A study found that antisocial people could have smaller areas of the brain. It said criminals' brains had a different structure to the brains of non-criminals. Researchers looked at records of 672 people aged between seven and 26. At the age of 45, the researchers scanned their brains. Eighty of them were antisocial from their early teens. The areas of their brain that were linked to emotions, motivation and behaviour control were smaller in these people.
The research could help doctors understand long-term antisocial behaviour. Antisocial people may behave badly because of their brain structure. A researcher said: "They are operating under some disability at the level of the brain." She added that we needed to be kinder to these people. Another researcher said: "Differences in brain structure...may prevent them from engaging in antisocial behaviour. These people could benefit from more support."