Jeff Milder

Theories advocating a connection between genetics and crime are misguided, argues Jeff Milder in the following viewpoint. “Crime” is a cultural concept, not a biological entity, he contends, and therefore there is no gene responsible for creating crime. Furthermore, Milder maintains, environment plays an important role in determining whether or not a person will become a criminal. Milder is a freelance writer.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. What was the consensus of the Maryland conference on genetics and criminal behavior, in the author’s opinion?
2. To what theory can genetic determinism trace its roots, according to Milder?
3. How would the discovery of a “crime gene” affect society’s treatment of criminals, in Milder’s opinion"

In 1992, the Bush Administration began the Violence Initiative, a program intended to find genetic predispositions...