maxbemisisgod

Hi Professor Raine. First I would just like to thank you. I was in your Fall 2012 Biosocial Criminology class, and it was one of the best college experiences of my freshman year. I knew next to nothing about criminology beforehand, so I just took the class on a whim, and it changed my entire outlook on crime and showed me just how complex it is, all the way down to the molecular level. This is work that I am confident will change (in a very positive way) how crime and criminals are treated as long as research continues and people pay close attention with open minds. I can’t stress enough how important I think your work is. So much so that now I am seriously considering entering the field myself. I’m sure I speak for all your students when I say THANK YOU for an incredible, stimulating, and unforgettable class.

My question: What is your personal response to critics of your work who may believe your research is harmful in that it may just set up people, young children in particular, as "risks" or "future criminals" instead of just complex human beings? I'm sure many fear that future knowledge can be used to segregate children based on their predisposition to crime, or even be used as an excuse to start medicating them at a young age, and the effect this would have could be extraordinarily damaging. What are your feelings on how this research can be used responsibly?

Thank you for your thoughtful answer! I'm of the same mindset - I would want to know if there were any signs to look out for in my child, while at the same time making sure he is comfortable and never feels like he is being singled out or has done something wrong. There is a fine balance, and I think that balance can be achieved through education and an emphasis on help and nurturing, not punishment for future actions.

Yeah the chimps thing is so fucked up beyond belief, I don't get why I don't see more people talking about it. That's essentially like keeping 5 year old children locked up with no socialization their entire lives.

I don't even see how Doc is that much worse than Joe, considering that Joe happily plied straight (or "bi-flexible" whatever you want to call them) dudes with drugs to keep them complacent, and was regularly cruel to his entire staff. Just because he wasn't explicitly trying to sleep with ALL of them doesn't make him that much better in my eyes.