Criminal Behavior: Nature vs. Nurture Part One

The topic of whether or not criminal behavior is caused by genetic/biological or environmental factors has proven to be one that is clouded in much controversy. I came upon this topic while talking to a good friend of mine that insists that criminal behavior (and actually any behavior) is strictly a product of one's environment. We bantered back and forth endlessly, yet neither one of us would budge. Therefore, I decided to do some of my own research into finding out the true answer of where and how human criminal behavior comes about. I started my research for this paper by first asking individuals (professional and laymen) to share with me their own personal views on the topic. I received many various answers, thus creating for me more confusion than clarity. However, I also took the time to collect information from professional resources and they really helped me in making my decision. After careful analysis of the topic I was surprised to find that my original feelings about the causes of criminal behavior were in fact validated. I will now share with you the findings that I discovered. We will begin this journey by examining first the environmental issues surrounding criminal behaviors.

The biological or genetic factor of violent/criminal behavior is indeed a much talked about topic. The idea that certain individuals could be predisposed to violence is something to definitely warrant doing research about. However, many professionals argue that biological factors are not solely responsible for these behaviors. In fact, Dr. Lonnie Athens, a professor of criminology at Seton Hall University, has come up with his own representations for why individuals exhibit violent behavior. He believes that violent individuals have encountered certain elements during their lifetimes that have contributed to their behavior. The elements listed are: individuals have been violently violated, threatened, tortured or have watched other individuals in that position; they have been taught and encouraged to commit violence and thus proceeded to do so; they can manipulate respect from others by showing rage and committing violent acts; and finally that the mixture of intense feelings (such as rage) cause the individual to feel vulnerable and thus committing violent acts for self-preservation, to reduce frustration, and to reduce personal fears.(1) As shown with this model, individuals are more prone to have criminal/violent behavior that stems from societal/psychological factors rather than simply biological. In fact, research is showing that juvenile criminal behavior is more closely linked to social elements rather than biological. These elements include factors such as socioeconomic status, the community one resides in, family structure, and school involvement. (2) Milton Viederman from Cornell Medical College stated that “the relationship of biology and environment – most agree that kids are born with temperaments that can be measured at the beginning. However, genes don't simply determine behavior. Genes offer a range of possibilities for interaction with the environment. The ultimate product is a mixture of the two and the scientific problem is to tease apart the contributions of both of these factors.”(3) My husband was in the criminal justice field for seven years and during that time I had the opportunity to meet several individuals that had been incarcerated for one reason or another. Most of these individuals were very coherent, articulate, and friendly. Considering the crimes that they had committed, I wondered at times if I was not just meeting with a normal person and being fooled. However, I later found out the background of some of these individuals and realized that their criminal behavior was partially caused by the environment that they were raised in not necessarily psychological problems. Poverty, single-family homes, abuse, neglect, and many more were the hurdles that these individuals faced on a daily basis. Seeing how these negative forces corrupted these individuals helped me to understand how some people could turn out bad even when they started out good. Fred Goodwin from George Washington University quoted current research he has come into contact with that crime is not solely due to poverty or race and crimes have been stigmatized in the past. He expressed that the research he has seen has shown that the one important factor (environmental) that influenced criminal behavior was an individual not having an active father in the home. (3) I do not know that I can completely agree with his statement. I do feel that criminal behavior, whether committed by an adult or a youth, is influenced by poverty, race, and family status; factors going well beyond his comment of the behavior simply being a result of a deficient factor. I realize that crime runs from the extremely poor and disadvantaged on up to the high elite. So, my thought on this is that if all the extreme poles of factors (poverty vs. high income) are effected then there has to be something else contributing to their behavior. However, this concept leads to much controversy and that concept is the presumption that criminal behavior stems from biological means. Part Two of this article will delve into these biological factors thus enabling us to make our decision as to what actually creates and fosters criminal behavior.

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