Nature, Nurture, and Delinquency

Many lIberals get choleric when anyone suggests that certain families seem to breed delinquents. While the current research won't change their attitudes it does add to depth to the debate. In one of the first studies to link molecular genetic variants to adolescent delinquency, sociological research published in the August issue of the American Sociological Review identifies three genetic predictors--of serious and violent delinquency--that gain predictive precision when considered together with social influences, such as family, friends and school processes. Sociologists from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill explored the interaction of genetics and social influences and identified three genetic polymorphisms that--when examined in the context of modulating social controls--are significant predictors of delinquency.