Deviance Among Physicians: Fraud, Violence, and the Power to Prescribe

The concept of deviance is complex, given that norms vary considerably across groups, times, and places. Society tends to primarily recognize traditional portraits of deviants such as street-offenders and drug addicts. The label "deviant" is commonly cast upon society’s undesirables, but this socially constructed image often overlooks subtler―and arguably more dangerous―deviance. Physician malfeasance is an especially problematic form, given that medical professionals garner trust, autonomy, and prestige from society, which allows them to operate outside of the public eye.

This book responds to a growing number of concerns regarding deviant physician actions such as physically and sexually abusive behaviors, fabricating medical findings and records, and taking advantage of patients (e.g., filing fraudulent Medicaid claims). It explores theoretical explanations for physician deviance, and goes on to consider potential responses such as Medicaid Fraud Control Units, the Questionable Doctors database, and the ability of doctors to police themselves.

The unique perspective offered in this book informs discussions of white-collar crime and deviance and has important implications for researchers, policymakers, and students involved in criminal justice and public policy.

Thaddeus L. Johnson is a PhD Criminology & Criminal Justice candidate in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. An Andrew Young Fellowship recipient, he also serves as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). Mr. Johnson’s research interests include urban violence, police professionalism, and police behavior. His most recent work appears in the Criminal Justice Policy Review.

Natasha N. Johnson is a doctoral candidate in the Educational Policy Studies Department at Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA. Mrs. Johnson’s research interests include educational justice/equity/equality, social justice leadership, curriculum development, and critical race and feminist theories. Her most recent work appears in Navigating Micro-Aggressions Toward Women in Higher Education. In 2019, she was recognized as a University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) David L. Clark Scholar.

Christina Policastro is a UC Foundation Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Social, Cultural, and Justice Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Her primary research interests are in the area of victimization with a specific focus on elder abuse and intimate partner violence. She has published articles on diverse topics including perceptions of intimate partner violence victims, durable medical equipment fraud, pre-professionals’ knowledge of elder abuse, and trajectories of recurring victimization among persons with serious mental illness. Her most recent work appears in Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect. In 2017, she received the New Scholar Award from the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences’ Division of Victimology.