The androgen receptor gene and criminal offending: Evidence derived from international data

Abstract

Beginning early in fetal development, the androgen receptor (AR) gene helps regulate bodily exposure to testosterone. Most studies of individuals have found an inverse correlation between the number of CAG repeats on this gene and serious forms of physical aggression. This two-phased study was primarily undertaken to determine if a link between AR CAGn and physical aggression also exists at an ecological level of analysis. To make this assessment, we first conducted a bivariate analysis of the average number of AR CAG repeats for a large number of countries and the rates of crime victimization in those same countries. Except for motor vehicle theft, as the national average number of CAG repeats increased, crime victimization rates decreased. This inverse relationship was especially strong for violent offenses. In the second phase of this study, we sought to determine if per capita gross domestic product, pathogen prevalence, and average intelligence might be mediating some of the AR CAG repeats-criminality relationship. Mediation analysis analysis indicated that, once gross domestic product and pathogenic prevalence were controlled, average intelligence was able to eliminate most of the links between CAG repeats and crime victimization rates, especially in the case of violent offenses. These findings suggest that the AR gene is not influencing criminality primarily by altering testosterone brain exposure (as we suspected). Instead, it may affect criminality mainly by affecting cognitive ability. In fact, once average national intelligence is included in the mediation analysis model, direct relationships between CAG repeats and measures of homicide, assault, and robbery were no longer statistically significant. Findings from this two-phased study point toward the AR gene as having multiple effects on brain functioning, particularly regarding intellectual development as hypothesized by Manning [62]. Replication is obviously needed.