Biosocial longitudinal research into antisocial behavior.

This paper reviews all longitudinal studies of antisocial and criminal behavior which have employed both biological and social measures. Psychophysiological measures which are particularly important in the prediction of antisocial behavior include reduced frequency of skin conductance orienting responses, poorer skin conductance conditioning, and lower resting heart rate levels. Two general themes emerge from this review. Firstly, where antisociality is of a mild or non-violent form, biological factors predispose to antisociality when the individual has experienced a benign home background. Secondly, where violence or seriously recidivistic crime is concerned, biological factors predispose to such behavior in those who have experienced adverse early rearing conditions. It is argued that this difference between mild and severe antisociality is in part a result of the differential contributions of genetic and perinatal factors to these sub-types of crime.