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Anabolic androgenic steroids and violence
Author(s) -
Thiblin I.,
Pärlklo T.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta psychiatrica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.849
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1600-0447
pISSN - 0001-690X
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0447.106.s412.27.x
Subject(s) - psychology , anabolic androgenic steroids , suicide prevention , injury prevention , poison control , human factors and ergonomics , occupational safety and health , anabolism , psychiatry , medicine , medical emergency , pathology
Objective: To scrutinize the criminal career among users of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) with focus on a possible relationship between use of AAS and violent offences. Method: Prospective longitudinal follow‐up of police records concerning known users of AAS. Results: The present study describes five young men who started to use AAS with the primary motive of gaining muscle mass and strength and who subsequently got involved in criminal activities, including violent offences. One person showed deviant behaviour suggestive of conduct disorder at an early age. The other persons appeared to have low self‐confidence, but had not been acting out during early adolescence. Conclusion: Use of AAS may constitute an increased risk of developing an antisocial life style with involvement in criminal violence.