| The etiology of crime has been dominated by sociological/environmental explanations in criminology. Over the past three decades, biosocial criminologists, however, have increasingly questioned the sociological explanation of crime which leaves out consideration of genetic influences. Criminological research has indicated that adult social bonds, such as marriage, employment, military service, and peer affiliation, explain changes in crime, but exposure to adult social bonds and the effect of adult social bonds on crime are at least partially accounted for by genetic factors. This dissertation aims to examine whether genetic factors influence criminal behavior and the coalescence of genetic and environmental influences on crime by using a molecular genetic approach.;Data were gleaned from Waves 1-11 of the NYSFS with 772 respondents. Regression analysis is used to examine the main genetic effects, epistasis effects, gene-environment correlations, main environmental effects, and gene-environment interactions in the prediction of criminal behavior. Five important findings emerged from the analysis. First, genetic factors were not significantly related to adult social bonds. Second, adult social bonds, except peer influence, were not significantly associated with crime even prior to controlling for genetic effects. Third, genes did not exert a main effect on crime, but had an epistasis effect and interaction with adult social bonds in predicting criminal behavior. Fourth, the effect of genetic and environmental factors greater effect in adulthood. The theoretical and policy implications of these findings are discussed.;KEY WORDS: DAT1, DRD2, DRD4, 5-HTTLPR, MAOA, Adult social bonds, Delinquent peer, Gene-environment interplay, Criminal behavior. |
