NCJ Number
197155
Journal
Aggression and Violent Behavior Volume: 7 Issue: 6 Dated: November - December 2002 Pages: 605-615
Date Published
November 2002
Length
11 pages
Annotation
The role of hallucinations in contributing towards violence against others is examined in this article.
Abstract
Focusing on the issue of hallucinations, this article addresses possible connections between hallucinations and violence towards others. After arguing that systematic literature addressing possible linkages between hallucinations and violence is sparse, the author proposes to examine whether hallucinations increase the potential for violence against others and whether the combined effects of hallucinations and delusions contribute to higher rates of violence. Conducting a literature search for materials on the associations between hallucinations and violence from 1966 to June 2000 resulted in a total of 19 studies focusing on the role of hallucinations on violence or on the interaction effect of hallucinations and delusions on violence. After presenting a complete listing of all 19 articles and after briefly discussing the findings of each article, the author concludes that there is no evidence that auditory command hallucinations are dangerous, there is inadequate evidence that “voices” ordering acts of violence are conducive to violent behavior, and only six studies present a possible violence-escalating interaction between hallucinations and delusions. Tables, references