Extreme Violent Crimes Tied to Gene in Study of Criminals

 
A gene previously linked to risk-taking and aggression appears to contribute to extreme violent behavior as well, according to a study that may open the way for treatments to prevent such behavior.
The gene, identified in an analysis of more than 700 criminal offenders, is one of two spotlighted in a study published today in the journal Molecular Psychiatry. The second gene is associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the authors wrote.
While researchers have attributed about 50 percent of severe antisocial or criminal behavior to genetics rather then environmental factors, they’ve identified only a few genes that may be involved. While the latest research won’t help predict which individuals might commit violence, it may lead to potential treatments, the researchers said.
“So far, nobody had found any gene associated with severe violent crime,” says Jari Tiihonen, a psychiatrist at Karolinska Institute inStockholm, who led the study. “We wanted to try to find it, and we found two.”
Tiihonen and colleagues analyzed the genomes of 895 Finnish prisoners across the 19 largest prisons in Finland. The participants included nonviolent offenders involved in cases such as drunk-driving and property theft, those convicted of violent crimes including murder, and extremely violent offenders, those responsible for at least 10 violent crimes.

Finnish Citizens

The researchers compared the prisoner results with a control population of Finnish citizens. By doing so, they identified two gene variants present in those with extreme violent behavior, but not in those without.
The first is a mutated variant of monoamine oxidase A, or MAOA, which breaks down chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin, that communicate information among brain cells. In 1993, MAOA was linked to impulsive aggression in five males from a single family and dubbed “the warrior gene” by the media.
The “warrior gene” finding has already begun to influence U.S. courts, yet there are strongly conflicting opinions about how much of a role the genetic basis of crime should play in the courtroom. It is too soon to know if this finding might also make its way into the justice system, but Tiihonen hopes it will not.
“No single risk factor, whether a gene variant or brain damage from a car accident or whatever, should affect a sentence,” Tiihonen said, adding that a person’s total mental capacity should be judged in assessing a sentence.

‘Impossible to Say’

J.C. Barnes, a criminologist at the University of Cincinnati who wasn’t involved in the study, agrees. “Interactions between genes and the environment make it impossible to say this person will develop (violent behavior), just based on knowing a handful of genes, or even thousands of genes,” he says.
The second gene identified is a variant of cadherin 13, or CDH13, which makes a protein involved in the connections between neurons. CDH13 has been previously been associated with ADHD, which can involve a lack of impulse control.
The findings on the two genes also raise the possibility of screening children or others for a genetic disposition toward crime. Again, Tiihonen says it’s not possible with current knowledge. The genetic results are neither sensitive nor specific enough for screening purposes, he says.
Instead, the main importance of identifying these two gene associations is to illuminate biological mechanisms that may be involved in violent behavior for further study, he said. (http://www.bloomberg.com/)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kekerasan di Perkotaan

Pelaku kejahatan kekerasan –baik struktural maupun non-struktural—di perkotaan rupanya sudah tak lagi memilah-milah sasaran korban. Mereka tidak pandang bulu, anggota korp bersenjata ataukah warga masyarakat sipil yang dijadikan sasaran. Belum hilang dalam ingatan kita kasus terbunuhnya Brigjen TMF Tampubolon di kawasan Kebon Nanas, Jakarta Timur, sekitar setahun lalu. Pelakunya para anak muda yang tengah mabuk minuman beralkohol. Setelah kematian seorang jenderal aktif itu, pihak aparat terkait langsung mengadakan operasi pembersihan terhadap peredaran minuman keras di Ibukota Jakarta. Hasilnya, peredaran minuman memabukkan itu agak terkendali. Sepertinya kondisi terkendali. Namun kondisi itu tidak berlangsung lama, lantaran anak-anak muda kembali teler menenggak minuman beralkohol menjadi fenomena sehari-hari. Lalu bersamaan dengan itu kasus-kasus kejahatan kekerasan memakan korban nyawa melayang di Jakarta hampir tiada henti. Bila kita ikuti pemberitaan surat kabar...
Read more

Temuan Riset: Kepolisian dan Pemerintah Daerah Tidak Paham Apa itu Ujaran Kebencian

Tindakan kriminal berbasis agama dan etnis yang terjadi di berbagai lokasi di Indonesia diyakini tidak terjadi secara spontan. Aksi itu biasanya diawali karena tersulut pernyataan tokoh-tokoh berpengaruh yang berhasil menyebarkan dan menanamkan kebencian terhadap kelompok lain yang berbeda. Pola itu dapat dibaca atas apa yang menimpa anggota Jemaat Ahmadiyah dalam 10 tahun terakhir, misalnya. Sikap intoleransi, diskriminasi, bahkan persekusi terhadap anggota Jemaat Ahmadiyah kerap dipicu karena ujaran kebencian, baik berupa fatwa sesat dari Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) maupun ceramah di mimbar agama. Meski relasi antara ujaran kebencian ( hate speech ) dengan tindakan kriminal berbasis agama dan etnis ( hate crime ) begitu tampak, namun keduanya tidak berdiri sendiri. Karena itu, perlu analisa menyeluruh untuk memahami mengapa muncul keduanya. Sedikitnya ada dua pertanyaan yang layak diajukan untuk memahami kemunculan  hate speech dan  hate crime . Pertama, apakah...
Read more

Kisah Seorang Preman Kupang (1)

Menjadi Preman Jalanan Kota Kupang Di dalam rumah tangga banyak sekali kekerasan sebagai alat orang tua guna mendisiplinkan anak-anaknya. Padahal, kedisiplinan itu bukan hanya bagian bagaimana kesiapan fisik. Tapi, juga kemampuan melakukan pengendalian diri ( self control ). Apalah artinya anak-anak bersikap patuh di hadapan orang tua, namun di belakangnya mencuri, membohongi, atau melakukan penyimpangan. Erlangga Masdiana, kriminolog Kupang, 1970-an. Di penghujung 1960-an, tepatnya tahun 1969, dengan landasan Surat Keputusan Gubernur Kepala Daerah Tingkat I Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT) Nomor 17 Tahun 1969 tanggal 12 Mei 1969, lahirlah sebuah wilayah kecamatan yang diberi nama Kecamatan Kota Kupang. Sebuah wilayah kecamatan yang ketika itu menjadi bagian dari wilayah Kabupaten Kupang yang terlebih lahir (1958). Sepanjang dekade 1970-an, Kecamatan Kota Kupang mengalami perkembangan yang cukup pesat dari tahun ke tahun. Kemudian pada tahun 1978 status Kecamatan Kota...
Read more