The Causes of Crime
New Biological Approaches

The Causes of Crime: New Biological Approaches offers the first comprehensive overview of the biological factors involved in criminality.

Sarnoff A. Mednick (Author), Terrie E. Moffitt (Author), Susan A. Stack (Author)

9780521111898, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 11 June 2009

392 pages
2.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm, 0.57 kg

In this century, social factors have dominated theories of antisocial behaviour to the near-exclusion of other explanatory variables in the study of criminology. Criminologists are now coming to realise that fully understanding the causes of criminality requires consideration of both social and biological variables and that their models must take into account the interaction of the two. Reports of the relevant scientific work have previously been scattered through journals with varying disciplinary and geographical limitations. The book presents state-of-the-art investigation into the biological factors that produce criminal activity from authorities in nine countries who are on the forefront of research in behaviour genetics, neurophysiology, biochemistry, neuropsychology, psychophysiology, psychiatry and sociology. The Causes of Crime: New Biological Approaches offers the first comprehensive overview and integration of this new field of enquiry. It will be an invaluable resource for everyone concerned with the causes of criminal behaviour and interventions to reduce its frequency.

Introduction: Biological factors in crime causation: the reactions of social scientists Sarnoff A. Mednick
Part I. Methodological questions and implications: 1. Some cautions for the biological approach to crime causation Gordon Trasler
2. Watch out for that last variable Malcolm W. Klein
3. Implications of biological findings for criminological research David P. Farrington
4. Definitions of antisocial behaviour in biosocial research Preben Wolf
Part II. Evidence for the role of genetics: 5. Genetic factors in the etiology of criminal behaviour Sarnoff A. Mednick, William F. Gabrielli, Jr., and Barry Hutchings
6. Genetic and environmental factors in antisocial behaviour disorders C. R. Cloninger and I. I. Gottesman
Part II. Psychophysiological and neurophysiological factors: 7. Autonomic nervous system factors in criminal behaviour Peter H. Venables
8. Electroencephalogram among criminals Jan Volavka
9. Childhood diagnostic and neurophysiological predictors of teenage arrest rates: an eight-year prospective study James H. Satterfield
Part IV. Neurological factors: 10. Cerebral dysfunctions and persistent juvenile delinquency W. Buikhuisen
11. Violent behaviour and cerebral hemisphere function Israel Nachshon and Deborah Denno
12. Perceptual asymmetries and information processing in psychopaths Robert D. Hare and John F. Connolly
Part V. Biological Factors: 13. The neuroendocrinology and neurochemistry of antisocial behaviour Robert T. Rubin
14. Testosterone and adrenaline: aggressive antisocial behaviour in normal adolescent males Dan Olweus
15. Personality correlates of plasma testosterone levels in young delinquents: an example of person-situation interaction? Daisy Schalling
16. Metabolic dysfunctions among habitually violent offenders: reactive hypoglycemia and cholesterol levels Matti Virkkunen
Part VI. Treatment Issues: 17. The role of psychosurgical studies in the control of antisocial behaviour Mark A. J. O'Callaghan and Douglas Carroll
18. Pharmacological approaches to the treatment of antisocial behaviour C. R. Cloninger
Indexes.

Subject Areas: Social, group or collective psychology [JMH]