A genetic characteristic that interacts with childhood adversity has been found to predict higher rates of crime in an incarcerated sample, researchers report. The study is the first in a series that will examine contributions of genetic and environmental variations to criminal behavior. "These findings indicate that gene-by-environment interactions are important for understanding variation in crime amongst populations with high base rates of criminal activity," said the principal investigator of the study.

Source: Genes, adversity linked to crime in incarcerated sample