Inherited criminality

Question 1

basis of inherited criminality

Answer 1

there is a specific gene for specific crimes

Question 2

hollin (1992)

Answer 2

some people inherit a biological predisposition for criminal behaviour, specifically a personality type that makes them more likely to commit crime

Question 3

farrington (2002)

Answer 3

if the father had been arrested then there was a high chance the son would have been arrested as well

Question 4

Seo et al (2008)

Answer 4

low levels of serotonin may predispose individuals to impulsive and aggressive behaviour

Question 5

Brunner et al (1993)

Answer 5

studied a Dutch family, many of whom were highly aggressive. Their behaviour was linked to a mutation in the MAOA gene, accounting for their aggressive behaviour.

Question 6

lombroso’s atavism 1870s

Answer 6

criminals had atavistic stigmatas and were pre-social, primitive
study of 383 dead italian criminals and 3839 living - 40% atavistic characteristics
large jaw, flattened nose, strange eyes, reduced sensitivity to pain, tattoos

Question 7

evaluation of lombroso

Answer 7

represent beginning of offender profiling and modern forensic science
no control group of non-criminals
accused of scientific racism, focused on non-western characteristics
differences more likely due to poverty, illness, disease
Goring (1913) criminals had lower intelligence due to lack of education
lacks temporal validity

Question 8

sheldon’s somatotypes

Answer 8

criminals are due to body types
ectomorphs - tall, skinny, self-conscious
endomorphs - round, lack muscle, sociable
mesomorphs - muscular, risk taking, domineering

Question 9

twin studies - raine (1993)

Answer 9

mz twins had concordance rate of 52% and dz twins had 21%
later found a lower rate of 44 for mz

Question 10

twin studies - rosanoff et al (1934)

Answer 10

studied 97 twin pairs finding male concordance rates of mz 67% and dz 13%

Question 11

dalgard and kringlen (1976)

Answer 11

found no significant difference in concordance rate difference - mz 22% dz 26%
this supports the view that hereditary factors are of no significant importance in the aetiology of crime

Question 12

osborne and west (1979)

Answer 12

13% of sons with non-criminal fathers had criminal records, 20% of sons with criminal fathers had records

Question 13

mednick et al (1987)

Answer 13

studied over 14,000 adopted sons
no parents with record - 13.5% sons with record
biological parents - 20%
adoptive parents - 14.7%
both - 24.5%

Question 14

MAOA gene (warrior)

Answer 14

monoamine oxidase type-A
helps to recycle the neurotransmitter serotonin

Question 15

diathesis stress model

Answer 15

individual has predisposition for crime but needs a stressor

Question 16

epigenetics

Answer 16

study of how genes change (mutations)

Question 17

capsi et al (2002)

Answer 17

over 50% with low activity of MAOA gene ended up developing anti-social behaviour only if exposed to abuse, compared to 20% if grown up in healthy environment

Question 18

price (1966)

Answer 18

males with extra Y chromosome predisposed towards violent crime

Question 19

christiansen (1977)

Answer 19

3586 twins in denmark, mz 52% dz 22%

Question 20

strengths

Answer 20

good example is Jim Fallon
stage early interventions to alter child’s behaviour
supporting research

Question 21

weaknesses

Answer 21

relationship between genes and crime is more complicated than it seems
no cause and effect - non experimental
ignores the role of society
reductionist
crime is social construct
gender bias
ignore real reasons for crime - inequality
‘genetically inferior’ e.g. eugenics