Several strands of research
are consistent with the possibility that expansions in psychiatric medication
usage have reduced crime and delinquency. Estimates suggest that medication
usage has increased to as much as 9% of the youth population and up to 20% of
the adult population in the United States and is high among populations
associated with the criminal justice system.
Studies show that four classes of
commonly used psychiatric medication do reduce aggressive behavior, and crime
rates are lower among diagnosed patients receiving such medications compared to
those not. Prescriptions for medication increased fivefold for youth during the
time that crime has declined in the United States and elsewhere, and two
population-level analyses find some association between prescription rates and
crime trends over time.
However, true experimental studies are lacking, and one
of the better trend studies does not show strong associations. This article
proposes a research agenda for this issue.
Purchase full article at: http://goo.gl/RUu6bd
By:
- 1Crimes against Children Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA david.finkelhor@unh.edu.
- 2Justice Studies Department, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
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