Epilepsy was also investigated, as previous studies had suggested it can also increase the risk of violence, but the study found no significant association between it and violent crime.
For the TBI group, diagnosis before age 16 was associated with a lower risk of violence, as was sustaining a concussion rather than a more severe brain injury. And individuals whose brain injuries were focal (where the injury occurs in a specific location rather than a more wisespread area) had a higher risk for violence compared with those having more diffuse brain hemorrhagic injuries or cerebral edema.
Author Dr. Seena Fazel from Oxford University, and colleagues wrote: “For traumatic brain injury, absolute and relative risks more clearly suggest that there are certain groups of patients who would benefit from violence risk assessment. As current guidelines for the assessment of brain injury make no recommendations in relation to the assessment or investigation of violence risk, our findings suggest that these may need review, at least for some groups of patients with traumatic head injury, particularly if they abuse illegal drugs or alcohol.”
Damage to the brain is more than physical; it has behavioral consequences. According to this new study, a TBI victim has the potential to put another unsuspecting victim in danger of being injured in a violent crime. Now when a careless driver causes an accident resulting in a victim's TBI, he has potentially created the ripple effect of injuring yet another victim who sustains a TBI.
