Shared Environment in Genetic Research on Crime, Essay Example

Shared environment has the implication of potential environmental factors that contribute to the resemblance of members of a family. The influence of genetics on the environmental variables surpasses the boundaries of family environment. Shared environment is a concept that has been identified to be important in genetic research on crime (Davison & Neale, 1998).   This fact is based on the influences that it causes to the characteristics of peer groups, the child accidents, workplace environment, classroom environment, exposure to trauma, issues of divorce, among others.

These are among the common characteristics that have been considered to be influenced by the environment to their greatest degree throughout history. Scientific research in addition to technology has transformed genetics and this has dramatically changed the criminological theory. This has led to a shift in the direction of biological focus with regard to crime causality, which has been important in the illumination of the truth of the environment together with free will being not the only causative variables responsible for crime (Glueck & Glueck, 1956).  The importance of this issue is based on the fact that behavioral genetics is continuously becoming the source of increasingly impressive evidence to the potent, genetic influence in as far as the human behavior is concerned.

Criminal diathesis plays a vital role in the contribution of shared environment in genetic research on crime. Some physical, psychological as well as social characteristics in combination have varying degrees of importance as the causative agents of criminality. A positive correlation exists between the increase in diathesis and the potential probability of criminality (Davison & Neale, 1998).    Diathesis therefore bears criminality potentialities in the individuals and it depends on a number of factors such as stress, environmental and the social variants, levels of unemployment, among other factors.

References

Davison, G. & Neale, J., (1998).  Abnormal Psychology, 7^th Ed.  NY:  John Wiley &Sons, Inc.

Glueck, D., & Glueck, E. (1956). Physique and delinquenc.  N Y: Harper.