Psychopathology, Drugs and Crime

Psychopathology and drugs have clear links to antisocial behaviour and crime, and particularly aggressive forms of antisocial behaviour and violent crime. This course deals with the central concepts and research methodology commonly used in the field. The course also involves an orientation in current research in the field including research on various forms of psychopathology over the life-span (e.g., child disorders such as ADHD, and adult disorders such as personality disorders, etc.) and drug use (with an emphasis on alcohol) in relation to crime. The course involves discussions about how this kind of research differs from the presentations of psychopathology and drugs in relation to crime, and especially violent crime, in the media and other non-scientific sources and how insights from this research can be used in developing more effective crime prevention strategies.