Like father like son. Being a sex offender linked to genetics
A new study has found that male relatives of sex offenders are more likely to commit similar crimes, apples and trees and all that…
The study, which was done in Sweden, concluded that brothers of men convicted of sexual crimes are five times more likely to also commit such crimes and that their sons are 40% more likely to do so.
Now, before we start testing folks all willy nilly, Professor Niklas Långström of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and key contributor to the study emphasises that there is no one gene that’ll tell us you’re a perv. The research points to a grouping of specific genes that indicate perviness.
The research used 21 566 men convicted of sexual offences in Sweden between 1973 and 2009, looking at family ties. Professor Långström and his colleagues’ report also clearly shows that genetic factors, not environmental factors have the overwhelming influence on whether or not a man commits a sexual offence.
Basically, 40% of the perviness comes from your dad and only around 2% can be attributed to whether or not you were too short to ride the Cobra with the other boys.
The information in this study has the potential to identify individuals who might pose a risk to society and treat them before they actually commit a crime…. It’s unlikely South Africa would be able to apply these findings as things stand right now, what with our laboratories in the shambles they are.
