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Behavioural genetics in criminal court

Nature Human Behaviour volume 1, pages 772–774 (2017)Cite this article

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Introduction of genetic evidence of a predisposition to violent or impulsive behaviour is on the rise in criminal trials. However, a panoply of data suggests that such evidence is ineffective at reducing judgements of culpability and punishment, and therefore its use in the legal process is likely to diminish.

The science behind the legal argument is based on studies that have found an association between certain genetic variants, often interacting with childhood maltreatment, and impulsive or antisocial behaviour3. One of the most influential such reports analysed data from a longitudinal epidemiologic study of a birth cohort in Dunedin, New Zealand, examining high- and low-activity polymorphisms in the promoter region of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene on the X chromosome in male subjects. The investigators found a gene-by-environment interaction between a history of childhood maltreatment and MAOA status: subjects with an allele associated with reduced MAOA production who had a history of childhood maltreatment made up only 12% of the sample but accounted for 44% of convictions for violent crime4.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology & Social Behaviour, Department of Criminology, Law & Society, University of California, Irvine, 4213 Social and Behavioural Sciences Gateway, Irvine, CA, 92697-7085, USA

    Nicholas Scurich

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, NY State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 122, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Paul S. Appelbaum

Authors
  1. Nicholas Scurich
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  2. Paul S. Appelbaum
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Nicholas Scurich or Paul S. Appelbaum.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Scurich, N., Appelbaum, P.S. Behavioural genetics in criminal court. Nat Hum Behav 1, 772–774 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-017-0212-4

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