About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about how brain injury can influence violence and criminal behaviour, focusing in particular on: (i) the potential impacts of prefrontal cortex damage on criminal behaviour and violence; (ii) the potentially greater severity of traumatic brain injury (TBI) for those under 25, due to the fact that impulsivity control and planning abilities are still developing; (iii) the strengths and weaknesses of using brain injury evidence to assess the impact of certain brain areas on behaviour; (iv) the specific evidence for the role of the amygdala in aggressive and anti-social behaviour.

About the lecturer

Professor Ciarán O’Keeffe is associate professor of education and research and head of the School of Human and Social Sciences at Buckinghamshire New University. Professor O’Keeffe’s research interests include investigative psychology and parapsychology, and has made numerous television and radio appearances alongside an array of celebrities. Some of Professor O’Keeffe’s recent publications include 'Things That Go Bump In The Literature: An Environmental Appraisal of 'Haunted Houses'' (2020) and 'Restorative Justice and Recidivism: Investigating the impact of victim-preference for level of engagement' (2014).