REGISTERED CRIMINALITY IN THE ADOPTIVE AND BIOLOGICAL PARENTS OF REGISTERED MALE CRIMINAL ADOPTEES (FROM GENETIC RESEARCH IN PSYCHIATRY, 1975, BY RONALD R FIEVE ET AL)

• NCJ Number: 54842
• Author(s): B HUTCHINGS; S A MEDNICK
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 12 pages
• Grant Number(s): M H 19225
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Health, Education, and Welfare
• Corporate Author: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

DATA ON DANISH ADOPTEES AND NONADOPTEES WITH CRIMINAL RECORDS, NONCRIMINAL ADOPTEES, AND THE SUBJECTS' ADOPTIVE AND BIOLOGICAL PARENTS, ARE USED TO STUDY POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HEREDITY AND CRIMINALITY.

Abstract

AN INITIAL STUDY WAS CONDUCTED WITH A SAMPLE OF 1,145 CRIMINAL ADOPTEES, A MATCHED GROUP OF NONADOPTED CRIMINALS, AND PARENTS OF BOTH GROUPS. DATA WERE GATHERED FROM DENMARK'S GOVERNMENT BIRTH REGISTERS, POLICE RECORDS, AND CRIMINAL RECORDS. THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN REGISTERED CRIMINALITY IN THE ADOPTEES AND THEIR ADOPTIVE FATHERS WAS 21.7 PERCENT, 78.3 PERCENT FOR NONCRIMINAL ADOPTIVE FATHERS, 48.8 PERCENT FOR CRIMINAL BIOLOGICAL FATHERS, AND 51.2 PERCENT FOR NONCRIMINAL ADOPTIVE FATHERS, 48.8 PERCENT FOR CRIMINAL BIOLOGICAL FATHERS, AND 51.2 PERCENT FOR NONCRIMINAL BIOLOGICAL FATHERS. ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN NONADOPTED CRIMINALS AND THEIR CRIMINAL FATHERS WAS 21 PERCENT AND BETWEEN NONADOPTED CRIMINALS AND NONCRIMINAL FATHERS WAS 79 PERCENT. THE RESULTS SUGGEST AN ASSOCIATION DOES EXIST BETWEEN THE CRIMINALITY OF THE SONS AND THEIR FATHERS, ON BOTH THE BIOLOGICAL AND ADOPTIVE SIDES. A STUDY OF OF THE RECORDS OF 143 CRIMINAL ADOPTEES COMPARED THEM TO A MATCHED GROUP OF NONCRIMINAL ADOPTEES AND THEIR PARENTS. DATA ON THE PSYCHIATRIC HISTORIES, ALCOHOLIC HABITS, AND SUICIDAL TENDENCIES OF FATHERS AND MOTHERS WERE SUBJECTED TO STEPWISE MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS. THE FINDINGS SHOW THAT, WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE STUDY METHODLOGY, THERE APPEARS TO BE A CORRELATION BETWEEN CRIMINALITY IN ADOPTEES AND CRIMINALITY IN THEIR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS--THE MOST IMPORTANT LIMIT OF THE ADOPTION STUDY METHOD BEING THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE ADOPTION PROCEDURE RESULTS IN SELECTIVE PLACEMENT, PROMOTING CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN THE ADOPTIVE HOME AND CHARACTERISTICS OF THE BIOLOGICAL PARENT. REFERENCES AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (DAG)