, but I don't believe that these traits get the chance to surface without being affected by external environmental factors. I feel that just as alcoholism, intelligence levels, and sense of humor are hereditary, so are violent tendencies, and conscience levels. However, I believe that even if a child is born with these tendencies, they aren't likely to display them unless outside factors (i.e. peer group, family life) influence them. For example, if a child is raised in an abusive household or regularly associates with people who display these behaviors, these factors will trigger the repressed traits to surface, while if the child had been raised in a stabile, nurturing environment, they might not have. On the other hand, I don't believe that simply being raised in a destructive environment will cause somebody to behave immorally; this is where the necessity for the biological aspect comes in. There are thousands of people who are abused as children, or associate with the "bad crowd", yet it does not cause them to behave in the same manner.

             Kohlberg's Theory of Cognitive Stages (1969) says that there are five stages in the development of moral reasoning, and that the relationship of this theory to delinquent behaviour lies primarily in the distinction between stages two and three. Stage two is described as children who have a naive awareness of others' needs and define right as those actions that satisfy one's personal needs and sometimes the needs of others, while stage three children define right as those actions that meet the expectations of significant others. In 1987, Gibbs noted that stage two individuals are more likely to commit law violations because their thinking is egocentric and pragmatic, weighing the advantages and disadvantages of their actions. Stage three individuals on the other hand, appreciate the perspectives and feelings of others, and do not want to "disappoint" their friends and family.