Genetic and Environmental Overlap Between Aggressive and Non-Aggressive Antisocial Behavior in Children and Adolescents Using the Self-Report Delinquency Interview (SR-DI)

• NCJ Number: 243863
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 41 Issue: 5 Dated: September - October 2013 Pages: 277-284
• Author(s): Pan Wang; Sharon Niv; Catherine Tuvblad; Adrian Raine; Laura A. Baker
• Date Published: October 2013
• Length: 8 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical); Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined genetic and environmental similarities and differences between male and female twins over time regarding their non-aggressive antisocial behavior (truancy, lying, theft, and minor rule-breaking) and their aggressive anti-social behavior (violence toward others, vandalism, graffiti, and arson).

Abstract

The genetic effects examined were based in whether the twins were monozygotic (share 100 percent of their genes) or dizygotic (share only 50 percent of genes on average). The study found that the genetic effects of both types of antisocial behavior increased with age in males and decreased in females for non-aggressive anti-social behavior. Females' aggressive antisocial behavior changed in a U-shape, i.e., higher at the earlier and later assessment, but low in the middle. Shared environmental effects of males' and females' aggressive antisocial behavior, as well as females' non-aggressive antisocial behavior also showed quadratic change patterns that mirrored those for the genetic influence. In contrast, the common environmental effects remained relatively stable across the three waves for males' nonaggressive antisocial behavior. The authors advise, however, that these patterns should be interpreted with caution, since the findings of twin studies regarding the age-related change of the etiology of antisocial behavior have been inconsistent. The results of the current study - the first longitudinal study to examine the etiological differences between non-aggressive and aggressive antisocial behavior in children self-reports - reinforce the importance of differentiating between forms of antisocial behavior in future research, as well as considering separate effects in males and females. Exploring how their developmental pathways differ and how they differentially associate with autonomic and neuroendocrine functioning is a particularly important future direction for research. The study used a newly developed self-report questionnaire with established validity and reliability. 7 tables, 3 figures, and 31 references