Researchers from the University of Glasgow have found that 80% of young men in prison have had a significant head injury at some point.
The researchers 103 recruited young males between the ages of 16-21 from a youth offender institute in Scotland. 80% had a history of significant head injury. Causes of head injuries tended to be fighting and assaults. Of those with a history of head injury, 85% had sustained repeated head injuries over long periods of time.
The study also found that while mental health problems such as anxiety and distress are generally common among youth offenders, they were significantly associated with a history of serious head injury. Evidence was also found to suggest that those with a significant head injury also had poorer behavioural control.
Drawing from these findings, the researchers suggested that young males with a significant head injury may be at greater risk of becoming lifelong offenders. They concluded that training and education of both staff and prisoners is needed to improve awareness and understanding of head injury.
To access the full paper, visit https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0287312
Reference: McMillan, T.M., McVean, J., Aslam, H. & Barry, S.J.E. (2023). Associations between significant head injury in male juveniles in prison in Scotland UK and cognitive function, disability and crime: A cross sectional study. PLOS ONE (doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287312)
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