truth, we are only studying genetic variation, not genetic “risk”, and though an allele may be associated with a deleterious outcome, for example substance use, it may be conferring risk via a mechanism such as sensation-seeking, which is in itself not problematic per se. Most prevention scientists have extensive training in psychology and development; accordingly, theories about behavior change stem from this deep scholarship. However, most prevention scientists do not have nearly the depth of training in molecular biology, which makes theory-driven selection of candidate genes for study more challenging and potentially problematic.
