Skip to content
Solved Assignments

CJA/314 Biological Criminal Behavior

Analysis of biological factors influencing criminal behavior.

Preview 3 of 8 pages

See the first 3 pages exactly as they appear in the document.

  1. Page 1
    Read page 1 as text

    Running head: Biological Criminal Behavior 1 Biological Criminal Behavior Amber Wigtion, Nikka Filippi, Bridget Wood, Daniel Landreneau, Jamal Polite January 15, 2014 CJA/314 Gary Howard In your analysis of Andrea Yates' case, how do you think biological and environmental factors contributed to her criminal behavior, particularly in relation to mental illness, genetics, and her upbringing? Support your answer with specific references to the research and case details provided. Word count requirement: 750 - 1000 words

  2. Page 2
  3. Page 3
    Read page 3 as text

    Biological Criminal Behavior 2 Biological Criminal Behavior Crimes happen every day and everywhere by many different type s of people. Research has been proven that genes can influence criminal behavior. Biology is confirmed to play a big role in an individual’s criminality behavior by genetic evidence. Some believe that desire to commit crimes may be inherited and that criminal inclinations are genetically based. Research has been done extensively to discover evidence that would support this claim that has been made by intellectuals. Criminal deeds have always been a motivation due to the debate of nature and nurture. Studies have been done in regards to this debate that has resulted in a conclusion that both genes and environment do play apart in the criminality of a person. Genes do not cause behavior, but they affect tendencies to behave in certain ways (Nurnberger, Aug 10, 2006, para. 3). Research states that crime can be collaborated between the atmosphere and genes. The human behavioral system is neither environmentally or genetically determined, but does have potentials that come through interaction of the environment and genes (Owen, pg.87). Biology was an important factor in the case of Andrea Yates. Mental illness ran strongly in Andrea Yate’s immediate family. She had two siblings who suffered from postpartum depression and a brother who was diagnosed with bipolar. Andrea was diagnosed with postpartum psychosis after her first child was born. This caused Andrea to experience hallucinations of stabbings (McLellan, 2006). Things got worse for her after the births of her next three children, which took place one right after the other. Resulting from her children being born at a rapid pace her hormone levels remained imbalanced, . Mix the imbalanced hormone levels with the refusal of taking her prescribed medication and mental disorders, disaster was about to happen.

5 more pages in the full document

Unlock it once and it stays in your library, ready to chat with or turn into flashcards.

Unlock the full document

More Criminal Justice study materials

See all

Study this document with CramX

Once it is in your library, every tool can work from it.