The issue of criminal behavior has long been debated. A lot of research has been done but it cannot be said that only genes or circumstances push people to commit crimes. In my opinion both reasons are valid and a choice of a specific one depends on the offense himself.
Criminality as a hereditary trait isn’t a rare phenomenon. The most popular example is Yuri Chikatilo. He is a son of Andrey Chikatilo, the most notorious killer in the history of USSR. Andrey killed more than 43 people: especially women and children. His son Yuri saw all acts his father was doing, but wasn’t judging him and started doing criminal actions too. I believe that psychological traits and DNA played the main role in Yuri’s life and brought in offense world because he continued father’s fate.
Another most debated reasons of criminal behavior are circumstances. There are a lot of examples of offender’s actions caused by peers’ pressure or exposure to violence. The most loud of them is Pavel Shuvalov or “killer from Dybenko”. His traumatized childhood was always marked by bullying from peers. Tights became a strange object of humilitation. Children put them on his head and laughed at little Shuvalov. Also, I need to mention Pavel’s father, who was an alcoholic. From anger he often beaten wife and little son. As a result, tights and alcohol became Pavel Shuvalov’s calling card. When he killed people: especially girls and women, he always got drunk. When alcohol made him braver, he forced the victim to put on tights, which he brought with him. This is how all the murders took place. This example is showing how peers’ pressure and violence can create in a person the desire to kill.
It is evident that different people have different opinion about this topic but we need to remember that no one reason can justify such terrible actions such as a criminal behavior.