XYY syndrome

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  • Created by: tomtom11
  • Created on: 31-10-16 19:57
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  • XYY syndrome
    • Issues and debates links
      • Reductionism
        • Fouses only on genes and their role with aggression
        • Underplays complicated relationship in genetics between environmental factors.
      • Psychology as a science
        • Used genetic testing to confirm data as objective.
        • Theory only really makes one link between XYY and ASB, thus meaning it's hard to establish cause and effect.
        • Thus, not that scientific
      • Gender
        • Only considers ale, and there is a lack of an explanation for female criminal behaviour
      • Nature/nurture
        • nature, as it is pre-determined by genetics.
        • Has social element due to the characteristics of the syndrome leading someone to be labelled at ASB which leads to SFP
      • Social Control
        • If it were found that XYY syndrome predicted criminal behaviour, testing and control in children's lives could increase.
    • Description
      • Male-exclusive
      • Abnormalities that often occur with the 23rd chromosome pair
        • XYY is one of these
          • occurs in 1/1000 males
      • Defining physical characteristics = growing taller and faster, slightly lower intelligence (still within normal range), behavioural problems, easily distracted.
      • Jacob et al (1965) suggested there was an over-representation of XYY men in prison populations due to aggressive behaviour.
        • Also that there are 15 XYY for every XY
          • Known as Jacob's syndrome
    • Weaknesses
      • Unlikely to know true extent of prevalence of XYY, as it's not practical to look at the genes of all offenders
        • requires skills staff + is intensive.
      • Doesn't account for female criminals
      • Witkin et al (1976) studies 4591 Danish men + found 12 cases of XYY (already unlikely)
        • difference not significant in terms of criminal behaviour when background variables were ontrolled
        • May be social reaction that cause criminals to flourish.
      • Stochholm et al (2012) studied 161 XYY and 934 XXY men aged 15-70.
        • Differences in crime rate between XXY/XYY people and controls were very low- some showed increase such as sexual abuse + aros
        • Raised risk of conviction was more likely to be down to socio-economic conditions that related to having other syndromes

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