Passage 2 In the 1960s, Jacobs suggested a strong genetic component in criminal behavior. On the other hand, the psychologist Bowlby argued that criminal behavior is caused by upbringing rather than genetics and noted that a significant number of criminals grew up in families where they experienced abuse or a lack of emotional warmth. More recently, Wilson and Hernstein suggested that a person is more likely to commit a crime if they have genes that predispose them towards criminality as well as facing additional stressors such as childhood abuse or substance misuse in adulthood. Although genes may predispose people towards crime, this is not a cause. As many criminals have experienced abuse and childhood neglect, it is fairer to argue that crime is the result of environment rather than genes, and that criminals are “made” rather than “born”.