THEORETICALLY, COULD ANYONE BECOME CRIMINAL?

Theoretically, could anyone become criminal? Discuss

Theoretically, could anyone become criminal? Discuss

There are many reasons people commit crime or fall into the criminal lifestyle, most of them are by necessity or by choice and some are just a matter of greed, but there are a small fraction of these people who are actually genetically predisposed to become criminals. This can result from chromosomal abnormalities, learning disabilities, or just inherited personality traits that lead them to want to steal or be more aggressive toward others. Some conditions that can cause this behavior are the XYY karyotype or “supermale” syndrome and ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In my research I have learned about the link between these two specific disorders and criminal or antisocial behavior also the inheritance of the ”property offense criminal gene”.

About 1 in 1,000 newborn males has two Y chromosomes rather than one; this is known as the 47, XYY chromosome pattern. The 47, XYY chromosome karyotype is the result of errors that occur in the formation of sperm cells or errors that occur when the fertilized egg begins to divide. When the XYY type was discovered, some researchers speculated that the presence of an extra Y chromosome might make a male more aggressive and prone to criminal behavior. The popular press referred to this condition as the "supermale" syndrome. Some early studies of prison populations and mental institutions seemed to confirm this hypothesis. Early studies of XYY males suggested they were 10 times more likely than XY men to be found in criminal populations. XXY men and XXX women were said to be more commonly found among mentally retarded or psychotic patients than XY men and XX women. Popular science writers promoted the idea that men with an extra Y chromosome were more aggressive than XY males. Some reports claimed that the prevalence of XYY men in prison was at least 25 to 60 times as high as the prevalence of XYY males in the general population. This led to the belief that XYY males are more likely to commit acts of criminal violence. Most people associate the “supermale” syndrome with higher levels of testosterone and blame that for the aggressiveness or criminal behavior. What a lot of people seem to over look is also linked to low levels of Monoamine Oxidase A or (MAOA).

Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) is an enzyme that has been shown to be related to antisocial behavior. Specifically, low MAOA activity results in disinhibition which can lead to impulsivity and aggression. There has been other evidence that points to the conclusion that deficiencies in MAOA activity may be more common and as a result may predispose individuals to antisocial or aggressive behavior. MAO is associated with many of the petrochemicals that already have a link to antisocial or criminal behavior. Nor epinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine are metabolized by both MAOA and MAOB, which are all related to the personality factor of ...