The role of head injury in cognitive functioning, emotional adjustment and criminal behaviour

Abstract

In two investigations, 50% of non-violent convicted felons, who avoided incarceration by participating in a day reporting programme, reported a prior history of head injury and current problems in cognitive and emotional functioning. Only 5% of a college sample in the first investigation and 15% of a community sample in the second investigation reported prior head injury. In a third investigation, 83% of felons who had reported a history of head injury also reported a date for their head injury that preceded the date of their first encounter with law enforcement. Some participants reported no trouble with the law until after experiencing a head injury that occurred in their late thirties. Considering the research reported here and elsewhere in the literature, it appears that many serious crimes follow a head injury. One implication of the findings reported here is that many crimes might not occur if people with head injury were given prompt and comprehensive treatment after the injury.

Traumatic brain injury among female offenders in a prison population: results of the FleuryTBI study

“…Among studies looking at the prevalence of TBI among females offenders (Bogner & Corrigan, 2009; Brewer‐Smyth et al., 2004; Colantonio et al., 2007, 2014; Diamond, Harzke, Magaletta, Cummins, & Frankowski, 2007; Ferguson et al., 2012; Gunter et al., 2009; Hawley & Maden, 2003; Hux et al., 1998; Lewis, Pincus, Feldman, Jackson, & Bard, 1986; Perron & Howard, 2008; Sarapata, Herrmann, Johnson, & Aycock, 1998; Slaughter, Fann, & Ehde, 2003), the rates vary from 9.5% (Perron & Howard, 2008) to 100% (Lewis et al., 1986). A rate of 100% was found in a very small sample of two women.…”

“…The prevalence of 21% found in this study confirms previous findings published in Canada and the United States (Bogner & Corrigan, 2009; Brewer‐Smyth et al., 2004; Colantonio et al., 2007, 2014; Diamond et al., 2007; Ferguson et al., 2012; Gunter et al., 2009; Hawley & Maden, 2003; Hux et al., 1998; Lewis et al., 1986; Perron & Howard, 2008; Sarapata et al., 1998; Slaughter et al., 2003). As data about the prevalence of TBI are lacking for Europe, it is hazardous to compare our findings with the prevalence of a history of TBI in the general population in France (Tagliaferri, Compagnone, Korsic, Servadei, & Kraus, 2006).…”

Does Traumatic Brain Injury Lead to Criminality? A Whole-Population Retrospective Cohort Study Using Linked Data

“…Data were analysed using SAS Version 9·3 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) and STATA 10·0 (College Station, TX, USA) using a two-tailed 5% significance level. Since Aboriginal descent, disadvantaged background, mental illness and substance abuse disorders have been associated both with conviction rates and TBI [ 1 – 2 , 5 – 10 ], and are also potential effects modifiers, we included proxies for these factors as covariates and assessed their interactions with TBI, and also adjusted for year of birth.…”

“…Studies of offender populations consistently show high rates of past traumatic brain injury (TBI) [ 1 ] and some investigators suggest that many offences may be a consequence of TBI-related behavioural dysregulation [ 2 ]. The societal, public health, criminological, and custodial implications of an established causal association between TBI and subsequent offending would be profound if, as the investigators of one study proposed, ‘a head injury leads victims to participate in more than half of the crimes that come to the attention of police and that result in incarceration’ [ 2 ]. With increasing concerns expressed about TBI among soldiers returning from conflicts such as Afghanistan and in those engaged in body contact sports a rigorous examination of the purported link between TBI and criminality is relevant, timely and important [ 3 – 4 ].…”

“…Most previous studies bearing on this issue have been cross-sectional [ 1 – 2 , 5 ] but two large longitudinal studies using record linkage have also been published. In one, TBI in childhood was associated with a 1·7-fold increased risk of criminal conviction later in life relative to general population controls [ 6 ].…”