Controversial Link Between Aas And Violence example essay topic

Anabolic-Androgenic steroids (AAS) are used by many individuals for improved athleticism, strength, or just to look better. Many researchers believe there have been no studies that concretely show that AAS make individuals more prone to commit violent acts, however, a strong argument can be made to show otherwise. According to Forbes, the masculinizing properties of the male reproductive system have been reported since the 18th century. Androsterone was the first synthesized AAS in 1934 (Lamb 250). As more individuals started taking steroids, it became known that steroids made animals as well as humans more aggressive, but it could not be proven that AAS make users more prone to commit a violent act.

Body builders started using testosterone in the late 1940's and 1950's. The first reports of steroids being used in weightlifting occurred in 1954 and the continued experimentation by Dr. John Zieger and USA weightlifters are credited with the first use of anabolic steroids by athletes (Lamb 251). The natural form of steroids is the hormone testosterone that is produced in males by the testes and adrenal glands and by the adrenal glands in females. The body uses testosterone to combat inflammation and stimulate development of bones and muscles. It contributes to the growth of skin and hair and can influence emotions. AAS are a synthetic version of the hormone testosterone.

Given the right training stimulus and diet, AAS enable the user to process protein into muscle fibers at astonishing rates creating increased muscle size and strength with a reduction in body fat. Since AAS were first introduced, there has been much controversy with researchers if ASS makes individuals more prone to commit violent acts. There are many factors as to why there hasn't been a proven link to ASS and violence. Doctor Jack Darkes is one who believes that it has yet to be proven that ASS make individuals more prone to commit violent acts. He supports this by stating, "There is really little evidence of a direct link between AAS and negative psychological effects" (Darkes, "Part 1", par 4).

Darkes also argues that studies that show no link to ASS and negative psychological effects that lead to violence don't make headlines, but these studies are important to be "instructive in understanding the process involved" (Darkes, "Part 1", par 6). The media has also not helped in the controversial link between AAS and violence. In the National Institute on Drug Abuse Research Report: Anabolic Steroid Abuse, it is reported that AAS users may commit violent acts not because of ASS direct effects on the brain, but because the users have been affected by intense media attention to the link between AAS and violence. With this theory, users are using the possible link as a justification to commit violent acts (6).

This is further backed up by Lee F. Monaghan, lecturer in Sociology at the Cardiff School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University commenting that knowledge of "steroid effects" comes from the larger society and mass media. He feels that this may increase the chances of a self fulfilling prophecy where the belief rather than the ASS, lead to violence (158). Research methods used for the link between AAS and violence is another reason that there is so much controversy between researchers. One problem researchers have is administering volunteers the vast types of ASS and astronomical doses used by some AAS users in the real world. Researchers are bound by protocols for the treatment of human participants, as a result, the highest dose of ASS used is 600 mg (Darkes, "Part 1", par 12). The variability of violence between participants also makes it difficult to conduct experiments.

One study done by psychiatrists Harrison Pope and David Katz in 1994 found that there was a wide variability in psychological symptoms, less then 50% of the users exhibited disordered mood (Darkes, "Part 1", par 13). Researchers have also found that AAS users, whether currently using or not, were in fact more aggressive. This is backed up when Chip, Parrott, and Cowan in 1990 conducted a study to prove this (Darkes, "Part 2", par 4). Another problem researchers face when conducting experiments to link violence with ASS is participants can detect AAS in their system. This makes it difficult to conduct experiments when researchers rely on participants to not know if they are taking real AAS or a placebo.

Darkes pointed this out when a study showed that even without actual strength increases, subjects could sense increased strength, and even when not knowing they were in fact taking AAS, participants could distinguish between AAS withdrawal phases (Darkes, "Part 3', par 12). In Lee F. Monaghan's book, Bodybuilding Drugs, and Risk, he interviewed several bodybuilders to find out if there is in fact a link between AAS and violence. He noted that bodybuilders found AAS not to cause violence, but rather give a heightened intensity or "positive aggression" (162). Bodybuilders also suggested to Lee that AAS may "exert activation al effects" which enhance or cause aggression. However, they felt aggression is different than violence.

Lee addressed this by stating, "According to this reasoning, steroids do not inevitably cause socially disruptive behavior which threatens other peoples physical safety" (163). Furthermore, experienced bodybuilders felt steroids may intensify the chances of an individual to commit a violent act if the individual is inclined to violence. They feel that AAS do not cause individuals to become more violent, as violence is considered an attribute separate from AAS use (170). Additionally, respondents from the book, Body Matters: Essays on the Sociology of the body, edited by Sue Scott and David Morgan, often claimed that changing the body through AAS and bodybuilding is associated with a more peaceful and easy going attitude.

Bodybuilders suggested do not have to "prove" themselves through violence (76). Many studies have shown that AAS themselves don't make individuals more prone to committing violent acts. One such study was done by Kurt Riem and Karl Hursey, from the department of Psychology, at Texas A&M University, who found that aggressive behavior, might increase among steroid users not because steroids affect "emotional functioning", but because a strong build and masculine appearance might fabricate the learning of physical domination as a strategy for dealing with conflict (235-256). Another study that was done to show no link between AAS and violence by Shalender Bhasin et al. on the effects of high doses of AAS on muscle size and strength in normal men. They found those who received testosterone and also exercised had even greater increases in muscle mass and strength, while none of the men experienced hostility or excessive anger during the study (1-7). Additionally, in the book Anabolic Steroids in Sports and Exercise, many of the studies documented by researchers found no link to AAS and violence.

One study by Anderson, Bancroft and Wu in 1992, was conducted by using a single-blind, placebo controlled design and daily mood ratings, found no alteration in any of the mood states studied, including those associated with increased aggression in 31 healthy men injected with the AAS testosterone enanthate, 200 mg / wk, for 8 weeks (Yesalis 255). Another documented study by Lind man, von der Pahlen, Ost, and Eriksson found no relationship between violent behavior and the serum concentrations of testosterone, corisol, glucose, and ethanol obtained from 16 adult men taken into police custody after incidents of spouse abuse when concentrations were compared with sober state levels and data from equally intoxicated but nonviolent men (Yesalis 253). While it is evident that there have been studies that have resulted in no link to AAS and violence, there are studies that show a promising link. One of those studies was done by Parlklo Tiblin, who wanted to find out the relationship between AAS use and violent offences. The study was done by data derived from police.

He had 3 participants, 2 twenty four year old males, and a 26 year old male. The study was conducted from 1993 to 2001. The participants in the study were not established criminals prior to AAS use, who used AAS for the sole purpose of gaining confidence, hostility or aggressiveness in the mental preparation of a planned criminal act. After conducting the study, Tiblin found that the use of AAS may involve changes in personality and lifestyle that in turn may be linked to an increased risk for criminal behaviors (125-128). Another study was in the relationship of salivary testosterone and corisol concentrations to personality, criminal violence, prison behavior, and parole decisions among 113 late-adolescent male offenders.

It was found that offenders high in testosterone had committed more violent crimes, were judged more harshly by the parole board, and violated prison rules more often than those low in testosterone (Yesalis 252). Furthermore, Psychiatrists Harrison G. Pope and David L Katz investigated three individuals who impulsively committed violent crimes, including murder, while taking ASS. They did structured psychiatric interviews of each man that suggested that steroids played a role in violent behavior. Pope and Katz suggest that the aggressive behavior associated with the use of AAS may pose a significant public health problem (28-31). Another case in which a brief exposure to a low does of AAS was reported by J. Thomas Dalby who found a patient, a 20-year old man, reported irritability, depression, and violent rages following a five week cycle of AAS. He ultimately committed an armed robbery.

A one year jail sentence was imposed by a judge who ruled that steroid use was "mitigating factor in the commission of the robbery (Yesalis 256). Many of the studies done on linking AAS and violence is still today very controversial, but murders and violent acts have pointed strongly to AAS. Mark J. Occhipinti, stated in his article "Anabolic Steroids & the Depression Connection", that some 20 murders have been associated with the use of anabolic steroids in the U.S. in the past decade. We will take a look at Horace K. Will aims story to show that the link between AAS and violence is probable. Williams, a twenty-three year old steroid user, was tried in May 1988 for the brutal murder of a hitchhiker (Gallaway 104). Williams did not have a violent history and he did not have any major psychological problems.

But Williams had started using AAS in order to improve his athletic performance. He played football in high school and after high school he got into bodybuilding. During his trial he described how AAS changed his behavior. In his first stage of steroid use, he used 5 mg of oral Dianabol for two weeks and then 25 mg per day for the next five weeks.

Williams experienced an increase in confidence, which increased his ability to ask women out. This gave him a strong willingness to train harder. He also was increasing the AAS he used. He now was stacking Dianabol and oxymetholone orally along with injections of testosterone cypionate. He then described how he became easily agitated into violent behavior and he then was going around threatening people. At one time he tried to get off steroids but he was so depressed that he thought he might kill himself if he didn't get back on AAS.

He then started taking higher doses, stacking four to five different steroids daily. He became obsessed with fighting, he felt like everyone was afraid of him, and he got to the point were he could not control his own madness. AAS caused this state of mind in Williams. One night he picked up a hitchhiker, drove him to an empty field, undressed him, beat him to death with a board and a lead pipe, scalped him, shaved the hair off his arms and legs, hung him with a rope, and repeatedly ran him over with his car (121). Despite the fact that there have been studies that show no link between AAS and violence, there have been many studies that show otherwise.

To this very day violent acts have been linked to AAS. One reason that there hasn't been any conclusive evidence that AAS make individuals more prone to violence is its difficult ness to study. One example is the research methods discussed earlier. To put the controversy to an end, we must get our government to put more fun funding into research. Funding is needed so more advanced studies can be done and for longer terms, so that we will all clearly see that AAS does in fact make individuals more prone to commit violent acts.

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