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Health Law and Bio Ethics Prof. Dr. Helena Pereira de Melo

Health Law and Bio Ethics Prof. Dr. Helena Pereira de Melo. Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour 2º CICLO – ANO LECTIVO 2013/ 2014 ANGELICA SCHMIDT - Nº 003904 Lisboa , 30 de avril de 2014. Agenda. Criminological Basics. Medical research on criminal behaviour then.

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Health Law and Bio Ethics Prof. Dr. Helena Pereira de Melo

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  1. Health Law and Bio EthicsProf. Dr. Helena Pereira de Melo Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour 2º CICLO – ANO LECTIVO 2013/2014 ANGELICA SCHMIDT - Nº 003904 Lisboa, 30 de avril de 2014

  2. Agenda Criminological Basics Medical research on criminalbehaviourthen Medical research on criminalbehaviourtoday Implicationsforhealthlaw: Discussion 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  3. Criminological Basics (1/2): Definition ofCriminology • Causes, controlandpreventionofcriminalbehaviorbothforindividualsandsociety • Interdisciplinaryfield in behavioralsciences, focussing on theresearchofsociology, psychology, psychatry, socialanthropolgyaswellas on writings in law • Areas ofresearch: forms, causesandconsequencesofcrime, socialandgovernmentalregulationsandreactiontocrime • Victiminology 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  4. Criminological Basics (2/2): Most populartheories • SubculturalTheory • EcologicalApproaches • Theoryofculturalconflicts • Frustration-Aggression-Hypothesis • ControlTheory • Psychologicandsocialpsychologictheories • Medical theories 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  5. Agenda Criminological Basics Medical research on criminalbehaviourthen Medical research on criminalbehaviourtoday Implicationsforhealthlaw: Discussion 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  6. Medical Research then (1/7): FamousRepresentatives • Cesare Lombroso (1883 – 1909): Types of criminals • Ernst Kretschmer (1888 – 1964): Somatotypology • Joseph Gall (1758 – 1828): Craniology • Johannes Langes (1891 – 1923): Twin research 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  7. Medical Research then (2/7): Lombroso • „L’uomodelinquente“ (1876): „born criminal“ • Pathologic and deviant characteristics of criminals • Criminals as a primitive humans: „Degeneration-Stigmata“ • Demand: abolition of criminal liability 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  8. Medical Research then (3/7): Kretschmer • "Physique and Character" (1921): Development of specific body types • Leptosome (thin: tends to offenses against property) • Pyknic (thickish, prone to fraud) • Athletic (muscular, prone to violent offenses) 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  9. Medical Research then (4/7): Kretschmer • Leptosom ePyknicAthlete • . 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  10. Medical Research then (5/7): Gall • Founder of phrenology and skull research • Localization of mental skills and character traits in certain brain areas • Altered brain regions can cause personality changes or provoke violent criminal behaviour 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  11. . 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  12. Medical Research then (6/7): Langes • "Crime as Destiny" (1929) • Assumption: chromosome abnormalities of violence criminals • „Murderer-chromosome“ (XYY-Chromosome-Aberration) • „Klinefelt-Syndrome“ (XXY-Chromosome-Aberration) • Influence on genetics and chromosome-research 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  13. Medical Research then (7/7): Critique • Very poor methodology • Empirically research results are not justifiable • Negative: conservative and repressive explanations,racial politics • Positive: impulses for today's medical research 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  14. Agenda Criminological Basics Medical research on criminalbehaviourthen Medical research on criminalbehaviourtoday Implicationsforhealthlaw: Discussion 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  15. Medical Research today 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  16. Medical Research Today (1/10) PrenatalInfluences • Stress, tobacco, drugoralcoholabuse (eg, fetal alcoholsyndrome) leadstosevereembryonicdamage • Consequence: antisocialbehavior, characterneuroses • Other factors: negative environmental influences, cognitive-emotional development 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  17. Medical Research Today (2/10) ADHD • Aggression, impulsivity, "sensation-seeking“, lack ofdiscipline, emotional instability • Cause: neurobiologicaldisorder, inactiveneurotransmitter • 30-50% withantisocialand aggressive behavior. • Personswith ADHD showthreetimesmore delinquent behavior 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  18. Medical Research Today (3/10) Gender • Percentageoffemaleand male suspects: 25.4% and 74.6% • Women: Emotional controlandlowerdegreeofaggression • Evidenceof a correlationbetweenpre-frontal braincomplexandviolentbehavior in malesonly 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  19. Medical Research Today (4/10) Bio-chemicalCauses Hormons (Androgens) • Sexual hormoneTestosterone • Cortisol (Adrenal Cortex) • Overproduction: Anxiety • Underproduction: „sensation-seeking“ • Thyroidfunction • Over/Underproduction: Anxiety, restlessness Neurotransmitter (Messengers) • Serotonine • Deficiencycausesviolentor aggressive behavior • Noradrenalin • Causes Stress • „GABA“ • Influenceslevelofaggressionandanxiety 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  20. Medical Research Today (5/10) Nutrition • American Institute of Biosocial and Medical Research: • Correlationbetweenpoornutritionandagression • Metabolicdisorders, poisoningandbiochemicalmalfunction • University of Baltimore: • Correlationbetweensugarandrefinedcarbohydratesandbehavioralproblems • Sugar dietreducesviolentbehavior 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  21. Medical Research Today (6/10) Others • Limbic System (AffectsandEmotions) • Hypothalamus, Amygdala, Hippocampus • Ifdamaged: misjudgmentandmisinterpretationofemotions, fear, anger • Pre-frontal Cortex • Anger Management • circulatorydisorder: increased aggressive behavior 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  22. Medical Research Today 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  23. Medical Research Today (7/10) Intoxicationand Drugs • Alcohol • Delirium: disinhibition, aggressive behavior • Detoxication: violence attacks • Sober alcoholics: irritability, impulsivity, isolation • 13.2% of all offenses under the influence of alcohol • Drugs • Opiates: passive state • Psychostimulants: violent behavior possible • Hallucinogens: panic attacks, psychosis, delusional states • Drug-related crimes • Overdose: aggression, irritation 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  24. Medical Research Today (8/10) Bipolar Disorder • Affectivepersonalitydisorder • Causes: • Lack ofneurotransmitters: metabolicdisturbances in thebrain • Alcoholanddrugsincreasesymptoms • No definite causal link betweendiseaseand (violent) criminalbehavior 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  25. Medical Research Today (9/10) Shizophrenia • Affectivepersonalitydisorder • Diverse symptoms: • Delusions, hallucinations • paranoid and schizoid personalitydisorders • personalitychanges • Hypersensitivity, nervousness, increasedlevelsofaggression • In an acutepsychosis: high violent potential 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  26. Medical Research Today (10/10) Organic Brain Lesion • acutebraindisorders: • Encephalitis • CerebralHemorrage • Unpredictable, aggressive, psychomotoricaffectivebehaviour • Case ofPhineas Gage: • Injuryprefrontalcortex • Nointellectual, but emotional-affectivepersonalitychanges • After theaccident: reckless, carefree, aggressive behavior 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  27. Agenda Criminological Basics Medical research on criminalbehaviourthen Medical research on criminalbehaviourtoday Implicationsforhealthlaw: Discussion 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  28. Implicationsforhealthlaw (1/2) • Neuro-sciences • Genetics and brain function do influence behaviour! • Doubts on individual freedom of choice • Terms of guilt, liability and blame might loose their meaning • Consequences for penal law? • Elimination of guilt and liability? Elimination of penalty? • Solution: protection to the public by medical treatment of the patients? • problems? 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  29. Implicationsforhealthlaw (2/2) • Can peoplebeaccountablefortheiroffenses? • Do criminalshave a personal responsibility? • Howto deal withcriminalswhohavegenetic, biologicorphysicdefects? • Howto deal withguiltandliability ? 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

  30. Q & A Thanksforyourattention! Anyquestions, remarks, comments? 30.04.2014 - Medical Causes of Criminal Behaviour

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