Medications prescribed to millions of Americans for weight management and diabetes control may have an unexpected side effect: reducing violent behavior linked to impulsivity, according to new research from Rutgers University.
The study, published in Criminology, examined whether GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic and Wegovy influence violent criminal behavior in adults. Researchers zeroed in on whether these drugs might weaken the connection between two known violence risk factors: impulsivity and alcohol use.
Scientists analyzed data from a 2025 survey of 7,521 American adults, focusing on 821 who had taken GLP-1 medications. They compared current users with former users and measured violent behavior through self-reported actions including fighting, assault, and robbery.
The results were striking. Among current medication users, the relationship between impulsivity and violent behavior was roughly 62% weaker than among former users. The link between alcohol consumption and violence was about 52% weaker, though this finding proved less consistent in additional analyses.
Daniel Semenza, lead researcher and director of the New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center at Rutgers School of Public Health, described the impulsivity finding as the study's strongest discovery. "As GLP-1 drugs become increasingly widespread, it is important to understand all of their potential behavioral effects, including those relevant to public safety," Semenza said.
Coauthor Christopher Thomas, an assistant professor at Rutgers University-Camden, offered an explanation for the mechanism. "Our findings are consistent with these medications working like cognitive behavioral therapy, weakening the path from impulse to action rather than eliminating impulsivity itself," Thomas said.
The researchers emphasized important limitations. Because this was an observational, cross-sectional study, it cannot prove that GLP-1 medications directly reduce violence. The data shows association, not causation. Longitudinal and experimental studies will be needed to confirm whether these drugs truly lower violence risk and to understand the underlying biological and behavioral processes involved.
Author Jessica Williams: "This is intriguing preliminary data, but we're still very early in understanding how these blockbuster drugs might reshape behavior beyond weight loss."
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