Hostname: page-component-55f67697df-twqc4 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-05-13T09:04:41.385Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Violent crime and the menstrual cycle

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

P. T. d'Orbán  and
J. Dalton
P. T. d'Orbán*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London
J. Dalton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, London
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr P. T. d'Orbán, Department of Psychiatry, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3 2QG.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Synopsis

Of 50 women charged with crimes of violence, 44% committed their offence during the paramenstruum (P < 0·02) and there was a significant lack of offences during the ovulatory and post-ovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle (P < 0·01). This association could not be accounted for by psychosocial factors. Offences were unrelated to symptoms of premenstrual tension. When considering treatment, recurrent behavioural changes rather than subjective symptoms should be looked for.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 10 , Issue 2 , May 1980 , pp. 353 - 359
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1980

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Brush, M. G. (1977). The possible mechanisms causing the premenstrual tension syndrome. Current Medical Research and Opinion 4, Suppl. 4, 9–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clare, A. W. (1977). Psychological profiles of women complaining of premenstrual symptoms. Current Medical Research and Opinion 4, Suppl. 4, 23–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooke, W. R. (1945). The differential psychology of the American woman. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 49, 457.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, K. (1961). Menstruation and crime. British Medical Journal ii, 1752–1753.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, K. (1975). Paramenstrual baby battering. British Medical Journal, ii, 279.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dalton, K. (1977). Violence and premenstrual tension. Memorandum to The Select Committee on Violence in the Family. Appendix 19. In First Report from The Select Committee on Violence in the Family Vol. 3: Appendices. HMSO: London.Google Scholar
Ellis, D. P. & Austin, P. (1971). Menstruation and aggressive behaviour in a correctional center for women. Journal of Criminal Law, Criminology and Police Science 62, 388–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Epps, P. (1962). Women shoplifters in Holloway Prison. In Shoplifting (ed. Gibbens, T. C. N. and Prince, J.), pp. 132–145. Institute for the Study and Treatment of Delinquency: London.Google Scholar
Frank, R. T. (1931). The hormonal causes of premenstrual tension. Archives of Neurology and Psychiatry 26, 1053–1057.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hands, J., Herbert, V. & Tennent, G. (1974). Menstruation and behaviour in a Special Hospital. Medicine, Science and The Law 14, 32–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Icard, S. (1890). La Femme Pendant La Période Menstruelle. Félix Alcave: Paris.Google Scholar
Lombroso, C. & Ferrero, G. (1894). Das Weib als Verbrecherin und Prostituierte. Verlangsanstalt und Druckerei: Hamburg.Google Scholar
Moos, R. H. (1968). The development of a menstrual distress questionnaire. Psychosomatic Medicine 30, 853–867.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moos, R. H. (1969). Typology of menstrual cycle symptoms. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 103, 390–402.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Moos, R. H., Kopell, B. S., Melges, F. T., Yalom, I. D., Lunde, D. T., Clayton, R. B. & Hamburg, D. A. (1969). Fluctuations in symptoms and moods during the menstrual cycle. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 13, 37–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morton, J. H., Additon, H., Addison, R. G., Hunt, L. & Sullivan, J. J. (1953). A clinical study of premenstrual tension. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 65, 1182–1191.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oleck, H. L. (1953). Legal aspects of premenstrual tension. International Record of Medicine and General Practice Clinics 166, 492–501.Google ScholarPubMed
Parlee, M. B. (1973). The premenstrual syndrome. Psychological Bulletin 80, 454–465.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Seiden, A. M. (1976). Overview: Research on the psychology of women. I. Gender differences and sexual reproductive life. American Journal of Psychiatry 133, 995–1007.Google Scholar