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XYY Survey in an Institution for Sex Offenders and the Mentally III

Nature volume 224, pages 369–370 (1969)Cite this article

Abstract

REPORTS associating an extra Y chromosome with tallness and anti-social behaviour have originated from surveys conducted mainly in maximum security institutions1. Although it has been suggested that the anti-social behaviour is directed largely against property rather than persons2, no definite criminal pattern has been found and crimes have ranged from malicious mischief to murder3,4. In addition, a few 47,XYY individuals have been detected with no apparent criminal or anti-social history1. Sex offences have been implicated in several instances2,5–7 and a recent study8 noted that two 47,XYY patients were persistent homosexuals. In the following survey, 200 tall anti-social men at Atascadero State Hospital in California were studied in order to obtain additional information on the incidence of sex chromosome aneuploids.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, City of Hope Medical Center, Duarte, California, 91010

    JOHN MELNYK & ANNA DERENCSENYI

  2. Research Department,

    FRANK VANASEK

  3. Medical and Surgical Services, Atascadero State Hospital, Atascadero, California, 93422

    ALFRED J. RUCCI

  4. Department of Pediatrics, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, 90029

    HAVELOCK THOMPSON

Authors
  1. JOHN MELNYK
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  2. ANNA DERENCSENYI
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  3. FRANK VANASEK
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  4. ALFRED J. RUCCI
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  5. HAVELOCK THOMPSON
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MELNYK, J., DERENCSENYI, A., VANASEK, F. et al. XYY Survey in an Institution for Sex Offenders and the Mentally III. Nature 224, 369–370 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1038/224369a0

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