Unraveling criminal psychology

When we think about crime, we often picture external influences like poverty, trauma, peer pressure. But what about what’s happening inside the brain itself? Neurobiology gives us a window into how brain structures and chemistry can shape behavior, sometimes tipping the balance toward criminality. Neurobiology doesn’t mean people are “born criminals.” Instead, it shows us that the brain’s wiring and chemistry can make some individuals more vulnerable to criminal behavior, especially when combined with environmental stressors. It’s another piece of the puzzle in the nature vs. nurture debate. Adrian Raine, a pioneer in neurocriminology, studied brain scans of violent offenders and found reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex compared to non-offenders. This suggests that biology can predispose someone to crime, but it doesn’t guarantee it. Environment still plays a huge role in whether those predispositions are expressed.

Some individuals may carry genetic traits that make them more prone to risk-taking, impulsivity, or aggression. Research on the MAOA gene and twin studies suggests that biology can tilt the scales toward certain behaviors. Genes don’t act alone though, they’re like the blueprint of a house, not the finished building.