CRIMINOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FAMILY IN THE LIGHT OF THE STUDIES OF CRIMINAL TWINS

• NCJ Number: 55311
• Journal: ACTA CRIMINOLOGIAE ET MEDICINAE LEGALIS JAPANICA Volume: 27 Dated: (1961) Pages: 117-141
• Author(s): S YOSHIMASU
• Date Published: 1961
• Length: 24 pages
• Corporate Author: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: Japan

Annotation

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEREDITY AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE CAUSATIVE FACTORS OF CRIME IS EXAMINED, IN LIGHT OF PAST RESEARCH IN JAPAN USING MONOZYGOTIC TWINS WITH LATENT OR ESTABLISHED CRIMINAL LIFE CURVES.

Abstract

BASED ON STUDIES USING CONCORDANT TWINS (WHERE BOTH ARE PROVEN DELINQUENTS) AND DISCORDANT TWINS (WHERE ONLY ONE PARTNER DISPLAYS CRIMINAL CHARACTER), THREE KINDS OF OFFENDERS OR DELINQUENTS CAN BE DISTINGUISHED: (1) EARLY RECIDIVISTS, (2) LATE STARTERS IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, AND (3) THOSE ONLY ONCE CONVICTED. IN TERMS OF PUNISHMENT, A REMARKABLE DIFFERENCE CAN BE FOUND REGARDING CONCORDANCE RATES BETWEEN MONOVULAR AND BIOVULAR SAME-SEXED TWINS. ALMOST ALL CONCORDANT MONOVULAR TWINS COMMIT A CRIME BEFORE THE AGE OF 25 AND REPEAT IT MANY TIMES, WHILE THE MAJORITY OF DISCORDANT MONOVULAR TWINS ARE EITHER FIRST OFFENDERS OR LATE STARTERS. THE COEXISTENCE OF EARLY RECIDIVISTS ON THE ONE HAND AND NONCRIMINALS ON THE OTHER IS AN EXCEPTIONAL OCCURRENCE WITH MONOVULAR TWINS; SUCH COEXISTENCE, HOWEVER, IS FOUND OFTEN IN BIOVULAR SETS. PAIRS OF CONCORDANT MONOVULAR TWINS RESEMBLE EACH OTHER CONSIDERABLY IN THEIR CRIMINAL LIFE CURVES, AND IRRESPECTIVE OF THEIR ZYGOSITY, ONLY ONCE-CONVICTED TWINS TEND TO COME FROM NONDEFECTIVE FAMILIES, WHILE CONCORDANT MONOVULAR EARLY RECIDIVISTS SEEM TO COME FROM FAMILIES WITH RECORDS OF CRIMINALITY. MANIFESTATIONS OF CRIME IN ONE PARTNER OF MONOVULAR TWINS CAN BE ACCELERATED OR RETARDED BY FAMILY ENVIRONMENT OR BRAIN INJURY, ALTHOUGH FOR THOSE WHO BEGIN CRIMINAL CAREERS LATER IN LIFE, ENVIRONMENT PLAYS A MORE IMPORTANT ROLE THAN HEREDITARY PREDISPOSITION. THE INFLUENCE OF FAMILY ENVIRONMENT IS MOST CONSPICUOUS IN MONOVULAR TWINS SEPARATED SOON AFTER THEY ARE BORN. STRIKING DIFFERENCES IN CRIMINALITY INITIALLY PREVAIL, BUT IN THE LONG RUN LATENT CRIMINAL TWINS FOLLOW THE CRIMINAL LIFE CURVE CHARTED EARLIER BY THEIR TWIN PARTNERS. TABULAR AND GRAPHIC DATA ARE PROVIDED. REFERENCES ARE FOOTNOTED. (KBL)