Handedness, criminality, and sexual offending

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Criminology
• Psychology

Background:

• Nonright-handedness (NRH) prevalence varies across populations.
• Previous research suggests potential links between NRH and certain behavioral traits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence of nonright-handedness (NRH) in men with a history of criminality and/or sexual offending.
• To explore potential mediating factors, such as educational difficulties, in the relationship between NRH and offending behaviors.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a large database (N>8000) from Kinsey Institute interviews.
• Comparison of NRH rates between offender groups (general and sexual) and a control (nonoffender) sample.
• Examination of the relationship between handedness, offending, and educational attainment.

Main Results:

• Significantly higher rates of NRH were observed in both general offenders and a subsample of sex offenders compared to controls.
• Educational difficulties were associated with the general criminality/NRH relationship.
• Handedness and pedophilia were unrelated to educational attainment, suggesting distinct underlying mechanisms.

Conclusions:

• Men with a history of general criminality or sexual offending exhibit a higher incidence of nonright-handedness.
• The relationship between general criminality and NRH may be partly explained by educational difficulties.
• Distinct mechanisms may underlie the association between NRH and general criminality versus pedophilia.
• Nonright-handedness should not be used as a definitive marker for criminality due to small effect sizes.