biological explanation of crime: XYY

Question 1

what does the XYY theory focus on?

Answer 1

the genetic makeup of a person and chromosomal abnormalities due to random mutations

Question 2

what is a chromosome?

Answer 2

thread like structure made up of DNA found in a cell’s nucleus

Question 3

how many pairs of chromosomes do humans have?

Answer 3

23

Question 4

during normal development, what does the 23rd pair consist of?

Answer 4

sex chromosomes

Question 5

what are the female sex chromosomes?

Answer 5

XX

Question 6

what are the male sex chromosomes?

Answer 6

XY

Question 7

where did the first XYY research occur and what was found?

Question 8

what does XYY syndrome involve?

Answer 8

an extra Y chromosome resulting in 47 instead of 46

Question 9

how often does XYY syndrome involve?

Answer 9

1/1000

Question 10

what are the characteristics of XYY syndrome?

Answer 10

• tall
• large teeth/head
• acne
• curved pinky fingers
• lack of empathy

Question 11

how can XYY lead to criminal behaviour?

Answer 11

behavioural problems including being very active or impulsive and emotional difficulties such as anger and lack of empathy

Question 12

what is the link between crime and autism/ADHD in XYY males?

Answer 12

the males have an inability to learn via conditioning and cannot respond appropriately to social cues which could lead to antisocial behaviour

Question 13

what is a strength of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- stockholm

Answer 13

a strength of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime is supporting evidence from Stockholm. they found that there was a significant increase in the number of convictions in a group of males with XYY compared to general incidences of crime in general population. therefore, this supports the positive correlation between criminal behaviour and having XYY.

Question 14

what is a strength of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- Jacobs et al

Answer 14

a strength of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime is supporting evidence from Jacobs et al. they found that 15/1000 males in prison have XYY in comparison to the 1/1000 in the general population. therefore, this supports the concept that males with XYY are overly aggressive and lack empathy which is why there is a greater percentage in prison.

Question 15

what is a weakness of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- criticism

Answer 15

a weakness of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime is that it lacks internal validity. this is because the research is correlational so only a link can be found between an extra Y chromosome and crime making it hard to establish a cause & effect. therefore, a third variable could be the reason for the crimes, such as socioeconomic background or genetics e.g raised testosterone levels.

Question 16

what are the applications of XYY being an explanation of crime (PEE)?

Answer 16

a strength of XYY syndrome as an explanation for crime is the practical applications. for example, 25% of the syndrome can be identified at birth, so if this is screened for early, criminality can be addressed. therefore, treatments such as therapy could be put in place to prevent criminal behaviour developing and this keeps the individual and society safe, as well as preventing the label arising.

Question 17

what is a weakness of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime (PEE)?
- reductionist

Answer 17

a weakness of XYY syndrome as an explanation of crime is that it could be reductionist because it doesn’t account for all crimes. for example, it is impossible for females to have a Y chromosome so the research is completely androcentric which significantly lowers the generalisability as it is not representative of a wider population. therefore, it does not explain why females commit crimes, making it an incomplete explanation.