Can we genetically profile criminals?

Question

And by that I mean: can we determine the likelihood of an individual turning into a psycho based on their DNA? Please note that I said “can” we NOT “should” we…this is not a class on ethics!

Answer 1

While I do not believe that there is any basis for saying that "criminality" as such can be determined using genetics, we already know for a fact that certain traits such as a predisposition to anger/violent behavior can be hereditary, as can low intelligence, and certain mental illnesses or learning disabilities.

When you put this all together, we can't determine who will "become a criminal" using genetics, but we can determine who is "statistically more likely" to have brushes with the law.

Put simply, if somebody has a genetic propensity for anger, is not to bright, and had ADHD or a learning disability as a child and thus didn't do too well in school, then they are less likely to be a 9-5 white collar worker with a suburban house and 2.4 children, and are more likely to get into fights or to become involved with the wrong crowd, than people who don't have this DNA handicap against them.

This said, no scientist in their right mind will stand up and say what I just said, it would be the end for them. They'd be condemned as a n**i and accused of promoting eugenics.

Answer 2

In the human genome (genetic code) there are about 3 billion alleles. Not only do different combinations of alleles (epistasis) sometimes yield unpredictable results, but mutations occur randomly as well in all living things, including humans.

A friend of mine wrote a computer model using only 6 alleles to find out the possible outcomes. It took about three days for the computer to generate all of the outcomes.

So, you can see that there is a lot we do not know.

Yes, the n***s did try to create the perfect race, but one cannot prevent mutations, so that would never have worked.

The USA had a eugenics program at one time with the idea of sterilizing certain individuals with mental disorders, but that was considered more a medical, not a racial purity thing. Not that I am condoning it.

Answer 3

Probably not.

First, do you mean by criminal?  Are you talking about serial killer type criminal (who kills for no apparant reason)?  Or violent criminal (where their motivation is money, or sexual satisfaction)?  Or any criminal (in which case that would include white collar crime, etc).

Do you mean can we now, or one day might we be able to?  Since we don't know of any such "crime genes" yet, then you can't profile for it.  Furthermore, most reputable scientists will tell you that violent crime is more of a function of "nuture" than "nature" -- how we are raised, the environment you live in has as much or more to do with tendancy towards crime.  

If you are rich and living in a mansion, you probably are not going to rob a gas station at gunpoint (though you might embezzle from your investors...)

Answer 4

No... of course not, but the 4th reich known as the New World Order will try to argue this exact fallacious point very soon...