When criminologists first recognised the significance of the family, a number of criminologists disputed that the delinquent peer had any control, had little or no power on encouraging participation in crime (Hirschi, 1969). The case of having a relationship with delinquent peers and being entangled in crime was said to be a case of 'birds of a feather flocking together'.

Further indication of a genetic inclination toward involvement in crime, has been found from studies investigating twins or non-twins, who have been adopted by different families when they were first born, or soon after their birth. Twin studies mostly found that both members of identical twin pairs are more prone to be involved in crime, than those siblings who are not twins. The outcomes of many different adoption investigations have also discovered that there is more of a comparison in the criminal behaviour of sons and their natural fathers than between sons and their adoptive fathers (Brennan, et al, 1995).

In the 1970s it was discovered that some men had an extra Y (XYY) in their chromosome make up, there were suggestions that men with the extra Y chromosome could be extremely violent. Academic critiques of this evidence at the time would not support this idea though (Brennan, et al, 1995). This started a heated debate within the field of psychology, though no difference between those men with the extra Y chromosome was found in association to arrests for violent crime (Brennan, et al, 1995). This factor then has little bearing to the understanding of the ‘cause’ of crime.

Some topics in this essay:
Oxford Dictionary, Stevenson Forsythe, Glueck Glueck, Hirschi Hindelang, Loeber Stouthamer-Loeber, Thornberry Farnworth, , Boynum Kleiman, Dobinson Ward, Gottfredson Hirschi, involvement crime, involved crime, et al, engagement crime, poverty unemployment, delinquent peers, illicit drug, juvenile involvement crime, poor school, hindelang 1977, school performance, hirschi hindelang 1977, illicit drug taking, brennan et al, et al 1995,