NCJ Number
7043
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 14 Issue: 4 Dated: (OCTOBER 1969) Pages: 411-418
Date Published
1969
Length
8 pages
Annotation
ILLUSTRATED REPORT ON THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE XYY CHROMOSONAL ANOMALY AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR.
Abstract
NORMAL MALES HAVE ONE X CHROMOSOME AND ONE SMALL Y CHROMOSOME WHOLE FEMALES HAVE TWO IDENTICAL X CHROMOSOMES. SOME MALES HAVE BEEN FOUND TO POSSESS AN XYY PATTERN AND THIS GENETIC MAKEUP HAS BEEN CORRELATED WITH VIOLENT CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. THE NUMBER OF XYY MEN BEING HELD IN MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISONS AND HOSPITALS IS STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT. THESE INDIVIDUALS DIFFER FROM THEIR FELLOW INMATES IN THAT THEY GENERALLY DO NOT COME FROM CRIMINAL BACKGROUNDS, THUS SUPPORTING THE THEORY THAT SUCH INDIVIDUALS BEHAVIOR IS DUE TO THEIR GENETIC MAKEUP. THE AUTHOR NOTES, HOWEVER, THAT MOST MEN WITH THIS SAME GENETIC PATTERN HAVE NOT BEEN DETECTED ENGAGING IN DEVIANT BEHAVIOR AND SO IT MUST BE KEPT IN MIND THAT THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS WHICH MUST BE DETERMINED BEFORE ANY TYPE OF PREDICTION IS ATTEMPTED.