A study from Rutgers University reports that adults currently using GLP-1 receptor agonist medications—including semaglutide brands Ozempic and Wegovy—showed a substantially weaker association between impulsivity and self-reported violent behavior than former users. The research, published June 17, 2026 in the journal Criminology, was based on a 2025 U.S. survey and does not establish cause and effect.
Researchers analyzed responses from a 2025 survey of 7,521 adults across the United States, focusing on 821 respondents who reported having used a GLP-1 receptor agonist at some point.
In the study’s main comparisons of current versus former GLP-1 users, the authors reported that the relationship between impulsivity and violent behavior was about 62% weaker among current users. The association between alcohol use and violent behavior was also reported to be about 52% weaker among current users, though the researchers said those alcohol-related results were less consistent in additional sensitivity analyses.
“The strongest finding in the study was that the well-established link between impulsivity and violent behavior was substantially weaker among current GLP-1 users compared to former users,” said Daniel Semenza, the study’s lead author and director of research at Rutgers’ New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center.
Christopher Thomas, an assistant professor at Rutgers University–Camden and a coauthor, said the findings are consistent with the idea that GLP-1 medications could act in a way similar to cognitive behavioral therapy by weakening the pathway from impulse to action, rather than eliminating impulsivity.
The researchers emphasized that the study is observational and cross-sectional, meaning it can identify associations but cannot prove that GLP-1 medications directly reduce violent behavior. They called for longitudinal and experimental research to test whether the relationship holds over time and to clarify potential biological or behavioral mechanisms.
