Violence and Genetics
Humans are made up of genes and inside genes are chromosomes. Humans have 46 not including sex chromosomes. Female chromosomes are labeled as XX and Male as XY normally. There are variations to these chromosomes which include XXY and XYY. The controversy in question is that males with XYY chromosomes have a tendency to become more violent. This could because by the extra testosterone involved with having the extra Y chromosome. Researches also believe this to be part of the Nature v. Nurture argument.
Researches have had a difficult time studying this very sensitive topic for many reasons. Scientist would have to longitudinally study infants from birth to older ages. They would need to study infants who had normal chromosomes and those who had the variations. Parents would insist on knowing every aspect of the research which may interfere in the results. If parents knew that their child was predisposed to violence, they would want to do everything in their power to treat the child in turn resulting in disruption of research. In another approach, researchers could keep the information from the parents and not let them know if their child had the variations in chromosomes. This would then lead to ethical and legal problems. Therefore, …show more content…
Robinson, Professor and Chairman, Department of Biophysics and Genetics and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Medical Center, - conducted a ten year research that began by testing the placentas from 40,000 consecutive births in Denver beginning 1964. His studies found that only 11% of the infants had the extra Y chromosome and that there were speech deficits, rearing problems and acne in these children. There is still no published evidence that those children have committed violent and delinquent acts. (Hastings Center 11) I do not believe that the extra Y chromosome truly predisposes one to violence and delinquency. No longitudinal research has been successfully conducted to prove this as
Humans are made up of genes and inside genes are chromosomes. Humans have 46 not including sex chromosomes. Female chromosomes are labeled as XX and Male as XY normally. There are variations to these chromosomes which include XXY and XYY. The controversy in question is that males with XYY chromosomes have a tendency to become more violent. This could because by the extra testosterone involved with having the extra Y chromosome. Researches also believe this to be part of the Nature v. Nurture argument.
Researches have had a difficult time studying this very sensitive topic for many reasons. Scientist would have to longitudinally study infants from birth to older ages. They would need to study infants who had normal chromosomes and those who had the variations. Parents would insist on knowing every aspect of the research which may interfere in the results. If parents knew that their child was predisposed to violence, they would want to do everything in their power to treat the child in turn resulting in disruption of research. In another approach, researchers could keep the information from the parents and not let them know if their child had the variations in chromosomes. This would then lead to ethical and legal problems. Therefore, …show more content…
Robinson, Professor and Chairman, Department of Biophysics and Genetics and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Medical Center, - conducted a ten year research that began by testing the placentas from 40,000 consecutive births in Denver beginning 1964. His studies found that only 11% of the infants had the extra Y chromosome and that there were speech deficits, rearing problems and acne in these children. There is still no published evidence that those children have committed violent and delinquent acts. (Hastings Center 11) I do not believe that the extra Y chromosome truly predisposes one to violence and delinquency. No longitudinal research has been successfully conducted to prove this as