Bipolar Disorder and Violent Crime

Youth, guns, and violent crime.

Young people are overrepresented as both victims and perpetrators of violence. Indeed, some commentators have suggested that recent cohorts of youth have been composed of "superpredators" who have little regard for human life. The evidence, however, suggests that other factors are responsible for recent increases in youth gun violence. This article analyzes the extent and causes of youth violen...

Violent Crime Scene

Neurotoxicity and Violent Crime: Linking Brain Biochemistry, Toxins, and Violent Crime

Social scientists who dismiss evolutionary psychology seem unaware that a revolution in neuroscience and other areas of biology has taken place over the last half-century. The estimate of 83 million Americans taking drugs like Prozac for depression and 11 million children on Ritalin for hyperactivity indicate it is time to reconsider the role of brain chemistry in social behavior and violent be...

Evolutionary and Genetic Explanations of Violent Crime

Violent Crime, Epilepsy, and Traumatic Brain Injury

In this week’s PLoS Medicine, Seena Fazel and colleagues report elevated risks for violent crime among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) as well as among those with epilepsy, compared to general population controls [1]. Among the major strengths of the study are the very large sample size, comprising the entire population of Sweden, and the follow-up of 35 years. The findings are of ma...