PSYCHIATRIC STUDIES OF AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN PENITENTIARY INMATES (FROM NEURAL BASES OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION, 1975, BY W S FIELDS AND W H SWEET - SEE NCJ-57520)

• NCJ Number: 57525
• Author(s): F R ERVIN
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 10 pages
• Corporate Author: Warren H Green, Inc
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS ARTICLE FROM THE SYMPOSIUM ON NEURAL BASES OF VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION EXAMINES THE METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF STUDYING VIOLENT PRISONERS AND GIVING THEM PROPER MEDICAL TREATMENT.

Abstract

RESEARCH CONCERNING PRISON POPULATIONS IS HAMPERED BY THE LACK OF A SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE CONSTITUENT GROUP. NO KNOWN MEDICAL SURVEY HAS EVER INCLUDED A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE PRISON POPULATION, AND, CONSEQUENTLY, THE DISTRIBUTION OF TRADITIONAL NOSOLOGICAL CATEGORIES OF PSYCHIATRIC DISORDER WITHIN THIS POPULATION IS UNCLEAR. ONE STUDY OF 1200 MALE INMATES AND 150 FEMALE INMATES INDICATES THE DIFFICULTIES IN DEALING WITH A POPULATION SO RANDOMLY DEFINED BY SOCIETY. A MEANINGFUL UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRISON SYSTEM WILL COME ABOUT ONLY AFTER RESEARCHERS UNDERSTAND THE DYNAMICS OF PRISON LIFE AND THE POPULATION WITHIN IT. RELEVANT DATA MUST BE ACQUIRED USING METHODS OF BOTH MEDICINE AND SOCIOLOGY. PURE SOCIOLOGY DOES NOT ALLOW FOR ANALYSIS OF INTERVENING VARIABLES TO CONNECT CORRELATIONS OF SOCIAL PARAMETERS AND INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR AND PURELY MEDICAL DATA DO NOT PERMIT THE LINKING OF PERCEIVED ORGANIC DISORDERS TO THE CAUSE OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR. RESPONSIBLE SOCIOBIOLOGY EXAMINES EVIDENCE OF GENETIC HERITAGE, CHROMOSOME DEVELOPMENT, NUTRITION, DRUG USE, AND FAMILY EXPERIENCES, USING A SERIES OF APPROACHES, TECHNIQUES, AND CONCEPTS WHICH ALLOW FOR MEASUREMENT AND IDENTIFICATION OF A VARIETY OF SOCIAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL FACTORS AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIPS. (TWK)