Criminal Behavior

Four of these categories are directly alcohol- or drug-related, and four others (assault, aggravated assault, disorderly conduct, and sex offenses) are behaviors in which alcohol abuse is often found to be involved. Other potential explanations of older adult criminality include: misuse or interaction of prescription and over-the-counter medicines, sometimes yielding behavioral results similar to those from alcohol or dementia; cerebral degeneration, such as Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia; and depression, social isolation, and boredom, which can all lead to alcohol abuse or other reckless behavior. Anecdotal evidence suggests that (for older men, at least) getting into trouble with the law for the first time may follow an emotionally traumatic event (such as the death of a spouse) or a deterioration in physical health. These possible explanations apply principally to late-onset criminal behaviors. Older offenders who have been "career criminals" commit crimes, undoubtedly, for many of the same reasons that recidivists of any age do.