Head injury and offending

McMillan, T. M. (2021) Head injury and offending. In: Brown, J. M. and Horvath, M. A. H. (eds.) The Cambridge Handbook of Forensic Psychology [2nd Edition]. Series: Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, pp. 442-455. ISBN 9781108848916 (doi: 10.1017/9781108848916.027)

Abstract

There is growing interest in the relationship between head injury, offending and recidivism and in developments in the criminal justice and forensic health systems to assess and manage the impact of associated brain injury. This chapter summarises evidence indicating that the head injury is particularly prevalent in offenders, and that it is likely to be a causative factor that increases the risk of criminal behaviour. This is explained in relation to the neurobehavioural effects of head injury and characteristics of offenders with head injury, the impact of brain damage early in life and the high risk of multiple head injuries. The need to assess head injury at key points in the criminal justice system and means of doing so is given, together with a context of interventions, service need and directions for future research.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: McMillan, Professor Tom
• Authors: McMillan, T. M.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISBN: 9781108848916
• Published Online: 02 December 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010, 2021
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy