Does the heat make people more violent?
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Does the heat make people more violent?
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There are reports that the heatwaves in the US have caused a spike in murders: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9384991/Record-US-heatwave-blamed-for-spike-in-murders.html Do
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Forums » Off duty » News & media » Does the heat make people more violent?
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Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 9/7/2012 11:06 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1451
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
There are reports that the heatwaves in the US have caused a spike in murders: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9384991/Record-US-heatwave-blamed-for-spike-in-murders.html Does the heat really make people more likely to murder? Is this a feasible excuse? It reminds me of the Camus book The Outsider where Mersault kills a man and blames it on being too hot. Also, on a slight tangent, when I visited Cuba I found its people to be very chilled and could not believe there was a revolution there and will probably not be another one. I wonder if the heat also pacifies us? |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 9/7/2012 12:17 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 93
First: 18/3/2011 Last: 4/3/2013 |
Thought there must be sonme evidence to this and there is of sorts. A really interesting blog http://boston.com/community/blogs/crime_punishment/2010/07/heat_wave_has_chilling_effect.html It says there is a realtionship between heat and rising crime especially outside the home- so in commercial settings and waiting for petrol in hot cars. In the US there is more crime in hotter states but these are often the poorer ones too. There is physiological evidence of changes in the heat that would make people cross and aggressive. He says that in cold weather criminals stay in doors. But that at 90 degress the heat is such that people withdraw at these temperatures rather than go out and pick a fight,. There is even a graph- so it must be true.
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 9/7/2012 4:12 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1288
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
Hey Matthew, Having been in Police work for 32 years, I can tell you that the Heat is not a feasible excuse for murder! It could be a Casual Factor, only good for statistics, or compilation of Data used by gritty old Criminal Justice professors at Ivy league universities. The data will be the subject of numerous books no doubt. Prison violence goes up when the heat does, so yes it is a causal factor. I even find myself getting aggravated when the heat index tops 99 degrees! DuaneF In Response to Does the heat make people more violent?: There are reports that the heatwaves in the US have caused a spike in murders: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/9384991/Record-US-heatwave-blamed-for-spike-in-murders.html Does the heat really make people more likely to murder? Is this a feasible excuse? It reminds me of the Camus book The Outsider where Mersault kills a man and blames it on being too hot. Also, on a slight tangent, when I visited Cuba I found its people to be very chilled and could not believe there was a revolution there and will probably not be another one. I wonder if the heat also pacifies us? Posted by mbillingsley |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 9/7/2012 4:47 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 3045
First: 27/3/2012 Last: 20/5/2013 |
Although there is some evidence suggesting there is a realtionship between heat and rising crime, this cannot be a feasible excuse. I would like to learn more from respected Mr. Kirked about this situation in details. |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 11/7/2012 6:46 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1288
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
Neuromedicine, the basis for relationship would be medical. I.E- Dehydration and loss of electrolytes, leads to confused states, and irritability. Not and excuse, just a causal factor. DuaneF |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 11/7/2012 10:37 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1790
First: 7/3/2009 Last: 24/5/2013 |
We are talking about different things and tend to mix them. Heat is no excuse for crime. By that I mean we will not justify crime by heat. But there is causality and aggravation of preexisting risk factors. Heat does aggravate and can cause a rise in violence, not because it is an excuse, it is one of the risk factors that can aggravate a previously existing condition. For instance let us take someone with a personality disorder that makes him/her aggressive and with low threshold of tolerance. Now let's subject him/her to heat that makes him/her very uncomfortable. It is very likely he/she will react in a much more violent manner than somebody with a normal premorbid personality.
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 12/7/2012 5:21 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1288
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
Good point Dr Yoram, and I often tend to think that otherwise normal people, everyday working class can be pushed to a brink through Taxes, Pressures, Heat, Stress etc, hence the numer of killings in various urban environments. DuaneF In Response to Re: Does the heat make people more violent?: We are talking about different things and tend to mix them. Heat is no excuse for crime. By that I mean we will not justify crime by heat. But there is causality and aggravation of preexisting risk factors. Heat does aggravate and can cause a rise in violence, not because it is an excuse, it is one of the risk factors that can aggravate a previously existing condition. For instance let us take someone with a personality disorder that makes him/her aggressive and with low threshold of tolerance. Now let's subject him/her to heat that makes him/her very uncomfortable. It is very likely he/she will react in a much more violent manner than somebody with a normal premorbid personality. Posted by yoram chaiter |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 12/7/2012 6:06 PM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 963
First: 15/7/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
In Response to Re: Does the heat make people more violent?: We are talking about different things and tend to mix them. Heat is no excuse for crime. By that I mean we will not justify crime by heat. But there is causality and aggravation of preexisting risk factors. Heat does aggravate and can cause a rise in violence, not because it is an excuse, it is one of the risk factors that can aggravate a previously existing condition. For instance let us take someone with a personality disorder that makes him/her aggressive and with low threshold of tolerance. Now let's subject him/her to heat that makes him/her very uncomfortable. It is very likely he/she will react in a much more violent manner than somebody with a normal premorbid personality. Posted by yoram chaiter I agree completely Yoram. Heat may make people irritable but it is not classified in law as 'automatism'. Automatism is an act done by a person who is not conscious of what he is doing, e.g. a diabetic patient assaulting someone when they are hypoglycaemic. |
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Re: Does the heat make people more violent?
posted at 13/7/2012 5:23 AM BST
on bmj.com
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Posts: 1288
First: 9/12/2011 Last: 24/5/2013 |
Kirked, interesting Post, I think the USA laws are different, I will check, will other diseases apply to this Automatism as well, IE- Depression, Epilepsy, etc, DuaneF In Response to Re: Does the heat make people more violent?: In Response to Re: Does the heat make people more violent? : I agree completely Yoram. Heat may make people irritable but it is not classified in law as 'automatism'. Automatism is an act done by a person who is not conscious of what he is doing, e.g. a diabetic patient assaulting someone when they are hypoglycaemic. Posted by kirked |
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