theories in informing policy development
Biological theories influencing policy
- biochemical
Policy: drug treatments
- Antabuse = used to treat alcohol addiction - prevents the alcohol being broken down
- Methadone = use to treat heroin addiction - prevent withdrawal symptoms, reduce crime because they do
not have to commit crimes to buy heroin
- Stilbestrol = used on male sex offenders - female hormone, reduces sex drive, piolet scheme showed
positive response
- Valium and Librium = used to keep violent prisoner's calm - sedatives
Policy: Diet
Evidence suggests if a person’s diet is modified it can change anti-social behaviour:
Gesch et all -
study on over 200 male prisoners
one group received daily vitamins, other group receive placebo (not real medication)
negative behaviour dropped the most from vitamins, 35%
Virkkunen et al -
found violent offenders had lower serotonin levels, than average
can be treated by a diet including salmon or tuna as it is rich in serotonin
Schoenthaler -
found a reduced sugar diet could reduce anti-social behaviour by 48%.
Vitamin B3 has been used to treat some forms of schizophrenia, a disorder associated with violent crimes.
Removing certain artificial colourings, from children’s diets can have an effect on hyperactivity (which can
lead to crime in adult life).
, Policy: Surgery
- Surgical castration of sex offenders has been used in Denmark and the USA, results have been mixed.
Lobotomy -
- cuts the pre-frontal cortex
- been used to treat schizophrenia, sex offenders and violent criminals, can have serious side effects
- not performed very often now.
Policy: Crowd control and public order offences
- methods aimed at controlling groups using chemical substances:
- Tear gas used to control crowds or disperse rioters
- Causes vomiting, breathing difficulties, disorientation, lung damage and death.
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