age 40. By examining the same cohort at risk, we compared risks for multiple outcomes without differential inter-cohort biases. These epidemiological profiles will inform further research into the pathways leading to these adverse events and future preventive strategies.

Trends of the Time: An Examination of Judicial Waiver in One State

During the 1990s and 2000s, nearly every state revised its laws or adopted new legislation facilitating the transfer of juvenile offenders from juvenile court to criminal court. Previously, transfer was reserved for the “worst juveniles”, or those youths who were charged with serious violent offenses. This paper compares and contrasts girls and boys who were judicially waived to adult court in one state from 1994 to 2000. These data suggest that there may be other factors that influence judicial decision-making on the issue of transfer. Policy considerations are also discussed.

“A Horrible Looking Woman”: Female Violence in Late-Victorian East London

AbstractScholars have attributed a steep decline in violent crime in nineteenth-century England to a “civilizing offensive” launched to discipline violent masculinities. In East London, however, a significant minority of those brought before summary courts on charges of violent offenses were women. Newspaper accounts of these cases show that some women committed assaults that resembled the violent actions of men. The courts and newspapers evaluated defendants against standards of femininity. Those women who successfully performed dominant versions of femininity received lenient treatment in the courts and approval in the newspapers. The courts harshly punished those who did not conform. These accounts reveal a campaign against disorderly femininities that paralleled the civilizing offensive directed against unruly masculinities.

Quantifying crime associated with drug use among a large cohort of sanctioned offenders in England and Wales

AimTo assess the relationship between testing positive for opiates and/or cocaine and prior offending. Methods139,925 persons (107,573 men) identified from a saliva test for opiate and cocaine metabolites following arrest in England and Wales, 1 April 2005–31 March 2009, were case-linked with 2-year recorded offending history. The prior offending rate, accounting for estimated incarceration periods, was calculated by: drug-test outcome; gender; four main crime categories (acquisitive, non-acquisitive, serious acquisitive, and non-serious acquisitive) and 16 sub-categories. Rate ratio (RR) compared opiate and/or cocaine positive to dual-negative testers. Adjusted rate ratio (aRR) controlled for age at drug test. ResultsThe relationship between testing positive for opiates and cocaine and prior 2-year offending was greater for women than men (aRR men 1.77; 95% CI: 1.75–1.79: women 3.51; 3.45–3.58). The association was weaker for those testing positive for opiates only (aRR: men: 1.66, 1.64–1.68; women 2.73, 2.66–2.80). Men testing positive for cocaine only had a lower rate of prior offending (aRR: 0.93, 0.92–0.94), women had a higher rate (aRR: 1.69, 1.64–1.74). The strongest associations were for non-serious acquisitive crimes (e.g. dually-positive: prostitution (women-only): aRR 24.9, 20.9–29.7; shoplifting: aRR men 4.05, 3.95–4.16; women 6.16, 5.92–6.41). Testing positive for opiates and cocaine was associated with violent offences among women (aRR: 1.54, 1.40–1.69) but not men (aRR: 0.98, 0.93–1.02). ConclusionsAmong drug-tested offenders, opiate use is associated with elevated prior offending and the association is stronger for women than men. Cocaine use is associated with prior offending only among women.

Exploring Patterns of Offending by Juvenile Offenders in Australia: What Is the Evidence for a Specialist Violent Offender?

The question of whether there are offenders who specialise in violent offences is one that has been of considerable interest to life course developmental criminology as well as policy makers and the public. The current study investigated this using an administrative dataset of juvenile offenders from New South Wales, Australia. Specifically, it asked whether offenders convicted of a serious violent offence differed in their demographic, criminal history and reoffending profiles and whether there were further differences in these factors across gender and cultural identity. Overall, the findings indicated that violence is more likely to occur in the context of an extensive criminal career. Indigenous male individuals were the most frequent and chronic offenders in the sample. The policy and theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

The impact of victim advocacy on the prosecution of domestic violence offences: Lessons from a Realistic Evaluation

This article explores the impact of a court-based advocacy service on the prosecution of domestic violence offences. The research, conducted as part of a PhD thesis, evaluated a team of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) based within a Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC). The author adopted the methodology of Realistic Evaluation in order to understand first, any impact of the court-based IDVA service on court outcomes, second, how any such outcomes were achieved and, finally, in what contexts they occurred. As this article explores, effective victim advocacy has the potential to impact positively on the prosecution of domestic violence offences.

The Structure of Personality as a Predictor of Criminal Behavior of Patient Dependent on Alcohol / Karakteristike ličnosti zavisnika od alkohola kao smjernice za izricanje vrste mjere obaveznog liječenja

The research was conducted at the Department of Addictions of the Psychiatry Clinic in BanjaLuka in 2011/2012. It included two groups of examinees.One group was Experimental N (50) which consisted of alcohol addicts who had committed crime and misdemeanor offenses and the second one was a control group N (50) which consisted of alcohol addicts who had not commited these acts. The perpetrators of domestic violence are often treated at the Psychiatry Clinic following the Court verdict.The aim of the research is to study personality characteristics of alcohol addicts from these stand points: 1) What are the personality characteristics of alcohol addicts. 2) What are the personality specificities of alcohol addicts who have commited criminal acts or offenses and alcohol addicts who have not committed criminal acts and offenses. 3) Can the personality characteristics of alcohol addicts be taken into account indrawing up treatment guidelines for the prevention of relapse of criminal behavior and suggesting possible ways of sanctioning through the legal system.The research was conducted at the Department of Addictions of the Psychiatry Clinic in BanjaLuka in 2011/2012. It included two groups of examinees.One group was Experimental N (50) which consisted of alcohol addicts who had committed crime and misdemeanor offenses and the second one was a control group N (50) which consisted of alcohol addicts who had not commited these acts. The perpetrators of domestic violence are often treated at the Psychiatry Clinic following the Court verdict.The results showed that the offenders differ from non-offenders in the fact that they start drinking earlier, and they have a statistically significant difference in many categories of sociopathic characteristics in terms of problems in school,conflicts with law, conflicts within the family, and more often show aggression.Analysis of the personality characteristics shows statistical significance at the subscale of psychopathic deviation forthe perpetrators.Category of offenders is significantly more impulsive than non-offenders under all three components of impulsiveness: cognitive, motor and dispersal of attention.Everything mentioned above indicates the need for early prevention of alcohol and work with high-risk populations. On the other hand, there should be a better secondary prevention where, besides treating alcohol dependence, a group of perpetrators has a need for psychosocial treatment of anger control.

Finding a voice – the feasibility and impact of setting up a community choir in a forensic secure setting

This study reports on the feasibility and impact of running a choir for forensic psychiatric inpatients, staff and members of the local community, within the confines of a medium secure psychiatric unit. The choir ran between October and December 2013. Eight weekly workshops and a final concert performance were evaluated through participant observation and focus groups held with the participants. Between 12 and 16 male and female patients attended each workshop and the final concert. All participating patients had received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder or personality disorder, all had committed serious violent or sexual offences and all were legally detained and receiving treatment in a forensic medium or low secure ward, under the Mental Health Act (England and Wales). Considerable benefits were reported by patients, as well as by the participating community choir members and staff. Primary benefits reported by patients included the following: improved happiness and well-being; increased confidence and self-esteem; greater emotional connectedness and reduced sense of stigma. Participating staff also reported increased feelings of well-being and happiness, greater tolerance and more positive perceptions of the functioning and capabilities of forensic psychiatric patients. The longer term benefits of music participation on the mental health and social functioning of forensic psychiatric patients require further investigation.