Brain Damage
Brain damage may be causing more of the socially and sexually inappropriate behaviour in society than we realise. But can we ever prove that someone has behaved in a certain way, for example committed a crime, because an abnormality in their brain? To what extent does damage to our brain mean we are no longer responsible for our behaviour?
The issues:
- Brain damage can be caused by infection, disease, being starved of oxygen or accidents that involve a blow to the head.
- The frontal lobe is the area behind the forehead. It's the part of the brain that controls emotions and behaviour, and helps us adjust our behaviour according to the situation we're in. Damage to this area of the brain can result in problems controlling impulses and urges, and understanding the consequences of our actions.
- One study found that if a child's brain is damaged in a certain way, it can lead to serious anti-social behaviour in adulthood.
- A recent study in the US has shown that men who are prone to violence and impulsive behaviour have deficiencies in the part of the brain that is used to learn moral judgment and restraint. Previous research showed that convicted murderers had poorer functioning in the frontal area of the brain. This and other evidence suggests the possibility of a 'criminal brain'.
- If we can identify a 'criminal brain', some argue that we have a responsibility to use this knowledge to prevent potential crimes.
- If the brain is damaged, we may not be able to exercise free will in the same way as someone with a brain that's functioning normally.
- Some researchers suggest that we could use brain scans to identify which people could exhibit inappropriate behaviour.
- Scientific knowledge about the brain and criminal behaviour is still relatively new, and studies often use very small samples.
- The studies only suggest that some people with damaged or dysfunctioning parts of the brain might have a predisposition to antisocial, inappropriate or criminal behaviour. This doesn't mean people will act on those impulses. There are people with damage to the fontal lobes who do not – and never will – display antisocial or sexually inappropriate behaviour. Equally, other people exhibiting those behaviours do not have any damage to the brain.
- It has been suggested that personality traits before an injury to the brain may be intensified by the injury, and damage may only be uncovering impulses that were always there.
What do you think?
You've read the issues, so here's your chance to say what you think.