Brain Injury Evaluation Flashcards
Williams (2010) found that 60% of young people in custody has experienced some kind of traumatic brain injury.
Supports the idea that brain injury is linked with criminal behaviour as these TBI’s could be what caused these young people to commit crimes.
Kreutzer et al (1991) found that out of 74 patients, 20% were arrested pre injury and 10% post injury and found that in all cases they were arrested after drug or alcohol consumption.
Criticises the explanation as only 10% had actually been arrested post injury, which shows it was not the injury that causes criminal behaviour but could be the drug and alcohol consumption that all of them had been convicted after.
Phineas Gage - Metal rod through frontal lobe
Charles Whitman - Tumour pressing on the amydgala
Both showed unexplainable violent behaviour which only appeared post-injury for both of them so it can be used to support the idea that a brain injury can cause criminal behaviour.
Sarparta et al
Brain injury in a criminal population is 50% compared to 2-5% in the general popluation
Supports the idea that a brain injury can lead to criminal behaviour as more of the prison population had a TBI than those in the general population.
Raine et al
Found that murderers who pleaded NGRI had low hippocampul volume compared to non-murderers.
Supports the idea that damage to the brain or even a difference in brain volume can lead to criminal behaviour.
The way that we measure the data for the research is objective.
Measuring a brain injury uses brain scanning techniques which is scientific and objective which increases the validity of the research into TBI’s and criminal behaviour.
Brain injury could be used as a scapegoat for criminals.
If it is found that TBI’s are associated with criminal behaviour, this could be used as an excuse for criminals and get them out of full punishment which doesn’t ensure justice for the prosecution.
Brain injury is a reductionist explanation for the whole of criminal behaviour.
It fails to produce explanations as to why there are criminals without a TBI or an ABI. It fails to consider other factors such as personality.
