Killers are born not made

[rov1100]

On Panorama this week research has shown that killers have an extra gene that combined with other factors make them more likely to commit murder. The gene by itself it not wholly conclusive but needs bad a environmental situation to trigger the gene.

As this gene is present from birth a simple test could establish whether a baby could eventually turn out to be a killer.

With this in mind should a test be made on all infants to check for this gene and follow up procedures made?

[jackthehat]

Do you have a link?

[EvianBaby]

What do you do with the babies who are found to have this gene?

[Squitty]

Call 'em all C H U C K Y

http://t0.gstatic.com...zPpPPrqsGtTd3rZlV1jqw

[andy-hughes]

Sounds very 'Brave new World - a future vision where embryos are doctored to suit their future function in society.

[albaqwerty]

I watched this programme and was left wondering about the nature v nurture argument.

Lol squitty, very good.

[dave50]

A good idea. What is wrong with knowing the likelyhood of babies growing up to be killers? If it leads to a better society then thats good, surely.

[Snafu03]

just the lastest to jump on the 'not my fault' band-wagon. I suppose at least men now have a reason to get away with murder. Women have succesfully cited PMS in the past.

[rov1100]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/...Are_You_Good_or_Evil/

[LazyGun]

This probably stems from the recent Horizon documentary entitled good or evil, broadcast on Monday night. The jist of the documentary was that psychopathy could be screened for, using a combination of DNA screening ( looking for the Monoamine oxidase A enzyme, expressed when the MoA gene is switched on), the lack of activity in the hypothalamus region of the brain ( as determined by a PET scan), and a personal history of a severely abusive childhood.

All these traits were exhibited, to a greater or lesser extent, by some of the more infamous serial killers of our time apparently. It is one thing to posit a hypothesis however, quite another to prove it - and as the programme itself pointed out, one of the main researchers into this area, a world renowned authority, himself had the MoA gene and the MRI brain scan pattern suggestive of being a psychopath. It is also true to say that some of the worlds leading lights have a similar combination.

So one cannot simply screen for the gene and then arbitrarily label individuals positive for MoA as probable psychopaths - It is, as ever, more complicated than that.

[jackthehat]

No wonder I couldn't find it on Panorama......

[Squitty]

Even if the gene is present - how would you know whether the nurture aide of the argument would override the gene later in life?

[Squitty]

that would be 'side' then

[Frank97]

Is it only men that carry that gene? There didn't seem to be any mention of weather both sexes do or not.

[jackthehat]

Probably because there are more imprisoned male psychopathic killers for them to carry out the tests upon........

[LazyGun]

MoA is X-linked, so appears in both males and females. There are some studies demonstrating a possible link between the high activity MoA variants and severe depression in females, for instance.....

[Canary42]

Segregating a significant section of the population for special treatment because we believe they are potential murderers would seem to me likely to give them greater cause for a grudge against Society leading to a greater murder rate.

[jake-the-peg]

There is a great mytha about genes in the popular imagination.

People see them like a gene for blue eyes for example, if you have the gene you will have blue eyes.

Many genes aren't like that at all - cancer genes for example - just raise you probability of getting them.

You will almost certainly find almost all killers have this gene but so do millions of oher perfectly normal people

[jno]

I imagine you could just as easily detect if a baby is more likely to be a killer by noticing if it's male or mot.

[youngmafbog]

As the progam pointed out it was the gene, the scan pattern and some sort of abuse that linked to a killer. You need all 3, so very difficult to assess people for possibly being a killer

[didoatwork]

I wonder if there is a gene that makes you more gullible?