Australia’s contemporary social landscape consists of a whirlpool of new ideas and groups that have always been thought to reflect modern thought and principles. Amongst these rapidly emerging sociological trends are the bikie and gang subcultures, characterized within the mainstream community by violence, criminal behaviour and the use of weapons. For years, individuals involved in these categories have been thought to be the result of aggressive environments and other ambiguous sociological factors. However, recent studies conducted by the Florida State University reveal that certain variation of a specific gene, known as Monoamine Oxidase A, plays a significant role in the instigation of antisocial and violent behaviour in men. Functioning in relation to vital neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin which affect behaviour and emotional disposition, the risk allele is hereditary and found more commonly in men from cultures that glorify warfare and aggression. These variants have been used to predict the probability of individual’s pursuing gang membership, and can further distinguish more sadistic members from those less likely to be exceedingly violent. The monoamine Oxidase A gene is located on the X-chromosome. Thus, men possess only one copy of this gene while women possess two copies. Because the risk allele is recessive, women who possess the variant gene almost always possess another unmodified gene which compensates for it. However, for males, who possess only one X-chromosome and one Y-chromosome, the variant gene is not able to be offset. Therefore, the monoamine Oxidase A effect has been detected only negligibly in women. This may also be an indication of why men, for the most part, are considered more aggressive and likely to engage in weaponry than their counterparts.
