Sex differences in the causes of self-reported adolescent delinquency.
Sex differences in the causes of self-reported adolescent delinquency were examined in full and half siblings born to a nationally representative sample of women in the United States. Qualitative sex differences in the genes that influence delinquency were not detected. Similarly, the proportions of variance in both aggressive and nonaggressive delinquency attributable to genetic and environmental influences did not differ significantly between girls and boys. Nonetheless, total variance in delinquency was greater among boys, and a scalar sex-differences model suggested that genetic and environmental influences on delinquency have less effect on population variation in delinquency among girls. Similarly, a test of the polygenic multiple threshold model suggested that girls require greater causal liability for the expression of delinquency than boys.
Van Hulle
Carol A
CA
Department of Health Studies, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
Rodgers
Joseph L
JL
D'Onofrio
Brian M
BM
Waldman
Irwin D
ID
Lahey
Benjamin B
BB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007604:Juvenile Delinquency / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008957:Models, Genetic; D020412:Multifactorial Inheritance / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D012307:Risk Factors; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012737:Sex Factors; D035781:Siblings / Q000523:psychology; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States