Genetic Risk Factors Correlate With County-Level Violent Crime Rates and Collective Disadvantage

• NCJ Number: 243872
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 41 Issue: 5 Dated: September - October 2013 Pages: 350-356
• Author(s): J.C. Barnes; Brian B. Boutwell; Kevin M. Beaver
• Date Published: October 2013
• Length: 7 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined whether known genetic risk factors for antisocial behavior were predictive of exposure to disadvantage and violent crime measured at the county level.

Abstract

The study produced two key findings. First, the results of a series of statistical tests indicated that individual-level genetic risk for criminal behavior predicted county measures of violent crime rates and collective disadvantage. This finding suggests that the sorting of individuals into certain counties is not random and may not be completely due to social/environmental forces. Instead, individuals who have more "risk" alleles (genetic factors) for antisocial behavior are more likely to live in areas where violent crime is more prevalent and where collective disadvantage is greater. Second, the study found that the correlation between genetic risk and the county-level variables was completely explained away by the respondent's race. Two explanations are offered for this finding. One explanation suggests the possibility that dopamine risk has an indirect influence on neighborhood selection, but dopamine risk correlates with race, thereby masking the genetic effect. The second explanation reasons that dopamine risk is a proxy for race and, due to population stratification, Blacks are more likely to live in high-crime/disadvantaged areas. There is evidence to support both explanations. The authors hope that, at a minimum, these findings will spark a discussion about the interplay between genetic factors, race, and exposure to certain structural/contextual factors such as county-level crime rates and collective disadvantage. The study obtained genotypic data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. A dopamine risk scale was developed based on respondents' genotypes for DAT1, DRD2, and DRD4. County-level disadvantage was measured using Census data, and violent-crime rates were determined from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports. 3 tables, 3 figures, 1 appendix, and 39 references