The seeds of criminal and antisocial behaviour can be detected in children as young as three by using tests and brain imaging, a leading criminologist has claimed. At a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in Washington, Prof Adrian Raine, from the UK, described how useful these could be for identifying potential troublemakers. He even predicted that children could be screened for criminal tendencies just as they are currently screened for genetic diseases. 

Professor Raine has shown that criminals and psychopaths have smaller areas of the brain such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, both of which regulate and control emotion and behaviour. He also believes that a lack of conditioning to fear punishment, which can be observed in toddlers before they become disruptive, could also be strongly indicative. 

On the positive side, if potential criminals were identified early enough, doctors could prescribe counselling to counteract innate behavioural problems, and boost the brain with drugs or foods rich in Omega 3. He acknowledged the ethical problems of treating children before they had done anything wrong, but argues that “biological” causes of crime cannot be ignored. ~ London Telegraph, Feb 22