To what extent are we responsible for our actions? Civilizations over thousands of years have struggled with this question while formulating their laws and moral standards. In general, it has been assumed that if you have poor impulse control, that is your problem to solve, and therefore it is the action of a responsible society to put you in prison or execute you if you are aggressive and unable to integrate socially.
The more we learn about the human brain, though, the more evidence we are gathering that indicates that how we behave relies greatly upon the development and health of that piece of gray matter between our ears. Poor impulse control appears now to be less a conscious decision, and more a result of irregularities in the formation of the brain. In particular, lead exposure has been shown to cripple the prefrontal cortex of growing children, resulting in a permanent loss of volume in that area of the brain. The prefrontal cortex is directly involved with executive function and, you guessed it, impulse control. Kids - in particular, boys - who are exposed to lead grow up to be, on average, much more aggressive.
Researchers have been puzzling for years over the precipitous drop in the U.S. murder rate over the past few decades. Can it be that phasing out leaded gas and paint has helped our young men avoid becoming aggressive? There are many other factors to consider as well, but I think the most important point is this: in our effort to create a civil society, an ounce of prevention is worth several tons of cure.
Read more here: The Crime of Lead Exposure via Wired.com
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