ABSTRACT
This chapter examines whether adolescent and adult criminal behavior is partly determined by factors already in place at the time of birth. We review the research on genetic influence and find evidence of hereditary transmission of criminal behavior, but only for property offending. We also consider the research on prenatal and perinatal factors and find evidence that these factors predict criminal behavior, but only for violent offending. In short, this chapter suggests that biological predispositions for criminal behavior do exist and that they take a different form for property and violent offending.
