Cognitive behavior therapy reduces crime and violence over 10 years: Experimental evidence

Abstract

Several small, short-term, or non-experimental studies show that cognitive behavioral-informed interventions reduce antisocial behaviors over 1–2 years, but there is little research on persistence. We followed 999 high-risk men in Liberia 10 years after randomization into: 8 weeks of low-cost, nonspecialist-led therapy; $200 cash; both; or neither. A decade later, antisocial behaviors (such as robbery and drug-selling) fell 0.2 standard deviations from therapy alone—significantly greater than the 1-year impacts. Meanwhile, men who received therapy plus cash were 0.25 standard deviations less antisocial—similar to their 1-year results. In both cases, impacts were concentrated in men exhibiting highest baseline risk.