ADHD and Criminal Behavior - Literature review Example

ADHD and Criminal Behavior Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity (ADHD) has been show to create problems in childhood behavior. This disorder is defined as: A developmental disorder characterized by developmentally inappropriate degrees of inattention, over activity, and impulsivity. Symptoms are neurologically-based, arise in early childhood, and are chronic in nature in most cases. Symptoms are not due to gross neurological impairment, sensory impairment, language or motor impairment, mental retardation, or emotional disturbance (Find Counseling, 2009). Generally there are three main traits that are exhibited by people with add: 1. Poor attention span 2. Hyperactivity or difficulty regulating their activities. 3. Lack of impulse control or lack of the ability to delay gratification. Most people are diagnosed in early childhood and this diagnosis may or may not follow them throughout school and their life. Many studies suggest that ADHD are primary aspects of criminal behavior and that they contribute to this type of behavior. However, the evidence is inconclusive when it comes to the idea that this is a contributing factor for ADHD. It is this researchers opinion that if this disorder is not diagnosed early in a childs life then it can lead to more pronounced behavioral problems which in turn can develop into criminal behavior. Many studies support the idea that ADHD is a contributing factor to some criminal behavior. According to the Neurology Channel (1998-2009), ADHD affects about 10% of the U.S. population and it is diagnosed in about 5% of adolescent children ages 9-17. Boys are usually more affected than girls and this seems to be 5 times as much as girls. This could be a reason that there seems to be criminal behavior in boys more often than boys. This channel also says that ADHD has a tendency to run in families and usually a close relative will have this challenge also and it may occur in 1/3 of fathers who had ADHD during pregnancy; they may have passed ADHD to their children. According to the Pediatric Health Channel (1998-2009) ADHD is a "chronic (long-lasting) neurobehavioral disorder, which means it is related to how the central nervous system affects behavior, learning and emotions" (par. 2). They go on to say that these children have a different brain structure than other children and that this results in the impulsive behavior, hyperactivity and the inability to focus. When these factors come together it is this researchers opinion that a child could have difficult with staying focused in school and that this behavior can lead to acting out, disruptive behavior and eventually problems with the law. Many researchers have studied ADHD and its affects on children and whether children have other problems because of this condition. PBS (2001) spotlighted a study by Dr. Rachel Klein and Dr. Salvatore Mannuzza, doctors at New York University Medical School that was a longitudinal study that followed 226 children with the average age of 8 for 16 years. The purpose of the study was to see whether children would outgrow ADHD and whether this behavior put them at risk for other problems. Some of their findings included: 1. 37% of those children with ADHD carried it into adolescence but it seemed to drop as adults. 2. Only about 14% of students with ADHD finish college or receive a graduate degree. 3. ADHD children are more likely to have other psychiatric disorders as they age. They found conduct disorder present in 30% of their children especially those who still had ADHD into adolescence. 4. They found that 17% were more likely to abuse alcohol and other drugs but it was only in those adolescents who had problems with conduct disorder; this was inconclusive in deciding whether ADHD was a contributing factor in drug abuse. 5. Children with ADHD were more at risk for criminal behavior than the control group or those without ADHD. The found that 39% of their study had been incarcerated in either adolescence or early adulthood with conviction rates at 28%; this was more apparent in those who had acquired either anti-social behavior or conduct disorder. (PBS, 2001). The information in this study substantiates that ADHD is a contributing factor to criminal behavior but that it is not the only factor. Those who have problems with the law seem to also have other problems with conduct disorder and anti-social behavior. It would stand to reason that these two issues would be important to the study of children with ADHD with the understanding that as they grow older more problems with controlling themselves may ensue. As in any other mental condition if it is allowed to continue without treatment it can become a more chronic condition. The literature review that this researcher did for this paper seemed to also show that ADHD was a contributing factor to other problems for these children. It seemed that it began when they were young and then continued as adolescents and adults. In the criminal justice system it seems difficult for children to get beyond this process as adults if they are already having problems as children. Rim, Mulsow, and Reifman (2003) created a meta-analysis study to understand how behavior was affected by ADHD. According to their study, "ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavior disorder of childhood, estimated to affect 3 to 5 percent of school-age children" (p. 62). Their study also indicated through their review of the literature that there is evidence that children who are diagnosed with ADHD more often have problems with substance abuse, contact with the police, escalating behavior problems and anti-social behavior as they enter into adolescence and adulthood (p. 62). Although these studies show that ADHD could be a contributing factor to criminal behavior, the authors felt that it gave inconclusive evidence which in turn created their meta-analysis. The results of their study were that there are long-term effects of ADHD for children diagnosed early but they do not indicate the type of problems the individual may have later. They found that substance abuse and alcohol abuse were "slightly higher" in those with ADHD but not significantly higher to say that this was a contributing factor to behavior problems (p. 65). Young (2000) studied cohorts that followed children who had been diagnosed with ADHD at an early age and then revisited them at different stages in their lives. They found that a majority of children still had core symptoms as they grew into adolescence and adulthood. They also examined court records to see whether ADHD was seen as a result of criminal activity. In examining these records they found that ADHD was a contributing factor if anti-social behavior also existed in the individual. The Los Angeles courts showed that children with a mean age of 17 were "four to five times more likely to be arrested and were 25 percent more likely to be institutionalized because of delinquency" (p.193) than the control group without ADHD. They also found that those children who had conduct disorders in childhood were more at risk for criminal behavior later than those diagnosed with anxiety or depression (p. 194). As this researcher continued to review the literature for this assignment it was difficult to decide whether the ADHD was the culprit in most of the crime situations or whether it was something different. What would have happened if the researchers had looked at other factors that the criminals they studied had in common. Was ADHD really the problem? If so how does it affect the individual? A few other questions that came to mind in this research is whether the fact that an individual has ADHD is just a coincidence to their aggression. It is rather like the age old question of what came first, the chicken or the egg? Also, it is curious as to whether ADHD really did exacerbate the challenge and run-ins with the law or whether there is something that is unseen that these people have in common that has nothing to do with ADHD. The studies all seem to show that a person with ADHD is perhaps more "at risk" of committing a crime but this is possibly relative to the crime. It would have been interesting to see the circumstances of what happened to bring the individual into the problem(s) with the law. Giotakos, Markianos, and Vaidakis (2005) studied 44 rapists who had early ADHD to see whether they had higher plasma sex hormones which would have created the need to rape. They found out that there was no connection between these two but they did find through their literature search that ADHD in childhood could be seen as a precursor to other personality disorders like anti-social behavior disorder, drug abuse, and borderline personality disorder as they become adults (p. 424). Within this study the researchers hypothesized that if an individual had ADHD in childhood, by the time they became adults they would be more aggressive. They asked these men to self-report "aggression, life-time aggression, impulsivity, suicidality, and temperament and character dimensions." (p. 425). The conducted their research through a battery of tests that were to measure these factors to get the self-report information. They found that these men showed higher incidences of aggression, life-time aggression, and impulsivity than a control group of non-ADHD rapists (p. 426). This indicates that ADHD may exacerbate as an individual ages especially when it goes untreated. The indication then from this study was that the rapists with ADHD in their early years …have a temperament profile characterized by frequent exploratory activity, impulsivity, active avoidance of frustration, and quick loss of temper, while their character profile is characterized by purposeless behaviors not directed by personal goals or values, difficulty accepting others, and consequently a lack of empathy (p. 429). This study also seems to suggest that when an individual has ADHD and it goes untreated they are more prone to aggression and a lack of self-control when it comes to frustrating or stressful situations. Leve (2004) researched adolescent girls between the ages of 13-17 who were juvenile offenders to see whether there was a correlation between the age of their first offense and childhood factors. Leves study wanted to answer 3 questions: 1. What factors created situations for girls to get in trouble with the law in their early years? 2. Are girls who are arrested early prone to get into risky behaviors later? 3. Can the incidence of girls getting into trouble be predicted due to family and child factors? (p. 442). They also checked into the lives of the parents to see whether they had been ex-offenders and they recorded any incidence of child abuse, severe punishment and sexual abuse. They wanted to see where the challenges were for these children to see why they did crime for themselves. They found that these factors were indeed an aspect of why these girls became offenders in the beginning. This study did not relate to ADHD but it did shed light on the fact that although ADHD seems to be a factor in criminal behavior it is not necessarily the only factor. Loeber, Burke, and Lahey (2002) studied a similar group of adolescent girls 13-17 to understand conduct and anti-social behavior as it applied to the onset of their incarceration and criminal behavior. They found that these children also had problems early on with criminal behavior but they also had anti-social behavior and conduct disorder. This seemed to indicate that although some of them had ADHD, this was not the only contributing factor to their conduct disorder behavior. To these researchers this was an indication that therapists should look closely at the individual who has ADHD in their childhood to see if there is a resulting anti-social or conduct disorder problem also. Eme and Hurley (2009), co-authors of the book, "Spinning Out of Control: ADHD and the Criminal Justice System," found that there is a correlation between those individuals who have ADHD and those who are incarcerated. Usually their incarceration will start with an impulsive act that continues to mixed court appointments and questionable community service until the individual creates their own incarceration because they do not do what is expected of them. They generally start out with something very small like a traffic ticket that ends them in the criminal justice system because they may get a ticket, get their license suspended eventually, drive without a license, and finally because of their behavior end up in jail. Many are shown as "uncooperative" during a routine stop by the police. If the police expect them of a crime, a person with ADHD will give an explanation that makes no sense, which makes them stand out to police because of what they do. In all the research that was done for this paper it is clear that ADHD is a contributing factor to trouble with law enforcement when it is not treated. There is more incidence of it when an individual also has the diagnosis of conduct disorder or anti-social behavior but this does not have to be the total reason. Eme and Hurley hope to improve the communication between law enforcement and the criminal justice system as it appeals to those people who are brought into the system. They have found that 25% of all criminals brought have ADHD and this includes both men and women. They are usually on medication like Ritalin or they can be screened through a referral to a psychologist or psychiatrist. References Eme, R. and Hurley, P. (2001). [Zimney, E. Medical Reviewer]. (2009). Behind bars: ADHD and criminal behavior. ADD/ADHD Webcast Replay. Everyday Health. Retrieved March 19, 2009 from http://www.everydayhealth.com/adhd/webcasts/ behind-bars-adhd-and-criminal-behavior.aspx. Find Counseling. (2009). Attention Deficit Disorder. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/attention-deficit-disorder/. Giotakos, O., Markianos, M., and Vaidakis, N. (2005). Aggression, impulsivity, and plasma sex hormone levels in a group of rapists, in relation to their history of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 16(2), pp. 423-433. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from Academic Search Premier/PSY Info Database (AN: 2005-05836-015). Lee, Steve (2004). Severity of Adolescent Delinquency Among Boys With and Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Predictions From Early Antisocial Behavior and Peer Status. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 33 (4), p705-716. Leve, Leslie D. (2004). Female juvenile offenders: Defining an early-onset pathway for delinquency. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 13(4), pp. 439-452. Retrieved March 17, 2009 from Academic Search Premier PsycInfo database (AN: 2004- 20136-005). Loeber, R., Burke, J. D. and Lahey, B. B. (2002). What are adolescent antecedents to antisocial personality disorder. Criminal Behaviour & Mental Health 12(1) (AN: 7357574). Retrieved March 20, 2009 from Academic Search Premier Database. Neurology Channel. (1998-2009). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www.neurologychannel.com/adhd/index.shtml. PBS. (2001). What happens to ADHD kids? Frontline. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/medicating/adhd/study.html. Pediatric Health Channel. (1998-2009). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. Retrieved March 20, 2009 from http://www.pediatrichealthchannel.com/adhd-children/index.shtml. Rim Lee, J., Mulsow, M., Reifman, A. (2003). Long-Term correlates of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences, 95(4), 61-68. Retrieved March 20, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 508015491). Young, S. (2000). ADHA children grown-up: An empirical review. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 13(2), 191-200. Retrieved March 19, 2009, from Research Library database. (Document ID: 60613231). Read More