Applications

• How do bio. intervention programmes prevent crim. behaviour?


  • Nutritional supplements

  Raine:

  • 100 children with low resting heart rate and control group had 3 part intervention:

  Nutrition - milk, fruit juice, fish, chicken

  Exercise - gym session, structured games

  Cogni. stimulation - nursery curriculum on art, music

  • At 11 children focussed attention better, had mature brains
  • At 17 scored lower on conduct disorder ratings, less likely to act anti socially
  • Those poorly nourished at start showed 53% reduction in disorder at 17 comp. to 9% in control
  • Nutrition helps prevent crime
• How do Omega 3 supplements prevent crim. behaviour?


  • Nutritional supplements
  • Omega 3 deficiency = less regulation of limbic system = aggression
  • Found in fatty fish like salmon, olive oil, avocado + walnuts
  • Raine study on children who drank omega 3 rich drink found reduction in aggression and delinquency after 12 months
  • Gesch suggested antisocial beh. in prisons including violence reduced by supplementing young offenders diet with omega 3 by giving them omega 3 capsules taken 4 times a day - led to 26% improvement in disciplinary record
• How do biosocial interventions prevent crim. beh. ?


  • Outlines risk factors for children at risk of antisocial behaviour + puts interventions including biological elements
  • Health promotion pre natal + post natal on smoking, drinking, diet

  Olds:

  • 400 low social class women given intervention
  • 9 home visits from nurses during pregnancy and 23 in first 2 years
  • Gave advice on reducing smoking + alcohol use improving nutrition
  • 15 year follow up showed reduction in arrests + convictions when mums had intervention
• How does plastic surgery help prevent crim. beh. ?


  • If someone has physical deformity this could increase the risk of them taking a criminal pathway and if we can improve their appearance we can reduce recidivism
  • Reconstructive surgery to correct facial defects and boost self esteem

  Lewinson:

  • Conducted 450 facial reconstructions in a prison population and observed consequent behaviours in both prison and after release
  • Found increased cooperation with authority and 42% decrease in recidivism rates
• How do antipsychotics help prevent crim. beh?


  • Mental illness associated with malfunction in the nervous system, helpful in preventing criminal behaviour
  • They work by altering the dopamine in brain and are dopamine antagonists by blocking D2 receptors
  • Faze: Found there was a 45% reduction in violent crime when patients were prescribed antipsychotics but only for violent crime
  • Lewinson: found increased cooperation with authority when taking antipsychotics
  • Chlozapine - 2nd gen atypical antipsychotic that tackles the positive and negative symptoms of schi. and blocks D2 and serotonin receptors