METHYLPHENIDATE AND CRIME REDUCTION
BIRGER ANTHOLZ
Abstract:
In a school survey, 37 out of 1066 pupils say they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD. ADHD students who are not treated with methylphenidate show an offender rate of 68%. When treated with methylphenidate it is 33%, only half as high. Methylphenidate treatment halves the crime rate. That Methylphenidate is an effective anti-crime tool is confirmed by a Swedish study with adults (deviance reduction through methylphenidate, 32% for men and 41% for women). A crime decline in the bright and dark field is recognized in Germany as being worldwide since 1993, while at the same time the prescription of methylphenidate has increased nationally and internationally. From the micro-/ individual relation of the school survey and the macro-connection, i.e. the coincidence of crime reduction and methylphenidate increase, causality is derived. Methylphenidate is an important explanation for the decline in crime in the last 25 years.
Keywords:
Ritalin, methylphenidate, crime drop, orbitofrontal cortex, ADHD, deviance
DOI: 10.52950/SS.2019.8.2.003
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APA citation:
BIRGER ANTHOLZ (2019). Methylphenidate and Crime Reduction. International Journal of Social Sciences, Vol. VIII(2), pp. 33-55. , DOI: 10.52950/SS.2019.8.2.003
Data:
Received: 24 Jun 2019
Revised: 9 Aug 2019
Accepted: 6 Sep 2019
Published: 20 Sep 2019
Copyright © 2019, Birger Antholz et al, birger.antholz@public.uni-hamburg.de