Biological theories

• what is a biological theory of crime

  Biological theories emphasise internal inherited traits as the most important factors that cause crime
• What are two things biological theories have in common

  Innate aspects from birth determine behaviour (Hormones)

  There is a different genetic makeup between criminals and non criminals
• who was lombroso

  The father of criminology
• What were Lombroso’s conclusions?

  Criminal behaviour is determined by biological factors and criminals are physiologically different to non-criminals

  Idea that criminals have physical defining features such as looking atavistic
• What are some criticisms of Lombroso?

  • largely ignored social contexts such as environmental factors
  • lack of a control group- assumptions made of non criminals, unrepresentative
  • deterministic- crime out of an individuals control
  • stigmatisation of criminals as sick and needing a cure
  • recent studies have discredited it
• What are eugenics?

  The practice or advocacy of improving the human species by selectively mating people with specific, desirable and hereditary traits
• What does eugenics aim to do?

  Aims to reduce human suffering by ‘breeding out’ disease, disabilities and so-called undesirable characteristics from the human population
• What did Sheldon believe (physiological theory)

  Criminals are physically different from non-criminals
• what are stoma types?

  idea that the underlying physique is not changed by overeating or training and you body type indicates whether you are criminal or not
• What are some problems with Sheldon’s theory?

  the conclusions are correlational and not causational

  other factors are likely to be involved e.g. age, gender, wider culture
• evaluation of physiological effects on crime- positives

  • scientific- measurements of criminals using quantitive data for the first time rather than using religious and moral reasons
  • medical- a link to medical reasons for crime, criminal behaviours beyond one’s control
  • treatment- born criminals can be cured through treatment
  • somewhat reliable- mesomorphic body types are still criminal investigations recently studies
• evaluation of physiological theories on crime (negatives)

  • out of date research- vey arbitrary and crude way of measuring an categorising offenders
  • lacking objectivity- conducted in a time of overt racism
  • correlational problems- criminal lifestyles might have caused body shape and type rather than being born that way
  • environmental problems-other factors of body and physical features are ignored e.g. working class labourers have a particular body shape due to their job
• What is a genetic theory of crime?

  The idea that inherited traits are the most important factors that cause crime
• What’s are the female and male chromosomes?

  Male= XY

  Female= XX
• how many chromosomes are there in the human body?

  46 chromosomes divided into 23 pairs
• what is the use of chromosomes?

  to pass on genetic information to offspring
• what is Jacob’s syndrome

  It occurs when when there is variation in the chromosome- it becomes XYY and is the most commonly related to criminal behaviour
• what are signs of Jacob’s syndrome XYY

  increase in aggression when at a young age, slower learning speed, higher than average height
• What is a social policy?

  Government actions that affect the well-being of society.
• What did James Fallon do?

  He isolated the MAOA gene which is linked to criminal tendencies , more recent genetic studies have looked at the individual locus of genes
• who was Phineas Gage and what happened to him

  • was involved on an accident while working for a railroad company which involved a 43 inch long tamping iron being shot through his skull and brain
  • he had physically healed after 10 weeks but his personality had changed due to damage both hemispheres of his frontal lobe, this furthered scientists research into the correlation with emotions and behaviour due to the change in personality Gage experienced
• Who was Raine (1997)

  Adrian Raine was a criminologist who studied Britain activity of convicted murderers
• What did Raine do?

  He studied abnormal brainwave activity measured using an EEG.

  He used Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans to measure brainwave activity and scanned the brain activity in convicted murderers in comparison to a control group- the experiment included 41 American prisoners that were tested and then matched with 41 normal people
• What did Lombroso assume?

  • criminals can be cognised via distinguishable physical features and characteristics
  • Brain blemishes indicate biological inferiority and therefore criminal
• what did Lombroso do?

  He developed tools which were used to precisely measure different body parts to uncover whether they were criminal or not

  He spent years measuring and recording details of the heads and faces of thousands of prisoners
• What did Lombroso find?

  He suggested there was a distinct biological class of people were prone to criminality
• What did Lombroso conclude?

  Concluded that criminals had atavistic features and that physical features, in particular the face, can help identify whether a person is criminal
• What are strengths to Lombroso’s theory for criminality?

  he started research in a scientific context for criminality which paved the way for future criminologists to research into the topic

  His focus on physical trait sparked future curiosity into the biological and genetic factors that may contribute to criminality

  He moved away from a sociological outlook and focused on biological factors
• What are weaknesses for Lombroso’s theory?

  • He did not use a control group
  • it is deterministic
  • Largely ignored social contexts and that the prescience of environmental factors may be the cause for physical appearance
  • He was accused of scientific racism
• What are features of a murderer?

  Cold, glassy stares, bloodshot eyes
• What are features of a thief

  Expressive face, manual dexterity, flattened nose
• Features of sex offenders?

  Thick lips and protruding ears
• Features of women offenders:

  Shorter, more wrinkled, darker hair, smaller skulls than normal women
• What did Sheldon theorise?

  Criminals are physically different to non criminals

  Certainly body types/ ‘Somatypes’ are linked to criminal behaviour
• What are somatypes?


  Idea that the underlying physique won’t be changed from over training or over eating
• Describe endomorphs physical appearance and personality

  • rounded, soft and tending to fat, lack of muscle or tone, wide hips
  • Personality is sociable, relaxed, comfortable and outgoing
• Describe ectomorphs and their personality

  • thin and fragile, lacking both fat and muscle flat chested, narrow hips, thin face
  • personality is self conscious, fragile, inward looking, emotionally restrained and thoughtful
• Describe mesomorphs and their personality

  • muscular and hard bodied, very little fat and strong limbs broad shoulders and a narrow waist
  • personality is adventurous, sensation seeking, assertive, domineering and they enjoy physical activity
• according to Sheldon which somatype is most likely to be criminal?

  Mesomorphs are most likely to engage in crime as they are attracted by the risk taking factor
• What did Sheldon do/study?

  Sheldon studied 400 boys in a residential rehabilitation one, gathered data or family backgrounds and monitored their growth for 8 years