Law

Criminal Behaviour

Nature?

• There is no definitive answer to every case on whether criminals commit a crime based on what their genetics are.

• Prominent researchers believed that genes were fully responsible for criminal activity and that criminals could be identified by their physiological features

• offender, there is support demonstrating a similar outcome in terms of crimes committed by an offender with no family history of violence.

• diathesis stress model that theorizes there are individuals born with a propensity for violence for various reasons but may or may not become violent depending upon environmental factors.

• Research studies have provided evidence of brain abnormalities contributing to aggression and possibly psychopathy, while other studies have been demonstrating a link between serotonin levels and aggression.

• However the conception of the offender being вЂ?genetically at risk’ has now emerged. There have been numerous studies carried out on twins to determine whether genetic influences play a part in criminal behavior

• It found that 52% of the twins were concordant for criminal behavior for identical twin pairs, whilst 22% of the twins were concordant for fraternal twin pair

• These results suggest that identical twins carry some form of biological characteristic that increases their risk of becoming involved in criminal behaviour

• Children share 50 percent of their genes with each parent. Therefore, for genes to be influential whatsoever, the trait in question must run in families.

• . There have been many studies indicating that chemical relationships between serotonin, testosterone, and frontal lobe brain chemistry may play a key role in determining aggressive behavior

• Research has shown that stimulation of certain parts of animals' brains leads to aggression

Restoration

• Since the natural purpose of morality, including the retributive impulse, is to shape behavior advantageously, we can and should consider other more efficient and less punitive means to achieve the ends that retribution originally serve

• The [conventional] system both isolates young offenders and encourages them into further criminal activity

• Some people are born with a mental problem that would cause them to do thing that they might not know is wrong.