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Alcohol and Drugs and their affect on Crime 1 The Scope of the Alcohol/Crime Problem Of all the substances used to alter mood and consciousness, alcohol is the one most directly linked to crime, especially violent crime. One third of all arrests in the United States are for alcohol-related offenses. 2 The Direct Effects of Alcohol on Behavior The effects of alcohol on behavior is a function of the interactions of the pharmacological properties of the substance, the individual’s physiology and personality, and the social and cultural context in which the substance is ingested. Alcohol raises dopamine levels, decreases serotonin, and increases GABA, a major inhibitor of internal stimuli such as fear, anxiety, and stress. 3 Contextual Factors Alcohol is a releaser of behaviors that we normally want to keep under control. In some social contexts, drinking may lead to violence, but not others. Experimental research has shown that drinking increases males’ fantasies of power and domination. 4 Contextual Factors Binge drinkers: Consume anywhere between 5 and 10 drinks in a few hours time and are particularly likely to define drinking as a time out period. Heavy alcohol intake has a substantial disinhibiting effect on behavior; so alcoholinduced disinhibition may be considered a cause of anti-social acts. 5 Alcoholism: Type I and Type II Alcoholism: A chronic disease condition marked by progressive incapacity to control alcohol consumption despite psychological, spiritual, social, or physiological disruptions. Most alcoholics do not get into serious trouble with the law. Type I alcoholism: Characterized by a mild abuse, minimal criminality, and passive-dependent personality. 6 Alcoholism: Type I and Type II Type II alcoholism: Characterized by early onset, violence, and criminality, and is largely limited to males. Heritability estimates for Type II alcoholism are about 0.90 and about 0.40 for Type I alcoholism indicating that environmental factors are much more important to understanding Type I alcoholism than Type II alcoholism. 7 Drug Addiction Drug addiction: Compulsive drugseeking behavior where acquiring and using a drug becomes the most important activity in the user’s life. Physical dependence: Changes to the body that have occurred after repeated use of it and necessitates its continued administration to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Psychological dependence: The deep craving for the drug and the feeling that one cannot function without it. 8 The Drugs/Violence Link Narcotics drugs are those that reduce the sense of pain, tension, and anxiety and produce a drowsy sense of euphoria (e.g. heroin). The stimulants have effects opposite to those of narcotics (e.g. cocaine, crack, methamphetamine). Hallucinogenic drugs are mind altering drugs (e.g. LSD and Peyote). Synthetic look-alike, or designer drugs fall into the general family of psychoactive substances. 9 What Causes Drug Abuse? Paul Goldstein’s tripartite framework: Illegal drugs are associated with violence in three ways: Pharmacological Economic-compulsive Systemic violence: Violence associated with traditionally aggressive patterns of interaction within the system of drug distribution and use. 10 What Causes Drug Abuse? Economic-compulsive violence: Violence associated with efforts to obtain money to finance the high cost of illicit drugs. Pharmacological violence: Violence induced by the pharmacological properties of the drug itself. 11 What Causes Drug Abuse? Social-learning and subculture theories: Drug abuse reflects differential exposure to individuals and groups. Conflict theory: As the rich get richer, the poor poorer and economic opportunities are shrinking for the uneducated and the unskilled, drug dealers have taken firm root among the increasingly demoralized, disorganized, and politically powerless “underclass.” 12 Does Drug Abuse Cause Crime? Illicit drug abuse is associated with criminal behavior. A large body of research indicates that drug abuse does not appear to initiate a criminal career, although it does increase the extent and seriousness of one. 13 Mental Disorders and Crime Mental disorders: Clinically significant conditions characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior associated with personal distress and/or impaired functioning. Schizophrenia: The most widespread of the psychotic disorders. Schizophrenia comes in a variety of subtypes. Catatonic: Rigid and unresponsive Paranoid: Hostile and distrusting 14 Mental Disorders and Crime Heberphrenic: Frenetic and wild Reactive: Usually marked by the onset of an acutely stressful experience. Bipolar disorder: A disorder in which individuals alternate between the poles of extreme elation or euphoria and deep depression. The prevalence of bipolar disorder in the general population is about 1.6%. 15 The Link Between Mental Illness and Crime Although the mentally disordered are at greater risk for committing crimes, especially violent crimes, than the average person, they are few in number, and thus their crimes constitute only a very small proportion of all crimes committed. 16