Sleep walking - Research Paper Example

Sleep Walking of Affiliate In defense of the criminal charges against him, Zack Thompson failed to deny the claims that he had attacked and raped the 17 year old girl, but went on to explain that he was sleep walking and did not remember anything about the incident. According to Mark Pressman an American psychologist on sleep disorder, Thompson’s behavior was not consistent with a person suffering from sleep walking. In addition Pressman outlined that the memory loss could have been caused by alcohol consumption.

According to an article by Mume (2010), when a person is sleep walking some parts of the brain are asleep while other parts are aroused. The question is whether the parts that are aroused can be aroused to the extent of committing a crime such as rape. A research conducted by Mume (2002) established that sleep walking might actually been more prevalent than initially documented. In her study Mume realized that the prevalence levels among adults was 7%. Initially, prevalence levels had been placed between 2% and 3%.

Mume’s study also established that individuals who sleep walk do not remember any of the events that happened while they were sleep walking. The fact that Thompson failed to deny his attack in the 17 year old girl and went on to refuse responsibility of his actions is consistent with what researchers know about sleep walking. Perhaps Thompson had known or had been told that sometimes he sleep walks and his inability to remember could have convinced him that if the girl said that he raped her then it must have been true.

The results of the study outlines that people who sleep walk do not have memory of the sleep walking and might sometimes engage in violent acts. Mume’s study only involved a few participants and it is not prudent to assume that her results were valid. According to the The Guardian (2012), only two cases involving criminal cases have been experienced in the UK. However, both defendants were not able to argue that they were not responsible for their crimes because they were sleep walking. Due to the fact that when a person sleep walks they do not remember anything during the event, makes it difficult for researchers to employ controls during the studies.

However, most researchers agree that the fact that sleep walkers cannot remember anything during the event is true. Memory loss during sleep walking was the grounds that Thompson was using in his plea of not guilty. However, it is difficult to know whether there is a direct correlation between sleep walking and crime. In the study by Mume non of the participants reported of commiting any crime while sleep walking. Therefore, it is difficult to ascertain whether the cause of Thompson’s crime was the fact that he was sleep walking or he was just trying to use sleep walking as an excuse.

The study by Mume established that sleep walking is actually prevalent among adults and it is accompanied by memory loss of the period when the person is sleep walking. However, when presenting his defense Thompson argued that he was innocent because he could not remember anything and his actions were involuntary. However, there is no strong evidence according to the study by Mume to indicate that sleep walking was related to violent behavior. Although, one would not know the parts of the brain that are aroused during sleep walking.

Maybe in some people the parts that are aroused cause them to become violent. However, these issues still require further research to ascertain. ReferencesMume, C. O. (2010). Prevalence of sleep walking in an adult population. Libya J Med, 21-43. The Guardian. (2012, March 29). Sleep walking rapist sent to jail. Retrieved from The Guardian: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/mar/29/sleepwalk-rapist-jailed