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An important question in contemporary bioethics concerns the role of genetic and neurobiological determinism in crime. What role do genes and the wiring of one’s brain play in criminal action?
A new study from researchers in the Netherlands offers a first-person perspective on the question. The researchers visited a juvenile detention facility in the country’s south, and asked offenders themselves what they thought. The answers were revealing.
Most of the participants said that they were ‘in control’ when committing their crimes – they had the phenomenal experience of being able to say ‘no’:
“One always can say no, do you understand?”, said one participant.
Another remarked, “you always make the choice yourself. Therefore it is always your own guilt”.
One respondent even discussed the ability of those with inherited ‘criminal’ genes to go and seek help:
“At the moment that you know that you have inherited it [criminal behaviour, DH], you can go and seek help for it. Then you can make that choice, if you know that you have inherited it and you do not want that yourself, then...
A new study from researchers in the Netherlands offers a first-person perspective on the question. The researchers visited a juvenile detention facility in the country’s south, and asked offenders themselves what they thought. The answers were revealing.
Most of the participants said that they were ‘in control’ when committing their crimes – they had the phenomenal experience of being able to say ‘no’:
“One always can say no, do you understand?”, said one participant.
Another remarked, “you always make the choice yourself. Therefore it is always your own guilt”.
One respondent even discussed the ability of those with inherited ‘criminal’ genes to go and seek help:
“At the moment that you know that you have inherited it [criminal behaviour, DH], you can go and seek help for it. Then you can make that choice, if you know that you have inherited it and you do not want that yourself, then...