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SURVEY OF Y CHROMOSOME VARIANTS AND PERSONALITY IN 436 BORSTAL LADS AND 254 CONTROLS

NCJ Number
36244
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (JULY 1976) Pages: 233-244
Author(s)
J KAHN; F S REED; M BATES; T COATES; B EVERITT
Date Published
1976
Length
12 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER REPORTS ON SURVEY FINDINGS, COLLECTED OVER THREE YEARS (1969-1972), WITH REGARD TO TWO VARIANTS OF THE Y CHROMOSOME - LONG Y AND MARGINALLY LONG Y - AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO DELINQUENCY.
Abstract
LONG Y CHROMOSOMES WERE DEFINED AS THOSE EQUAL IN LENGTH TO OR LONGER THAN EACH OF THE F CHROMOSOMES. MARGINALLY LONG Y CHROMOSOMES WERE DEFINED AS THOSE WHERE IT WAS DIFFICULT TO DECIDE WHETHER THE Y CHROMOSOME WAS CONSISTENTLY LONG OR AVERAGE. MEDICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND OTHER HISTORIES WERE OBTAINED FROM OVER 200 BORSTAL LADS; MORE LIMITED DATA WAS AVAILABLE FOR A SIMILAR NUMBER OF CONTROLS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT 37 OF THE CONTROLS HAD COMMITTED OFFENSES BEFORE OR DURING THE SURVEY AND A CHI SQUARE TEST SUGGESTED THAT CARRIERS OF THE LONG Y VARIANT HAD A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF DELINQUENCY. A COMPARISON OF PERSONALITY TRAITS ETC. WITHIN THE BORSTAL SAMPLE SHOWED THAT LADS WITH A MARGINALLY LONG Y VARIANT DIFFERED IN MANY ASPECTS FROM THE REST OF THE SAMPLE. THE IMPLICATIONS OF THESE FINDINGS ARE DISCUSSED IN RELATION TO QUESTION OF HEREDITARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED.

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