Violent Crime, Aggression and Amphetamine: what are the implications for drug treatment services?

Abstract

Substance use has long been associated with violent behaviour, particularly the use of alcohol and stimulants. This paper presents findings from a study of the effectiveness of treatment services for amphetamine users, describing profiles for those reporting violent and aggressive behaviour and documenting their experiences. The sample (n = 86) comprised two groups: amphetamine users seeking drug treatment and a matched case control group of amphetamine users who were not receiving treatment. Forty-seven per cent of the sample reported having committed a violent crime, and half of them associated the violence with their amphetamine use. In addition, 62% repeated ongoing problems with aggression which were related to their amphetamine use. A wide range of factors are discussed in this paper, using established models of association between drug use and violence, and also exploring issues such as the interaction of alcohol and other drugs, the effects of trying to abstain from amphetamine, psychological co-morbidity, the impact of amphetamine's reputation for inducing aggression, and conversely, amphetamine as a drug of choice over alcohol to try to minimize aggressive behaviour. The paper concludes with a discussion of the problems posed by aggressive and violent behaviour for amphetamine users seeking treatment.