Is Crime Genetic? Scientists Don't Know Because They're Afraid To Ask

Boston Globe ^ | 3-6-2016 | Brian Boutwell

[ghosthost]

Social scientists generally, and criminologists especially, often lack the ability (usually due to both ethical and practical concerns) to perform randomized controlled trials, the gold standard of research. We might expect, for instance, that having low levels of self-control is a cause of criminal behavior. In fact, some of the most powerful explanations of crime have been built on this idea, and there is much evidence to support it. We might also hypothesize that bad parenting causes children to develop low levels of self-control. Yet we can’t randomly assign people to have different levels of self-control, and we most assuredly can’t randomly assign kids to parents. All of this is to say that criminologists may never know for sure whether parenting causes self-control and whether, in turn, self-control causes crime.

While criminologists typically can’t use randomized trials, they do use a variety of statistical methods to study parenting and self-control

[ghosthost]

It is one of the goals of Mr. Soros and the other anti-American criminal meddlers to flood the US with illegal immigrants for the sole purpose of having our crime rates spike. Then, since they control and pay off the media, they can call it "gun crime." Then, since they control and pay off the politicians, they can push for gun control because there is only one thing standing between the Soros', the Zuckerbergs' and the other filthy enemies of the State and their dreams of world domination-- and that is you, with your guns. They hate you and your guns because they, for all their wealth and power, are made out of hamburger just like the rest of us, and are very, very mortal.

[marron]

Broken families and substance abuses. Which are in turn related to one another.

That, and not enough Christians per square mile.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Nature/nurture; bad seed vs. bad farmer.

My take: sometimes it’s more one, sometimes more the other.

I’d say 70-30 genetics vs. environment; others’ assessment may differ.

[WKUHilltopper]

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

[Farmer Dean]

We know that intelligence is genetic.
We know that having a bad disposition is genetic.
So why not antisocial behavior?

[Mr. K]

Before “The Great Society” (thank you LBJ and Democrats) the black families were 85% married. Now it is something like 15% and 50% of all black males have been in jail.

If it’s genetic then politics sure brings it out.

[txrefugee]

No, it’s an acquired skill learned from your rotten family. Just ask someone in retail about women shoplifters teaching the tricks of the trade to their children by taking them along when they steal.

[ghosthost]

we breed animals for things like intelligence and for other qualities, but when it comes to humans and breeding, we have to slap our hands over our mouths. The science is settled, I guess.

[MNDude]

As much as I dislike LBJ and his great society, I don’t think that can be blamed for that crime rate.

Time magazine had an article on the problem in 1958:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,810262,00.html#ixzz2IYeOb1i

“THEY are afraid to say so in public, but many of the North’s big-city mayors groan in private that their biggest and most worrisome problem is the crime rate among Negroes.

In 1,551 U.S. cities, according to the FBI tally for 1956, Negroes, making up 10% of the U.S. population, accounted for about 30% of all arrests, and 60% of the arrests for crimes involving violence or threat of bodily harm—murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In one city after another, the figures—where they are not hidden or suppressed by politicians—reveal a shocking pattern. Items:”

Maybe it was because like they said and was failure in integration?

[onedoug]

“...except crime!” —Auric Goldfinger

[GraceG]

[ Before “The Great Society” (thank you LBJ and Democrats) the black families were 85% married. Now it is something like 15% and 50% of all black males have been in jail.

If it’s genetic then politics sure brings it out. ]

Epigenetics (genetic changes influenced by environment) can affect behavior, stress levels in the mother can drive hormonal changes in the children leading to children that are born out of wedlock being more aggressive in behavior. This is natures way of priming a child to survive a harsh environment where their father was killed by a sabretooth tiger or other predator or rival tribe.

These subtle changes in genetics can linger for a few generations afterwards, it is a part of our design that allows a decimated tribe to spring back from extinction.

It doesn’t work that well in a welfare state though...

[jsanders2001]

Speaking from the perspective of being an investigator who has done thousands of background checks many of which have included checking out several people from the same family trees and most often fathers and sons, many of which are Jr., Sr., III, etc I say definitely yes there is a genetic predisposition towards certain criminal behaviors BUT it also has everything to do with their environment and religious upbringing. The most common crimes I see involve DWIs and drug usage followed by assault / crimes of violence, and theft / burglary. Again much of it can probably be equally attributed to the living environment, particularly if they involve the African American population.

[WorkingClassFilth]

Short answer: no.

Long answer requires looking at personal responsiblity, home life, cultural values and all the other things the left hates to acknowledge as factors. Chief of all is the outdated and hopelessly anachronistic idea called ‘sin.’

It’sso much easier to say it’s all the MAN’S fault! Well, that and genetics.

[strings6459]

It depends on the society. If a society is more highly developed they have more sophisticated norms of behavior. Societies of lower order do not. If people are genetically disposed to criminal behavior is just may be they are in the wrong society.

[Farmer Dean]

And why is the family rotten?Is it learned behavior or something deeper?

[No_More_Harkin]

What on earth are you implying? Controlled breeding for people?

[dfwgator]

"Shall we make the usual wager?"

[smokingfrog]

Everyone has an old sin nature with areas of strength and weakness.

[ghosthost]

I'm saying this-- America, not a terribly long time ago, looked like this:

A society that looks like this can go to the moon.

You're looking at genes, the expression of biological machinery made manifest.

Here is modern America:

Now, in contrast, a society like this can be easily controlled. A society like this can be controlled with fire hoses and dogs. A society like this can be controlled with EBT cards and WIC (Women and Mothers with Infant Children) benefits.

A society such as the one that existed in the 50's could not be controlled, could not be manipulated. That is why this nation, this world is under attack. And the weapon is genetic. We are experiencing, and losing the gene-war.

[DiogenesLamp]

Is Crime Genetic? Scientists Don't Know Because They're Afraid To Ask

When you have 3% of the population committing 40% of the crime, you are D@mned Right that they are afraid to ask!

The World Media "Morality Police" would come down on them like a ton of bricks.