Low heritability for antisocial behavior among adolescents residing in low socioeconomic environments

• Socioeconomic status and contextual variables are often assumed to be of importance for the development of antisocial behavior (ASB), yet they explain only a fraction of the variance (M. Stouthamer-Loeber,et al.(2002).J. Consult. Clin. Psych.70:111–123; R. J. Sampson, et al.(1997).Science277: 918–924). An explanation to this paradox could be that socioeconomic status moderates the influences of genetic and environmental effects on ASB. The Twin study of CHild and Adolescent Development (TCHAD) is a Swedish longitudinal population-based study including 1,480 twin pairs born 1985–1986.The present study included 1139 of the twin pairs, aged 16–17 years. ASB was measured through self-report. Neighborhood socioeconomic status was assessed using five variables on aggregated level: ethnicity, educational level, occupational status, buying power, and neighbourhood crime rate. Family socioeconomic status was assessed by parental reported educational and occupational status. We used structural equation modeling to test whether socioeconomic status interacts with latent genetic and environmental effects of ASB. We found an interaction for girls between genetic influences and ethnicity; among girls living in a neighborhood with a mixed ethnic population, there was little evidence of genetic effects on ASB, whereas heritability was pronounced in areas with a high degree of ethnic Swedes. For boys, there was an interaction in parental reported occupational status; i.e. low familial occupational status resulted in less influence of genetic effects on ASB. The results suggest that adolescents residing in low socioeconomic environments are less sensitive to genetic influences for ASB.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Psychology

Psykologi

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