IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jcjust/v51y2017icp34-58.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Race/ethnicity and criminal behavior: Neurohormonal influences

Author

Listed:
  • Ellis, Lee

Abstract

Evolutionary neuroandrogenic (ENA) theory asserts that brain exposed to androgens plus the brain's ability to learn accounts for most of the sex and age variations in criminal behavior. Here, the theory is extended to explain race/ethnic variations in offending. The article documents that among seven different racial/ethnic groups, blacks have the highest and East Asians have the lowest criminal involvement. Strictly social environmental explanations for race/ethnic differences in criminality appear to be inadequate for explaining these differences. Two main elements of ENA theory are offered in the present context: (a) criminal behavior is promoted by exposing the brain to testosterone and other androgens. (b) rapid postpubertal declines in offending depend heavily on learning ability. Ten lines of evidence concerning average racial/ethnic variations in androgen exposure are reviewed, and four lines of evidence of racial/ethnic differences in learning ability are reviewed. With some exceptions and qualifications, currently-available evidence seems to support the idea that racial/ethnic variations in offending could be at least partially explained by ENA theory. Closing comments are offered to suggest that biosocial approaches to the study of racial/ethnic variations in criminal behavior can help to supplement strictly social environmental theories in criminology.

Suggested Citation

  • Ellis, Lee, 2017. "Race/ethnicity and criminal behavior: Neurohormonal influences," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 34-58.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:51:y:2017:i:c:p:34-58
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.05.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0047235217301265
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.05.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jeffery T. Ulmer & Casey T. Harris & Darrell Steffensmeier, 2012. "Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Structural Disadvantage and Crime: White, Black, and Hispanic Comparisons," Social Science Quarterly, Southwestern Social Science Association, vol. 93(3), pages 799-819, September.
    2. James P. Smith, 1995. "Racial and Ethnic Differences in Wealth in the Health and Retirement Study," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 30, pages 158-183.
    3. Swaim, R.C. & Beauvais, F. & Chavez, E.L. & Oetting, E.R., 1997. "The effect of school dropout rates on estimates of adolescent substance use among three racial/ethnic groups," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 87(1), pages 51-55.
    4. DesJardins, Stephen L. & Ahlburg, Dennis A. & McCall, Brian P., 2006. "The effects of interrupted enrollment on graduation from college: Racial, income, and ability differences," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(6), pages 575-590, December.
    5. Lloyd Potter, 1991. "Socioeconomic Determinants of White and Black Males’ Life Expectancy Differentials, 1980," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 28(2), pages 303-321, May.
    6. Garn, S.M. & Clark, D.C., 1976. "Problems in the nutritional assessment of black individuals," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 66(3), pages 262-267.
    7. Deanna Sharpe & Mohamed Abdel-Ghany, 2006. "Determinants of Income Differentials: Comparing Asians with Whites and Blacks," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 588-600, December.
    8. Burhan, Nik Ahmad Sufian & Kurniawan, Yohan & Sidek, Abdul Halim & Mohamad, Mohd Rosli, 2014. "Crimes and the Bell Curve: The Role of People with High, Average, and Low Intelligence," MPRA Paper 77314, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alexander, Adam C. & Chen, Weiyu & Ward, Kenneth D., 2018. "Is intelligence associated with mortality from lethal force by law enforcement?," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 30-35.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Hero Ashman & Seth Neumuller, 2020. "Can Income Differences Explain the Racial Wealth Gap: A Quantitative Analysis," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 35, pages 220-239, January.
    2. Gale, William & Pence, Karen, 2006. "Are Successive Generations Getting Wealthier, and If So, Why?Evidence from the 1990s," MPRA Paper 55502, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Steven F. Venti & David A. Wise, 2001. "Choice, Chance, and Wealth Dispersion at Retirement," NBER Chapters, in: Aging Issues in the United States and Japan, pages 25-64, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Michael D. Hurd & Daniel McFadden & Harish Chand & Li Gan & Angela Menill & Michael Roberts, 1998. "Consumption and Savings Balances of the Elderly: Experimental Evidence on Survey Response Bias," NBER Chapters, in: Frontiers in the Economics of Aging, pages 353-392, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    5. David Neumark & Elizabeth T. Powers, 1996. "Consequences of means testing Social Security: evidence from the SSI program," Working Papers (Old Series) 9618, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland.
    6. Salahodjaev, Raufhon, 2016. "Intelligence and deforestation: International data," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 20-27.
    7. Angela Boatman & Adela Soliz, 2018. "Statewide Transfer Policies and Community College Student Success," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 13(4), pages 449-483, Fall.
    8. David Love & Lucie Schmidt, 2015. "Comprehensive Wealth of Immigrants and Natives," Working Papers wp328, University of Michigan, Michigan Retirement Research Center.
    9. Neumark, David & Powers, Elizabeth, 1998. "The effect of means-tested income support for the elderly on pre-retirement saving: evidence from the SSI program in the U.S," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 181-206, May.
    10. Gautier, Pieter A. & Zenou, Yves, 2010. "Car ownership and the labor market of ethnic minorities," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 67(3), pages 392-403, May.
    11. Steven J. Haider & Kathleen McGarry, 2018. "Postsecondary Schooling and Parental Resources: Evidence from the PSID and HRS," Education Finance and Policy, MIT Press, vol. 13(1), pages 72-96, Winter.
    12. Congrong Ouyang & Sherman D. Hanna & Kyoung Tae Kim, 2019. "Are Asian Households in the U.S. More Likely than Other Households to Help Children with College Costs?," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 40(3), pages 540-552, September.
    13. Obergruber, Natalie & Zierow, Larissa, 2020. "Students’ behavioural responses to a fallback option - Evidence from introducing interim degrees in german schools," Economics of Education Review, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    14. Sanae Tashiro & Cecilia A. Conrad, 2009. "Stereotypes, Asian Americans, and Wages: An Empirical Strategy Applied to Computer Use at Work," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 68(2), pages 427-443, April.
    15. Kathleen M. McGarry & Andrew Davenport, 1998. "Pensions and the Distribution of Wealth," NBER Chapters, in: Frontiers in the Economics of Aging, pages 463-486, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    16. Maurizio Mazzocco, 2004. "Saving, Risk Sharing, and Preferences for Risk," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(4), pages 1169-1182, September.
    17. Rendon, Silvio, 2007. "Does Wealth Explain BlackWhite Differences in Early Employment Careers?," Journal of Business & Economic Statistics, American Statistical Association, vol. 25, pages 484-500, October.
    18. Gustman, Alan L. & Steinmeier, Thomas L., 1999. "Effects of pensions on savings: analysis with data from the health and retirement study," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 271-324, June.
    19. Joseph G. Altonji & Ulrich Doraszelski, 2005. "The Role of Permanent Income and Demographics in Black/White Differences in Wealth," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 40(1).
    20. Min Hua Jen & Ron Johnston & Kelvyn Jones & Richard Harris & Axel Gandy, 2010. "International Variations In Life Expectancy: A Spatio‐Temporal Analysis," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 101(1), pages 73-90, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:51:y:2017:i:c:p:34-58. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jcrimjus .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.