Drug use and abuse and human aggressive behavior

Abstract

That there is a relationship between drug use and/or abuse and human interpersonal violence cannot be denied. The relationship is profound, costly, and culturally non-speci fi c. Epidemiological studies show substance abuse disorders rate among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, for 1 month, yearly, or lifetime diagnoses [ 1 ] . Given that majority of drug abusers do not receive adequate treatment, become enmeshed in the legal system, seek alternative approaches, or never seek and/or receive treatment, the problem of drug-related aggression is likely to continue to prove problematic to clinicians and lawmakers alike. As has been previously illustrated [ 2, 3 ] , there are at least four differential mechanisms through which the relationship between drugs and aggression may come to be. These are: (1) Violent crimes can be committed to gain access to drugs or resources to purchase drugs; (2) violence is often a necessary means of resolving disputes in an illegal, and thus inherently lawless and unregulated business; (3) violent behavior and drug use can be the result of the same factors (e.g., high sensation seeking; antisociality) and exist coincidentally; and (4) certain drugs can increase the likelihood of violence because of their direct effects on the individual (i.e., that drug consumption has a causal relationship with aggressivity). These four mechanisms should in no way be considered mutually exclusive; however, in this paper when we talk about the relationship between aggression and drugs, the predominant focus is on the last. This mechanism we will specify in three categories: Direct pharmacological effects (intoxication), neurotoxic effects (damage caused by prolonged use), or withdrawal effects (abstinence immediately following prolonged use).