A dopamine gene (DRD2) distinguishes between offenders who have and have not been violently victimized

Int J Offender Ther Comp Criminol. 2011 Apr;55(2):251-67. doi: 10.1177/0306624X10361583. Epub 2010 Apr 21.

Abstract

Research has shown that offenders, on average, are more likely to be violently victimized than nonoffenders. However, a substantial percentage of offenders are not violently victimized. The current study uses data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate whether variants of a polymorphism in the dopamine D2 receptor gene (DRD2) distinguish between offenders who are violently victimized and offenders who are not violently victimized. The results show that offenders who are violently victimized are more likely to carry the DRD2 (A1) risk allele than offenders who have not been violently victimized.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Black or African American / genetics*
  • Crime Victims* / statistics & numerical data
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Genetics, Behavioral
  • Humans
  • Juvenile Delinquency / ethnology*
  • Juvenile Delinquency / statistics & numerical data
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Polymorphism, Genetic*
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / genetics*
  • United States
  • Violence / ethnology*
  • Violence / statistics & numerical data
  • White People / genetics*

Substances

  • Receptors, Dopamine D2