What are some of the biological contributions to antisocial behavior?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Antisocial behavior tends to run in families. Analyses of many studies have concluded that genes influence 40 to 56 percent of the variation in antisocial behavior within a population and 60 to 65 percent of the variation in aggressive antisociality. Genes alone, however, are not predictive of antisocial behavior. Research suggests that although genetics influences delinquency, environmental influences including family, friends, and school affect gene expression.

Neurobiological deficits, particularly in the portions of the brain that regulate reactions to stress, may help explain why some children become antisocial adolescents. As a result of these neurological deficits, children may not receive or heed normal warning signals to restrain impulsive or reckless behavior. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at higher risk for the development of comorbid conduct disorder (CD) and depression that contribute to antisocial behavior.

A crucial variable that must be taken into account is the age at which antisocial behavior begins. Researchers have identified two types of antisocial behavior: an early-onset type, beginning by age 11, which tends to lead to chronic juvenile delinquency in adolescence, and a milder, late-onset type, beginning after puberty, which tends to arise temporarily in adolescence. Late-onset adolescents tend to commit relatively minor offenses and tend to come from families with standard family backgrounds.