Offensive and criminal acts in schizophrenia: Comparative study according to gender

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Published Mar 30, 2012
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Vol. 90 No. 3 (2012): Issue Mar 2012

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Elloumi Hend
Zalila Haifa
Ridha Rim
Cheour Majda
Boussetta Afif

Abstract

Background: Schizophrenia does not involve the same risk of violence among women than men. The offensive and criminal acts were less studied in women.
Aims: To raise the sex ratio of the criminal acts and to seek the characteristics and the risk factors of this female violence.
Methods: We carried out a comparative descriptive retrospective study, including 107 patients having schizophrenia according to criteria's of the DSM IV, hospitalized due to insanity according to article 38 of the Tunisian Penal Code.
Results: The sex ratio was 1 woman for 10 men. The women were older at the time of the offence or criminal act (46 years, 39 years), men were more often unmarried or divorced (50% vs 89.7%) and had more psychiatric family history (30% vs 40,2%). The duration of untreated psychoses was longer among women (65.3 months vs 22.4 months). The women more often made homicides or attempts of homicides (70%, 33%), the infanticides were raised only among women and arsons were noted only among men. The hospitalization was significantly longer among women (18.8 monthsvs 11.2 months).
Conclusion: The preventive of offence and criminal acts in schizophrenia is also necessary among women as men.

Keywords:

Schizophrenia, offence, crime, gender

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