Crime and the Family

Although there has been a great deal of speculation about the relationship of crime and the family, the nature of that relationship is not well understood. After tracing the origins of the theory that crime can be genetically transmitted from parents to children, I go on to critique current biological theories of crime. Next I discuss work emerging from several disciplines that helps explain the environmental influence of families on crime. Arguing that familial influences cannot be understood apart from the structural context in which families exist, I focus on two structural factors, gender and social class. I conclude with a discussion of the policy implications of current research and with recommendations for steps we can take to reduce familial contributions to criminal behavior.