Biological- Inherited Criminality

Question 1

What does this propose?

Answer 1

Certain genetic combinations predispose individuals to criminal behaviour

Question 2

Twin, family and adoption studies- family reasercher?

Answer 2

Osborn and west 1979

Question 3

Twin, family and adoption study- Osborne and west?

Answer 3

13% of sons with non criminal father had criminal records
40% of sons of Crimean farther had records
Suggesting criminal behavior may be inherited
Higher rates of criminality in farther and sons

Question 4

Twin family and adoption study- Osborne and west evaluation?

Answer 4

Doesn’t consider environmental factors influencing the correlation e.g. upbringing socialization etc

Question 5

Twin research- Rosanoff et al 1934?

Answer 5

He studied 97 twins pairs, finding male concordance rates of 22/33 MZ 67% and 3/23 DZ twins 13%

Question 6

Twin research- Raine 1993?

Answer 6

Reviewed literature comparing the delinquent behaviour of twins. Average concordance rates was higher for MZ (52%) than DZ twins 21%

Question 7

Twin research- Ishikawa and Raine 2002?

Answer 7

Meta analysis found a concordance rate for criminality of 44% for MZ twins and 21.6% for DZ twins

Question 8

Twin research- what does this suggest?

Answer 8

Higher concordance in MZ then DZ so genetic influence

Question 9

Twin research- evaluation?

Answer 9

Not 100% concordance so must some other factors influence development on criminal behaviour
Twin raised in same environment hard to separate nature and nurture influence

Question 10

Candidate genes- MAOA, nickname

Answer 10

Warrior gene

Question 11

Candidate genes- role?

Answer 11

Encodes monamine oxidise A enzyme that breaks down neurotransmitter

Question 12

Candidate genes- link to neurotransmitters and behaviour?

Answer 12

Affects dopamine, seratonin and norphinephrine
Links to antisocial behavior and aggression

Question 13

Candidate genes- Bruner et al 1993?

Answer 13

Analyses the DNA of 28 male members of a Dutch family with a history of impulsive and violent criminal behaviour like rape and murder
-Found men shared a mutation of the MAOA gene leading to low levels of MAOA

Question 14

Candidate genes- Cadherin what is this?

Answer 14

A gene involved in neutral connectivity
CDH13
Can lead to violent behaviour and also links to ADHD, depression, substance abuse and ASC

Question 15

Candidate genes- Tiihonen et al 2015?

Answer 15

Research with 900 Finnish offenders. They found evidence of low MAOA activity and also low activity from the CDH13 gene
Estimated 5-10% of all violent crime in Finland is due to abnormalities in these two genes
-Showing that people with low activity of certain genes have more of a chance of becoming criminal offenders

Question 16

Candidate genes- Tiihonen et al evaluation?

Answer 16

A large sample of

Question 17

Diathesis stress model, what is this and how can this explain criminality?

Answer 17

Explains that whilst someone may have been genetic predisposition to criminal behaviour
It would need to be triggered by some form of environmental factors

Question 18

Diathesis stress model, Caspi et al 2002?

Answer 18

Used data from a longitudinal study of 1000 people born in 70’s
Antisocial behavior was assessed at age 26 and found that 12% of men who had MAOA gene mutation had experienced maltreatment in childhood and were responsible for 44% of violent conviction

Question 19

Is crime caused by genes- Goldsmith and Gottesman 1996?

Answer 19

Notions such as genes for crime are nonsense, but the following notion is responsible: there may be partially genetically influenced predisposition for basic behaviour tendencies such as impulsivity
-We should justify criminal behavior of genetics

Question 20

Evaluation- supporting research SECW?

Answer 20

S- Strength of the inherited criminality explanation of criminal behaviour
E- Osborn and West (explain)
C- However, this doesn’t take into account environmental factors it doesn’t have to be inherited it can also be because they are socialised into this as well as how they have been brought up
W- A strength as it means high rates of criminality when looking at sons and father

Question 21

Evaluate- biological reductionism?

Answer 21

S- Weakness (only focus on one factor) is that its reductionist
E- Too simple to suggest that all crimes are just genetics some other factors can be ignored like environment e.g. how we are brought up in society
C- However biological reductionism can be beneficial as it can help us when understanding why behaviour is caused. Helps makes things easier as we have identified cause and won’t waste time looking for other case
W- Therefore, even though it helps us find a cause it doesn’t take into account genetics

Question 22

Evaluation- biological determinism SECW?

Answer 22

S- One weakness of the inherited criminality explanation of behaviour is deterministic (Behaviours pre deterministic)
E-If we say that crime is caused by genes could it give people and excuse for behaviour. Can negatively impact judicial system- many people killing to use this excuse may mean behaviour pre determined excuse for an action
C- However, deterministic makes behaviour more predictable. For example Brunner et al, because if we are aware crimes have different genes, if we find this out for people we may be able to put interventions in place to prevent bad things occuring
W- Therefore, even though the repercussions of a genetic explanation of criminality could lead to problems determining guilt, giving us method of early intervention that could mitigate this problem

Question 23

Evaluation- Non violent crime SEEW paragraph?

Answer 23

S- One weakness of inherited criminality explanation of criminal behaviour is that the focus is toward violent and aggressive crimes
E- For example Tiohen et al (explain), however can be said that CDH13 doesn’t just have violent effects also anti social behaviour anxiety and depression
E- Research fails to look elsewhere other than violence and doesn’t take into account non violent crimes like robbing, parking tickets etc
W- Weakness as it fails to explain crime in a wider sense giving an incomplete explanation of criminal behaviour

Question 24

Evaluation- Eugenics- genetic engineering to eradicate these genes SEEW para?

Answer 24

S- One weekness of this is that it could encourge eugenic ideas
E- Peoples with the genetic variants that lead to criminal behaviour like MAOA and CDH13 could be encouraged not to reproduce to eradicate these criminal genes from the population
E- This is an issue as it morally wrong to prevent reproduction of children through sterelasiation as it would decrease diversity and is it fair to sterelyse someone for something they cant control
W- Weekness of this is its unethical and moraly wrong to cut bloodline due to genes that dont suit societys norms and values