NCJ Number
199658
Journal
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: 2002 Pages: 155-168
Date Published
2002
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This study sought to identify the characteristics of victims of violence committed by young adults with as-yet untreated alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, so as to determine the extent to which their victims were co-residents or non-household members.
Abstract
For a birth cohort of 21-year-olds (n=956), past-year prevalence of alcohol dependence, marijuana dependence, and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders were diagnosed by using standardized DSM-III-R interviews. Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal investigation of the health, development, and behavior of a complete cohort born between April 1, 1972, and March 31, 1973, in Dunedin, a city on New Zealand's South Island. None of the subjects with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder had been hospitalized in the past year. Past-year violence and victim targets were measured with the use of self-reports. Compared with controls, cohort members with substance dependence or schizophrenia-spectrum disorders had higher prevalence and frequency rates of assault against co-residents, against non-household members, and also robbery and gang fights. Five of the 39 individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorder committed violent street crimes. Persons with substance dependence had similar proportions of violence against co-residents and non-household members, but persons with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders tended to victimize co-residents more than others. These findings suggest that families, teachers, and primary care physicians have an important preventive role in the early identification and treatment of these disorders. 2 tables, 3 figures, and 34 references