Evidence of a Gene X Environment Interaction in the Creation of Victimization: Results From a Longitudinal Sample of Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 220730
• Journal: International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 51 Issue: 6 Dated: December 2007 Pages: 620-645
• Author(s): Kevin M. Beaver; John Paul Wright; Matt DeLisi; Leah E. Daigle; Marc L. Swatt; Chris L. Gibson
• Date Published: December 2007
• Length: 26 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

To address the gap in the literature on genetic origins in adolescent victimization, this study used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine whether different variants of the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) were related to victimization.

Abstract

Analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) data revealed that the A1 allele of the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) significantly increased the chances that an adolescent would be the victim of a crime. Additional statistical models revealed that the effect of DRD2 on victimization was confined to White males with a low number of delinquent peers. The study provides initial evidence of a gene X environment interaction. Studies of adolescent victimization have focused narrowly on the effects that environmental conditions have on the chances of being victimized. At the same time, the possibility that biogenetic factors may relate to personal victimization have been largely ignored. However, recent research in 2006 revealed that biosocial factors might indeed play an important role in the etiology of victimization. Using this work as a springboard, this study examined whether a single genetic polymorphism, DRD2, was predictive of youthful victimization. Tables, appendixes A-B, notes, and references