XYY syndrome

Question 1

what is XYY syndrome?

Answer 1

a genetic condition that concurs when a male has an extra Y chromosome within the 23rd pair of chromosomes instead of the usual XY. they thereofre have a total of 47 chromosomes.
occurs randomly at time of contraception.

Question 2

what have studies shown?

Answer 2

• many men don’t know they have it
• most boys will have a normal development although some may grow faster and taller than siblings.
• some have shown they have lower level of intelligence

Question 3

what does it make men do?

Answer 3

• overly aggressive and lack empathy
• it has no effect on testosterone or sexual development but they may be more impulsive
• early studies suggested they were ten times more likely to be a criminal and more aggressive than xy men. this led to the belief that they are more likely to be violent criminals.

Question 4

evidence

Answer 4

jacobs et al conducted a chromosomes survey of male patients at a max security hospital in Scotland.
found that men with the XYY pattern were overrepresented in prison populations compared to general pop.
:( however there may be other genetic traits that are important, for example medick studied male adoptees and 85% with a criminal record or mild offence had a father with one. whereas young male adoptees without a criminal record had a father with a criminal record 31 of the time. therefore XYY is a rather limited explanation of criminality.

Question 5

application

Answer 5

genetic screening could be used to identify
this may be useful for diagnosis and early intervention to reduce the chances of criminal behaviour in future.
CA= such practices may be regarded as a form of social control thereby raising significant ethical issues.

Question 6

S/W

Answer 6

:( reductionist
:( the data is a correlation and therefore cause and effect can not be established. this means that it is diffcult to directly link criminality to XYY.
:) ca= that said, it can explain gender differences eg females can not be born XYY and thereof could explain prison pop.

bio explanations suggest individuals are not accountable for their behaviour - dangerous message and socially sensitive.

Question 7

alternative

Answer 7

social learning theory
conc- while XYY may explain criminal behaviour, it is reductionist because it cannot explain crimes committed by females.