14 April 2008

Genetics key to teen violence

More evidence on the genetic component to what we think of as "evil". :
Whether a criminal teenager turns into a violent adult or grows out of crime, may be related to how low his ears are set or the types of food he was given as a child. International research shows antisocial behaviour in young adults can be written into their genetic code, and made worse by bad parenting. Indicators that an antisocial child may turn into a life-long violent criminal can be picked up in kindergarten, according to research summarised in this week's New Scientist magazine... Learning to fear punishment or recognise someone else's fear or sadness is difficult for psychopaths, he said. "If they want something and punching someone in the face is the way to extract it, they might be more likely to engage in that kind of behaviour," he said. Mr Blair says there are few signs that these psychopathic traits are caused by external factors like poor parenting or abuse, but they could be triggered by social forces like poverty.
Via SOTT

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I beg to differ. To say genetics is key is to attempt to foist upon us a means of catagorizing humanity. And the last time that was an accepted practice, a country convinced itself it was in their right to exterminate whole races. We are all unique, and while biology might shape some aspects of our lives, our choices and our behavior contribute a great deal more.

3:20 AM  
Blogger ryan said...

I think you're projecting here Anonymous. Nothing in the above statement is there anything about exterminating races. If people choose to self-censure simple inquiry into the genetic diversity of our species, God help us all!

The process of exterminating races is exactly what the ponerogenic process leads to and without an objective way of rooting out genetic psychopaths from power it likely will happen again and again... and again...

The point is to develop a robust social immune system to prevent genetic psychopaths from taking the reins of power, not exterminating them. Kind of like preventing color-blind people from flying airplanes.

4:25 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There is nothing wrong in believing in the differences of races, biological differences in human being, approach it in an objective way not a subjective way. What Hitler did was he misused and abused the information and distorted it to further his agenda. Science on the other hand is neutral. In the name of "equality " don't suppress science. Genetic information on human beings, should be made public and this can help in identifying things. Enough of this political correctedness that seeks to suppress truth with a lie.

7:55 AM  

Post a Comment

<< Home

statistics