NCJ Number
67102
Journal
Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Volume: 59 Issue: 5 Dated: (1979) Pages: 493-501
Date Published
1979
Length
9 pages
Annotation
THIS 1975-77 HELSINKI STUDY EVALUATED ALCOHOLISM AND ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR IN MALE CRIMINALS AND JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO AGE, OTHER PERSONALITY DISORDERS, AND THE CRIMINALS' FATHERS.
Abstract
THREE GROUPS WERE INTERVIEWED: 50 ADULT MALES, CRIMINALS WITH ANTISOCIAL AND ALCOHOLIC TENDENCIES (ADULT GROUP), 50 JUVENILE DELINQUENTS WITH BOTH TENDENCIES (JUVENILE GROUP), AND 42 ADULT MALE CRIMINALS WHO WERE ALCOHOLICS BUT NOT SOCIOPATHS (CONTROL GROUP). THE ADULTS AVERAGED 28.3 YEAARS, THE JUVENILES 17.3 YEARS, AND THE CONTROLS 33.5 YEARS. THE INVESTIGATORS FOUND THAT FEWER MEN IN THE ADULT GROUP FELT DEPENDENT ON ALCOHOL THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP, AND THE WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOM RATE WAS LOWER IN THE ADULT GROUP. THE JUVENILE GROUP SHOWED FINDINGS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF THE ADULT GROUP. A HIGHER PERCENTAGE IN BOTH THE ADULT AND JUVENILE GROUPS WERE ARRESTED MANY TIMES FOR DRINKING AND VIOLENT CRIMES THAN IN THE CONTROL GROUP. THE ADULT GROUP FATHERS BEHAVED MORE ABNORMALLY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL THAN FATHERS OF THE CONTROL GROUP, ALTHOUGH THE FATHERS' ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR DIMINISHED WITH AGE. IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT SINCE SOCIOPATHS ARE PHYSICALLY LESS DEPENDENT ON ALCOHOL, THEY DO NOT CONSIDER ALCOHOLISM A SERIOUS PROBLEM OR UNDERSTAND ITS IMPLICATIONS; THUS THEY WERE ARRESTED MORE THAN THE CONTROL GROUP FOR VIOLENT CRIMES AND DRUNKENNESS. A TABLE OF THE STUDY'S FINDINGS AND REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)