NCJ Number
56388
Journal
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry Volume: 44 Issue: 5 Dated: (OCTOBER 1974) Pages: 675-687
Date Published
1974
Length
13 pages
Annotation
MUCH OF THE BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH ON VIOLENCE CONDUCTED IN THE 1970'S IS BASED ON HIGHLY QUESTIONABLE ASSUMPTIONS. THIS PAPER REVIEWS RESEARCH ON VIOLENCE AND EXAMINES POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF VIOLENCE PREDICTION.
Abstract
IN THE EARLY 1970'S, BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH FUNDING WAS DRASTICALLY CUT WHILE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT MONEY INCREASED. SINCE GOVERNMENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES ARE IN NEED OF 'SOLUTIONS' TO VIOLENCE, THEY TURNED TO THE BIOMEDICAL COMMUNITY FOR ANSWERS. UNFORTUNATELY, A LARGE PART OF THE RESEARCH BEING PRODUCED IS ELABORATING ON AND DISSEMINATING THEORIES WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN SUFFICIENTLY PROVEN EMPIRICALLY. AN EXAMPLE IS THE RESEARCH BEING DONE ON THE XYY CHROMOSOME SYNDROME AND VIOLENCE. FIRST REPORTED IN 1961, THE POSSIBLE LINK BETWEEN THE XYY AND VIOLENCE WAS THE SUBJECT OF A WAVE OF BRITISH STUDIES DONE WITH INMATES OF PRISONS AND MENTAL HOSPITALS WHO HAD BEEN SCREENED FOR TALLNESS. WHEN SOME OF THE TALL PRISONERS WERE FOUND TO BE XYY, THE ASSUMPTION WAS MADE THAT THEY WERE ALSO ANTISOCIAL. SIMILAR INCONSISTENCIES TAINT THE RESEARCH DONE ON TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY AND VIOLENCE. SOME VIOLENT INDIVIDUALS, EVEN IN THE ABSENCE OF CLINICAL SEIZURES, HAVE BEEN LABELED 'EPILEPTOID.' THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESEARCH ON LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE SIGNIFICANT. PSYCHOSURGERY FOR VIOLENT PERSONS AND DEVELOPMENT OF VIOLENCE SCREENING PROCEDURES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED. CALIFORNIA HAS CONSIDERED BUILDING CLINICS FOR VIOLENCE PREDICTION AND CONTROL. IT IS ARGUED THAT THE MOST DANGEROUS ASPECT OF THIS 'NEW PHRENOLOGY' INVOLVES THE BELIEF THAT THE HOPED-FOR BIOLOGICAL MEASURES OF CRIMINAL TENDENCIES SHOULD BE USED FOR SCREENING THE POPULATION AS A MEANS OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION, A PRACTICE WHICH INEVITABLY LEADS TO MEDICALLY LEGITIMIZED PREVENTIVE DETENTION AND DRUG TREATMENT. BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH WILL NEVER TOUCH THE CORE ISSUES RELATING TO VIOLENCE IN UNITED STATES SOCIETY, BUT IS USED RATHER AS A TOOL TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM AILING SOCIAL AND POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS (E.G., CORPORATE PROFIT, RACISM, POVERTY, UNEMPLOYMENT), OR OTHER FACTORS SUCH AS THE PREVALENCE OF GUNS AND THE USE OF ALCOHOL. MEDICAL RESEARCHERS ARE ADMONISHED TO REFUSE MONEY FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES, CONDUCT CONTROLLED STUDIES, AND BE AWARE OF POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THEIR RESEARCH. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)