IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/sae/sagope/v7y2017i3p2158244017723408.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

On the Heritability of Criminal Justice Processing

Author

Listed:
  • Brian B. Boutwell
  • Eric J. Connolly

Abstract

An impressive number of researchers have devoted a great amount of effort toward examining various predictors of criminal justice (CJ) processing outcomes. Indeed, a vast amount of research has examined various individual- and aggregate-level predictors of arrests, incarceration, and sentencing decisions. To this point, less attention has been devoted toward uncovering the relative contribution of genetic and environmental effects on variation in risk for CJ processing. As a result, the current study employs a behavioral genetic design to help fill this void in the existing literature. Using twin data from a national sample of youth, the current study produced evidence suggesting that genetic factors accounted for at least a portion of variance in risk for incarceration among female twins and probation among male twins. Shared and nonshared environmental influences accounted for the variance in risk for arrest among both female and male twins, probation among female twins, and incarceration among male twins. Ultimately, it appears that risk for contact with the CJ system and CJ processing is structured by a combination of factors beyond shared cultural and neighborhood environments, and appears to also include genetic factors. Moving forward, continuing to not use genetically sensitive research designs capable of estimating the role of genetic and nonshared environmental influences on CJ outcomes may result in misleading results.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian B. Boutwell & Eric J. Connolly, 2017. "On the Heritability of Criminal Justice Processing," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(3), pages 21582440177, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:sagope:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:2158244017723408
    DOI: 10.1177/2158244017723408
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2158244017723408
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/2158244017723408?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Schwartz, Joseph A. & Beaver, Kevin M., 2011. "Evidence of a gene × environment interaction between perceived prejudice and MAOA genotype in the prediction of criminal arrests," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(5), pages 378-384.
    2. Chabris, C. F. & Lee, J. J. & Cesarini, D. & Benjamin, D. J. & Laibson, David I., 2015. "The Fourth Law of Behavior Genetics," Scholarly Articles 30780203, Harvard University Department of Economics.
    3. DeLisi, Matt & Beaver, Kevin M. & Wright, John Paul & Vaughn, Michael G., 2008. "The etiology of criminal onset: The enduring salience of nature and nurture," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 217-223, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Gören, Erkan, 2017. "The persistent effects of novelty-seeking traits on comparative economic development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 112-126.
    2. Xu, Yilan & Briley, Daniel A. & Brown, Jeffrey R. & Roberts, Brent W., 2017. "Genetic and environmental influences on household financial distress," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 404-424.
    3. Connolly, Eric J. & Beaver, Kevin M., 2015. "Assessing the salience of gene–environment interplay in the development of anger, family conflict, and physical violence: A biosocial test of General Strain Theory," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 43(6), pages 487-497.
    4. Krammer, Sorin M.S. & Gören, Erkan, 2021. "Wired in? Genetic traits and entrepreneurship around the world," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    5. Kettlewell, Nathan & Tymula, Agnieszka & Yoo, Hong Il, 2023. "The Heritability of Economic Preferences," IZA Discussion Papers 16633, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Nagel, Mats, 2020. "Changing perspectives: Towards detailed phenotyping in genetics," Thesis Commons a4nz2, Center for Open Science.
    7. Guo, Fangqi & Harris, Kathleen Mullan & Boardman, Jason D. & Robinette, Jennifer W., 2022. "Does crime trigger genetic risk for type 2 diabetes in young adults? A G x E interaction study using national data," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 313(C).
    8. Lee, James J. & McGue, Matt & Iacono, William G. & Michael, Andrew M. & Chabris, Christopher F., 2019. "The causal influence of brain size on human intelligence: Evidence from within-family phenotypic associations and GWAS modeling," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 48-58.
    9. Venables, Noah C. & Foell, Jens & Yancey, James R. & Beaver, Kevin M. & Iacono, William G. & Patrick, Christopher J., 2018. "Integrating criminological and mental health perspectives on low self-control: A multi-domain analysis," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 2-10.
    10. Thomas Buser & Rafael Ahlskog & Magnus Johannesson & Sven Oskarsson, 2022. "Occupational sorting on genes," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 22-062/I, Tinbergen Institute, revised 29 Mar 2023.
    11. Domingue, Benjamin & Trejo, Sam & Armstrong-Carter, Emma & Tucker-Drob, Elliot M., 2020. "Interactions between polygenic scores and environments: Methodological and conceptual challenges," SocArXiv u7sh4, Center for Open Science.
    12. DeLisi, Matt & Neppl, Tricia K. & Lohman, Brenda J. & Vaughn, Michael G. & Shook, Jeffrey J., 2013. "Early starters: Which type of criminal onset matters most for delinquent careers?," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 12-17.
    13. Behnken, Monic P. & Caudill, Jonathan W. & Berg, Mark T. & Trulson, Chad R. & DeLisi, Matt, 2011. "Marked for Death: An Empirical Criminal Careers Analysis of Death Sentences in a Sample of Convicted Male Homicide Offenders," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(6), pages 471-478.
    14. Rocque, Michael & Welsh, Brandon C. & Raine, Adrian, 2012. "Biosocial criminology and modern crime prevention," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 306-312.
    15. DeLisi, Matt & Piquero, Alex R., 2011. "New frontiers in criminal careers research, 2000-2011: A state-of-the-art review," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 39(4), pages 289-301, July.
    16. Dilnoza Muslimova & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Stephanie von Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens, 2020. "Dynamic complementarity in skill production: Evidence from genetic endowments and birth order," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 20-082/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    17. Dilnoza Muslimova & Hans van Kippersluis & Cornelius A. Rietveld & Stephanie von Hinke & S. Fleur W. Meddens, 2020. "Nature-nurture interplay in educational attainment," Papers 2012.05021, arXiv.org, revised Jul 2023.
    18. Pietro Biroli & Titus Galama & Stephanie von Hinke & Hans van Kippersluis & Kevin Thom, 2022. "Economics and Econometrics of Gene-Environment Interplay," Bristol Economics Discussion Papers 22/759, School of Economics, University of Bristol, UK.
    19. Dixon, Padraig & Hollingworth, William & Harrison, Sean & Davies, Neil M. & Davey Smith, George, 2020. "Mendelian Randomization analysis of the causal effect of adiposity on hospital costs," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    20. Wu, Tong & Barnes, J.C., 2013. "Two dopamine receptor genes (DRD2 and DRD4) predict psychopathic personality traits in a sample of American adults," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 41(3), pages 188-195.

    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:sae:sagope:v:7:y:2017:i:3:p:2158244017723408. 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: SAGE Publications (email available below). General contact details of provider: .

    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.