Bibliometric analysis of literature on medical (chemical) castration practices for sexual crimes and offenders: A web of science-based study

This study aims to examine the international literature on medical (chemical) castration practices applied to sex offenders through a bibliometric analysis. Based on data from the Web of Science Core Collection, a total of 61 scientific publications published between 1947 and 2025 were analyzed. The publications were evaluated in terms of distribution by year, country, institution, author profiles, publishing journals, number of citations, keyword networks, and their relation to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings indicate a marked increase in academic interest in chemical castration, particularly since the 2010s. The topic is predominantly addressed within the fields of psychiatry, law, criminology, and ethics, encompassing multidimensional debates that go beyond the control of individual sexual impulses-such as human rights, voluntariness, informed consent, and the limits of state intervention. Moreover, the literature reveals differing views regarding the serious side effects associated with the treatment, the coercive nature of the practice, and its ethical dilemmas. The study concludes that knowledge production in this area is geographically centered in the West and exhibits an interdisciplinary character. The bibliometric data provide a guiding foundation for future ethical, legal, and political discussions and research.