title: [Offensive and criminal acts in schizophrenia: comparative study according to gender].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Schizophrenia does not involve the same risk of violence among women than men. The offensive and criminal acts were less studied in women.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To raise the sex ratio of the criminal acts and to seek the characteristics and the risk factors of this female violence.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out a comparative descriptive retrospective study, including 107 patients having schizophrenia according to criteria's of the DSM IV, hospitalized due to insanity according to article 38 of the Tunisian Penal Code.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sex ratio was 1 woman for 10 men. The women were older at the time of the offence or criminal act (46 years, 39 years), men were more often unmarried or divorced (50% vs 89.7%) and had more psychiatric family history (30% vs 40,2%). The duration of untreated psychoses was longer among women (65.3 months vs 22.4 months). The women more often made homicides or attempts of homicides (70%, 33%), the infanticides were raised only among women and arsons were noted only among men. The hospitalization was significantly longer among women (18.8 monthsvs 11.2 months).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The preventive of offence and criminal acts in schizophrenia is also necessary among women as men.
authors.affiliation: Hôpital Razi, Manouba.
authors.forename: Hend
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Elloumi
authors.forename: Haifa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zalila
authors.forename: Rim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ridha
authors.forename: Majda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cheour
authors.forename: Afif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Boussetta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003415:Crime / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057237:Criminals / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult