Policy Development: Biological Theories Flashcards
What are two examples of biological drug treatments?
Antabuse (Disulfiram)
Chemical Castration
What is Antabuse used to treat?
Alcohol addiction
What does Antabuse do?
prevents the body from breaking down alcohol when consumed causing unpleasant ‘hang-over’ like symptoms
What does Alcoholism trigger (how to people behave)
Triggers violent/criminal behaviour
What drug is used for chemical castration?
Stilbesterol
What does Stilbestrol do?
Suppresses testosterone levels in men reducing their sex drive meaning their likelihood to reoffend is decreased
Who worked on the Enigma Machine (for chemical castration)
Alan Turing
What did Alan Turing try to do?
Tried to ‘cure’ homosexuality in 1953
Are the drug treatments informal or formal? Why?
Informal
It is not a required treatment of crime to prevent people from re-offending but is used to help people reduce the likelihood
Are the drug treatments a use of crime control or state punishment? Why?
Crime Control
They are only given the drugs to reduce the likelihood of re offending
What are the strengths of drug treatments (2)
- Many studies show that MMT has a success rate between 60-90% overall
- They are used by the NHS and other health agencies to help treat addiction to substances
What is diet modification used for?
To increase peoples (mainly prisoners) moods to decrease violent behaviour
Who did the case study for diet modification?
Gesch et al
What did Gesch et al do?
He had 231 male adult prisoners agree to receive daily vitamins, mineral and essential fatty acids supplements or a placebo drug measuring at various points during the test for psychological testing, reports of violent acts and reports of disciplinary actions.
What were the results of Gesch et als case study? (disciplinary incidents)
The average of disciplinary incidents per 1,000 people dropped from 16-10.4% in the groups which took the supplement which is a 35% reduction whereas the placebo dropped by 6.7%.
What were the results of Gesch et als case study? (violent incidents)
In the supplement group violent incidents dropped by 37& whilst in the placebo group incidents dropped by 10.1%
Who found that violent offenders had a lower than average serotonin level which could have been increased by a change in diet?
Virkkunen et al (1987)
What foods have an increased level of serotonin?
Salmon and fresh tuna