ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the biosocial research on families—research that points to the importance of parenting for some children, the limits of parenting for others, and the absence of influences parenting has on some youth. A biosocial understanding of families involves accepting that children and parents share DNA, that the traits and behaviors of parents and children are partially shaped by their DNA, that socialization occurs within a context of genetically established limitations, and that siblings are often very different from each other because of genetic dissimilarity. The assumption of “parental hierarchy” assumes that parental socialization is a unidirectional, top-down effort that produces various outcomes in offspring. Data from across the world shows that the majority of all crimes are committed by a small proportion of individuals, and those individuals are often concentrated in relatively few families. Serious and persistent offenders display behavioral problems very early in the life-course, and findings indicate that antisocial behavior is highly time- and situation-stable.
