Baggage Check: Crime Genes?

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CUE UP THE "COPS" THEME SONG! A new study has isolated three specific genes that are associated with violent crime and antisocial behavior. The gene variations, affecting the monoamine oxidase enzyme and dopamine neurotransmitters, were found to affect about 1 percent of the American adolescent male population, but were exceedingly common among those who committed crimes.

Before we start breaking out the biology is destiny platitudes, however, it's important to note that the effects of the genes in question seem to be mediated by the environment. Once again, nature is nothing without nurture.

Specifically, eating dinner together as a family — something that's probably a telltale sign of parental involvement — was shown to virtually eliminate this genetic vulnerability. Various stressors, on the other hand, such as low popularity and academic problems, spurred on the bad behavior in those who had the genetic risk.

It's arguable that the majority of our psychological traits, for better or for worse — from a fear of mayonnaise to a hair-twirling habit — involve a combination of genetic predispositions and environmental triggers. The nature/nurture dichotomy itself can often be considered moot, as it would be impossible for our genetics even to manifest themselves without the environment in which to do so. (An eye color gene is nothing without the eyeball!) This environment, in turn, can be subject to infinite numbers of variations and — in the case of human lives being acted out in real time — has no control group.

Does this mean we should ignore these findings? Of course not; indeed, they're impressive. But we must remember that, despite the hocus pocus of chatter about neurochemicals (which can be hypnotizing, as I've written before), sometimes the message is much more simple. In this case, it's that the dinner table trumps the dopamine.