Advances in the neurobiology and neuropsychology of offending behaviour

There is a consensus among researchers and practitioners that offending behavior is underpinned by a complex interplay of individual, psychosocial, biological, economic, political, and environmental factors. The quest to elucidate the neurobiological and neuropsychological underpinnings of offending behavior has been the subject of scientific enquiry for many decades. This has provided the impetus for many research endeavors in areas like genetics, neuroimaging, psychophysiology, neurochemistry, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, and others. Although the existing body of scientific literature in the field has helped enhance our understanding of the neurobiological and neuropsychological antecedents of such an important aspect of human behavior as offending, the science in this area is continuously evolving; hence the importance of bringing together a state-of-the-art collection of scholarly work in the field.


The main goal of this special issue of the Forensic Section of Frontiers in Psychiatry is to provide academics, practitioners, and policymakers with up-to-date information about the latest advances in the neurobiology and neuropsychology of offending behavior. This would help provide much needed insights into the relevant neurobiological and neuropsychological mechanisms with a view to identifying targets for prevention and intervention as well as areas for future research in a phenomenon that is exacting a significant health and socio-economic burden across the globe.


The scope of this special issue is broad. It includes scholarly work pertaining to elucidating the neurobiological and neuropsychological aspects of offending behavior including studies in the fields of genetics, psychophysiology, neuroimaging, neurochemistry, hormonal essays, cognitive neuroscience, behavioral neuroscience, and other relevant areas. We consider both primary and secondary studies with no restrictions on study design or methodology, study populations (e.g. adults or youth), settings (e.g., community, hospital, or criminal justice), legal jurisdictions, or geographical areas. We also consider studies on all types of offending behaviors including violent, sexual, and non-violent. We are particularly interested in studies that present new concepts or scientific discoveries in the field and those pertaining to therapeutic interventions and prevention.