Table of contentsIntroductionEvolution of criminology: from sociology to genetic researchConclusionWorks citedIntroductionI chose to write my article on modern genetic research on crime and human behavior in relation to social, physical and environmental discoveries about humans. behavior and crime. I believe we must first understand what the field of genetic research was like and how it evolved into what it is today. I will briefly discuss the history and evolution of criminology, its researchers, and end with my conclusion based on the research I have reviewed. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essayEvolution of Criminology: From Sociology to Genetic ResearchThe beginnings of criminology were essentially sociology. All the theoretical discoveries of biology and psychology were missing. It has been studied by sociologists. One of the first people in history to study crime was Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909), an Italian sociologist working in the late 19th century who is often called "the father of criminology." Lombroso believed that physical abnormalities could show whether you were a criminal or not. He believed that oddly shaped skulls meant you had a lower IQ and would be prone to criminal behavior. Over time, others believed his theories to be false. Edwin H. Sutherland (1883-1950) was an American sociologist and criminologist, often called the "dean of criminology." Sutherland believed later in his career that criminal behavior was a learned trait, called social learning theory. He believed that “criminal behavior means learning the motivation, rationalization, attitudes, and techniques for committing crime” (Criminology, 1924). He believed that criminal behavior was learned through direct social contact, not through what one read or watched. Modern researchers still use in their work the results of the “Twin Studies”, studied by Karl O. Christiansen and Sarnoff Mednick. Christiansen and Mednick studied 3,586 pairs of twins. They found that 52% of identical twins and 22% of fraternal twins shared some criminality. They also noted that nonviolent crimes appeared to be genetic, but violent crimes appeared to be influenced by the social environment, such as having a criminal parent. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in what we now call biosocial criminology. Biosocial criminology concerns the relationships between human behavior, genes, evolution, neurobiology, etc. There is a strong belief that criminalistic behavior is both genetic and environmental. Some believe that environmental stressors can cause otherwise dormant genes to react. This causes one to suffer, for example, depression and perhaps psychosis which could lead to criminal behavior. Robert Plomin is a psychologist and professor of behavioral genetics. He believes that genes make up 50% of us and the other 50% is made up of life experiences and interactions we have throughout our lives. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom EssayConclusionIn conclusion, I believe that modern genetic research shows that we may be genetically predisposed to criminal genes, but they seem exasperated by our environments.=1006855