Behavioral Genetics Essay

The Use of Behavioral Genetics in the Justice System

Introduction

A complex and relatively new field of study, behavioral genetics is particularly interesting because is sheds light on the inner workings of a favorite subject: ourselves. Human behavioral genetics is broadly defined as the examination and characterization of genes as a basis for human behavior. The link between genetics and behavior was first recognized by Sir Francis Galton, a 19th century scientist and cousin of the very famous Charles Darwin, who studied the heritability of mental abilities of close relatives and family members (Stigler, 2010). Since then, genetics has been linked to many more behavioral phenotypes from eating and mating activities to substance abuse, social attitudes, violence and mental abilities. Geneticists are able to study this by analyzing parallels in physical and behavioral characteristics of families and populations (Rothstein, 2005). However, as with many other new scientific fields, the study of behavioral genetics and its implications has been the subject of increasing scrutiny and controversy. While there are no conclusive findings as of yet, applications for this genetic information are likely to appear in areas such as education, employment, insurance, and criminal justice. With the findings of this genetic research having the ability to influence such expansive and important fields in our society, many people are concerned with the ethical, legal and social implications behavioral genetics raises. Who will be allowed access to such information, and for what purpose? There is a delicate line between what information could be vastly useful in our society, versus information that could be used in discriminatory and harmful fashion...

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...specific genes by examining DNA (NCB). This is often difficult because there are many genes involved as well as environmental factors, that affect the phenotypic behavior exhibited. Associations between a genetic variant and a behavioral trait have been found, but have not been successfully repeated by other researchers (NCB). Both linkage and association studies are used when studying behavior, but because linkage studies are less applicable (because behavioral traits don’t segregate in a simple dominant and recessive manner), association studies are more commonly used. According to the Nuffield Council of Bioethics, association studies “compare the frequency of a particular genetic variant in a cohort case (a group of people with a particular behavioral characteristic) with a matched set of controls ( a similar group of people not displaying the characteristic).”