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The Intersection of Genes, the Environment, and Crime and Delinquency: a Longitudinal Study of Offending

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The Intersection of Genes, the Environment, and Crime and Delinquency: a Longitudinal Study of Offending The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: The Intersection of Genes, the Environment, and Crime and Delinquency: A Longitudinal Study of Offending Author: Kevin M. Beaver Document No.: 231609 Date Received: August 2010 Award Number: 2006-IJ-CX-0001 This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant final report available electronically in addition to traditional paper copies. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. THE INTERSECTION OF GENES, THE ENVIRONMENT, AND CRIME AND DELINQUENCY: A LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF OFFENDING A Dissertation Submitted to the Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) In the Division of Criminal Justice of the College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services 2006 By Kevin M. Beaver B.A., Ohio University, 2000 M.S., University of Cincinnati, 2001 Dissertation Committee: John Paul Wright (chair) Michael Benson Francis T. Cullen Matt DeLisi i This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ABSTRACT The discipline of criminology has been dominated by social and environmental explanations to crime, criminality, and delinquency. At the same time, biogenic theories of antisocial behavior have historically been marginalized, ridiculed, and ignored by criminologists. This is somewhat surprising given the large and ever-expanding body of empirical research revealing strong genetic underpinnings to most behaviors and most personality traits. However, recent behavioral genetic research has shown that the most accurate explanations to human development incorporate both biological/genetic factors and social influences. The current dissertation builds off this line of literature and uses a genetically-sensitive subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine whether genetic forces combine with the social environment to create antisocial behaviors. Specifically, five different genetic polymorphisms (DAT1, DRD2, DRD4, 5HTT, and MAOA) are used to test for gene X environment correlations and gene X environment interactions in the etiology of crime and delinquency. The results of the multivariate models revealed genetic influences are important contributors to the field of criminology. The most consistent effects, however, were found when examining gene X environment correlations and gene X environment interactions. The implications for criminology and criminologists are discussed. ii This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. iii This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I dedicate this project to my wife, Shonna, who unselfishly sacrificed so much throughout the duration of my graduate studies. She silently endured the hardships of living in less-than-ideal conditions, of having husbandless nights and weekends, and of sharing me with the computer so I could pursue my degree. For all of those reasons (and many more) I am eternally grateful and forever indebted to her. To my beautiful baby girl, Brooke, who along with my wife, has taught me more about life than she will ever know. Thank you. We finally can begin our “real life” together as a family. I want to thank all of the members of my dissertation committee for their helpful comments and their remarkably quick turnarounds on drafts I submitted to them. Dr. Michael Benson provided me with many thought-provoking questions, which forced me to think through some very difficult theoretical and methodological issues. His written and verbal suggestions improved substantially the quality of my dissertation. A very special thanks is in order for Dr. Matt DeLisi who agreed to serve as the outside reader for my dissertation on relatively short notice. His comments have been very instrumental in shaping my dissertation. I look forward to continuing to collaborate with him on future research. I would be remiss if I did not mention the important role that Dr. Francis T. Cullen played in my academic development. Dr. Cullen is a brilliant thinker who has always taken time out of his busy schedule to help me in any way possible. His attention to detail and his razor-sharp insight helped to refine my dissertation into its final product. I wish to extend my sincerest and most humble thanks to my mentor, Dr. John Paul Wright, who saw a kernel of potential in me when nobody else did. I was fortunate enough to have learned about the research process and the state of criminology from a true academic scholar. Dr. Wright’s passion for the subject material is enviable; his command of the literature remarkable; his respect for science amazing. Throughout my time as a graduate student, Dr. Wright never hesitated to put his neck on the line for me when most other people would have turned and ran the other way. His actions have spoken volumes about his character and integrity as a person. In the end, I left graduate school with more than just a degree; I left with a very loyal and dear friend. I want to thank the Division of Criminal Justice at the University of Cincinnati and the National Institute of Justice for providing me with financial support throughout my graduate studies and during the writing of this dissertation. Lastly, the completion of my degree would never have been realized without my family. From a very early age my parents taught me the meaning of earning an education and about the importance of hard work and persistence. To my Grandpa Rudy, who never had the opportunity to see my goal come true. I take solace in knowing that he is looking down from above and smiling. This project was supported by Grant No. 2006-IJ-CX-0001 awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. Points of view in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the funding agency. iv This document is a research report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice. This report has not been published by the Department. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................iv TABLE OF CONTENTS.................................................................................................................v LIST OF TABLES.........................................................................................................................xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................. 1 Statement of the Problem.......................................................................................................... 2 Conclusion................................................................................................................................. 4 CHAPTER 2: THE GENETIC BASIS OF BEHAVIOR............................................................... 5 Introduction to Genetics............................................................................................................ 6 Genetic Variation................................................................................................................ 16 Three Types of Genetic Polymorphisms.............................................................................20 A Note on How Genes Influence Phenotypes.....................................................................24 Gene-Environment Interplay................................................................................................... 25 Gene X Environment Interactions (GxE)........................................................................... 26 Empirical Evidence of Gene X Environment Interactions................................................. 33 Indirect Evidence of GxEs............................................................................................
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