Does an “evil gene” exist, a genetic factor that causes crime? Dr. Henry Howard Holmes or more commonly known as H. H. Holmes is said to have killed as many as 200 people during the 1890’s. Many victims were said to have killed in a mixed-used building he used to own situated west of the 1893 Chicago’s world fair. As a child, he used to be bullied by his friends, which exorcised him of his fears about death, which led to his fascination and unhealthy obsession of killing people. Holmes had a three storey building constructed, and creating an elaborate house of horrors. The upper floors contained his living quarters and many small rooms where he tortured and killed his victims. Some of these rooms had gas jets so that Holmes could asphyxiate his victims. There were also trapdoors and chutes so that he could move the bodies down to the basement where he could burn his victims remains in a kiln there or dispose them in other ways. As the story illustrates, an individual influenced upon various root causes can express criminal behavior in wide variety of ways. According to the nature-nurture debate, researchers suggest that heredity is a primary cause for criminal behavior. Nurture defenders argue that natural components, for example, family, school, church and group, are principal components of criminal behavior. From offenses to brutal lawful misdemeanors, a few people venture into the criminal equity framework and take in their lesson to never carry out a crime again. Others shockingly get to be repeat criminals with an endless criminal record. Especially, the investigation of criminology targets why people carry out crimes and why they act in specific circumstances. My research question is “What are the factors influencing criminal behavior?” My thesis statement is because criminal behavior has definite root causes, such as heredity, substance abuse and peer pressure, we need to revise the existing penal systems.
Criminal Behavior and Heredity: Three Major Issues
Family Issues
Numerous criminologists won’t care to acknowledge heredity as an essential variable as it suggests “certainty” and that is practically inevitable. The significance of hereditary qualities, neurophysiology and the numerous natural issues allegedly merit an extremely detailed survey and investigation. Among them parental supervision and their disciplinary practices are an intriguing zone to take a look at. As far as the family issues are concerned, divorce can have devastating effects on the children. It leads to weakening the relationship between children and parents. Also, it prompts destructive ways of handling disputes, which ultimately leads to emotional pain. The instability adversely affects the adolescents as they mature. Teens in divorced families inculcate behavioral problems, which have significant effects on the incidence of crime rates. Children who witness marital discord are more likely to engage in criminal acts. A research has validated associations between exposure to marital discord and parental divorce while growing up and children’s psychological distress in adulthood (Amato & Sobolewski 2001). There are three major classes that determine the relationship between disrupted families and crime; trauma theories, life course theories and selection theories. The trauma theory proposes that the loss of a parent has a negative effect on children, mostly because of the
process rather than a discrete event and also on the effects of multiple stressors, which is associated with separation. Selection theories suggest that the disrupted families are associated with crime because of pre-existing differences in family income or child rearing methods (Juby & Farrington, 2001). One of the major factors that contribute to the reasons of having criminal behavior are family issues. Al though there is not much of evidence regarding the fact that criminal behavior is passed through our genes, but children with violent parents have more tendency to become violent through learned behaviors. Negative family factors include poor parenting skills, family size, dispute in the home, antisocial parents, ill treatment, conflict and punitive discipline influence criminal behavior. Recidivism rates (the likelihood that an individual will become repeat offender) are more likely to be seen in children who are influenced by adverse family factors. Children who are disregarded or mishandled will probably commit violations further down the road than others. Correspondingly, sexual abuse in adolescence frequently drives these victims to become sexual predators as they grow up. Parents who react to the fundamental needs of their children instill self-assurance and an enthusiasm for social circumstances. These kids are for the most part composed in identifying with others and are far less inclined to carry out violations.
Study of Identical Twins
Origins of antisocial identity issue and their impact over crime prompted to investigations of twins and adopted children. Identical twins have precisely the same genetics. Specialists found that identical twins were twice as liable to have comparable criminal conduct than fraternal twins who have comparative however not identical qualities, much the same as any two siblings. Other research demonstrated that adopted kids had more noteworthy similarities of crime rates to their biological parents than to their adoptive parents. Twin studies are directed on the premise of contrasting monozygotic (MZ) or identical twins and their rates of criminal conduct with the rates of criminal conduct of dizygotic (DZ) or fraternal twins. In the event that the results of these twin studies demonstrate that there is a higher concordance rate for MZ twins than for DZ twins in criminal behavior, then it can be expected that there is a hereditary impact (Tehrani and Mednick, 2000).
Role of Neurochemicals
Several behaviors and disorders are associated with antisocial and criminal behavior. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and drug and alcohol abuse are the most prominent ones. A few genes related to these behavior and disorders have been found. Therefore, some of the genes could be considered as candidate genes for antisocial and criminal behavior or as predictors. Neurochemicals are in charge of the activation of behavioral patterns in particular parts of the mind (Elliot, 2000). A study suggests that there have been attempts to decide the role of neurochemicals in affecting criminal behavior. Incorporated into the list of neurochemicals are referred to by researchers are monoamine oxidase (MOA), epinephrine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine. Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is a compound that has been appeared to be identified with antisocial behavior. In particular, low MAO action brings about disinhibition, which can prompt to impulsivity and aggression (Elliot, 2000). MAO is related with a large number of the neurochemicals that as of now have a connection to criminal behavior. Serotonin is a neurochemical that assumes a critical part in the personality attributes of depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder (Larsen and Buss, 2005). Low levels of serotonin have been observed to be related with impulsive behavior and emotional regression. Evidently, there is a lot of confirmation that shows serotonin is related to aggression, which can be further linked with criminal behavior. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that is related with pleasure and is likewise one of the neurotransmitters that is primarily connected with aggression. Therefore, there is a list of neurochemicals, which stands off as genetic component of criminal behavior.