E2b1 Is criminal research practical and ethical?

Question 1

Practical problems with biological research and crime

Answer 1

1) in a study with thousands of people, only a handful will have the XYY chromosome- lowers validity of studies, sample too small
2) Chromosome abnormalities difficult to detect, few obvious signs someone has it- makes gathering participants difficult
3) many different types of crimes and criminals- e.g father convicted of theft with murderer son- weak link as crimes very different; a criminal gene as a general concept unlikely to be found
4) family, twin and adoption studies often rely on convictions and arrests- many criminals successful- not caught for crimes and not included in studies

Question 2

Ethical problems with biological research and crime

Answer 2

1) unethical to say having specific chromosome causes crime if link found not 100% true- could become self-fulfilling prophecy
2) criminals may believe they’re not responsible for their actions, and blame their genes
3) if genetic link to crime found, this knowledge could be used to control people with a chromosome abnormality before they commit an offence- dangerous power and prevent people living normal life

Question 3

Practical problems with social research and crime

Answer 3

1) cannot carry experiment to make someone a criminal- any social research will only examine link between crime and social/ bio factors.
2) research often involves examining why people turned to crime. People + families often questioned about the past, but: 1. memory not always reliable- answers might not be accurate 2. asking criminals- unreliable- they might blame aspects of their upbringing as reasons, rather than the true reasons and 3. could be a way for criminals to avoid taking responsibility for own actions

Question 4

Ethical problems with social research and crime

Answer 4

1) if link found between family and crime, it could be used to blame parents- results should be treated with care and not used to hold parents responsible (especially if link not 100% true)
2) investigating self-fulfilling prophecy as an explanation may create or reinforce existing labels and encourage it even more