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P E R S P E C T I V E S
N E U R O S C I E N C E A N D T H E L AW S C I E N C E A N D S O C I E T Y
Neurocriminology: implications for the punishment, prediction and prevention of criminal behaviour
Andrea L.Glenn and Adrian Raine
Abstract | Criminal behaviour and violence are increasingly viewed as worldwide public health problems. A growing body of knowledge shows that criminal behaviour has a neurobiological basis, and this has intensified judicial interest in the potential application of neuroscience to criminal law. It also gives rise to important questions. What are the implications of such application for predicting future criminal behaviour and protecting society? Can it be used to prevent violence? And what are the implications for the way offenders are punished?
Advances in neuroscience are increasing our understanding of how our biology influences our behaviour for both good and bad. The emerging field of neurocriminology seeks to apply techniques and principles from neuroscience to improve our understanding of crime, to predict crime and ultimatelyto prevent crime. Such an approach would have the potential economic and social benefits that are associated with violence reduction, but it also raises neuroethical concerns1.
In this Perspective article, we discuss the current state of research in neurocriminology. We provide an overview of the neuro-biological abnormalities that are associated with criminal behaviour and consider the genetic and environmental factors thatmay contribute to these abnormalities. We highlight studies conducted to date, manyof which suggest that biological factors may aid in the prediction of future crime and violence. We then discuss implications of this research in the legalsystem.
The current state of neurocriminology
There are now relatively extensive literatures that document relationships between antisocial behaviour and biological functioning. With some exceptions2, most studies are correlational and cross-sectional, and largely do not provide information on specific genetic or environmental factors that may mediate these relationships. However, an increasing number of prospective longitudinal studies are examining whether the presence of specific biological factors, such as hormone levels, neurotransmitter levels, physiological indices or brain impairments, is predictive of future offending. Because most studies
define antisocial behaviour and crime broadly,...