[Shasown]

Traits that predict anti-social behaviour and criminality can already be seen in the brains of children as young as six months, said psychologist Dr Adrian Raine.

One was a particular abnormality affecting the brain's "emotional centre", the limbic system. It showed up in six month-old babies who as adults committed more crimes and displayed more signs of psychopathy and anti-social behaviour than unaffected individuals.

Three-year-olds with a poorly functioning amygdala, a key part of the limbic system, were also more likely to commit crime 20 years later, said Dr Raine, a former Home Office scientist now at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

Speaking at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC, he said: "Seeds of sin are sown quite early in life. The time is going to come when we are going to be able to predict reasonably well which individuals at a modest age say eight to 10 years old are predicated to become criminal offenders.

"The point is going to come when we have to decide; are we going to intervene at an early age even though the prediction will never ever be perfect and we'll always make mistakes."

Research presented by another scientist at the meeting showed that genetics played an important role in the emergence of "callous-unemotional" (CU) traits in young children, especially boys.

Dr Nathalie Fontaine, from Indiana University in the US, looked at data on more than 9,000 twins born in England and Wales who were assessed between the ages of four and 12. CU traits are associated with a lack of emotion, empathy and guilt and linked to persistent bad behaviour in young children.

Dr Raine is now conducting three trials to see if Omega 3 supplements can improve the behaviour of aggressive children. Omega 3 is a fatty acid that helps to build brain cells. Previous studies have shown that giving it to prison inmates reduces serious offending by between 34% and 36%.

"Its very simple - bad brain, bad behaviour," said Dr Raine. "If there is a causal connection.. then the intervention has to be improve brain functioning and you will improve behaviour. That's what were attempting to do."

Have started dosing the youngest with Omega 3 just to be on the safe side.

[InOne]

Think you can sort of tell early on if there is something a "little different". But just goes back to that whole moral argument of labelling children.

[BB_Eye]

There is probably more to be said about the randomness of genes than many might care to admit, but I'm willing to bet very few, if any, psychopaths enjoyed a normal and/or safe upbringing. Evil is not created in a vacuum.

[Zippy]

well criminality is about man made rules so not sure the word should be used when talking about genetics.

A lot of bad behaviour(which is what we're really talking about) is about attention seeking or lack of self esteem. Plus no moral conscience. These are issues that can be addressed through good parenting. But then again you do see families that have one very badly behaved child and the other children are the opposite. So I guess there must be something about that childs genetics that make him different as they all, I would assume, had the same upbringing and influences.

If a simple supplement like Omega 3 can make somebody a better person then go for it.