Traumatic Brain Injury: A potential cause of violent crime?

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is the biggest cause of death and disability in children and young people. TBI compromises important neurological functions for self-regulation and social behavior and increases risk of behavioral disorder and psychiatric morbidity. Crime in young people is a major social issue. “Early starters” often continue for a lifetime. A substantial majority of young offenders are re-convicted soon after release. Multiple factors play a role in crime. We show how TBI is a risk factor for earlier, more violent, offending. TBI is linked to poorer engagement in treatment, in-custody infractions, and re-conviction. Schemes to assess and manage TBI are under development. These might improve engagement of offenders in forensic psychotherapeutic rehabilitation and reduce crime.