Historical Approach

• What is the atavistic form

  A biological approach suggesting criminals are a primitive sub-species, identifiable by a particular facial and cranial features
• Examples of cranial features

  • narrow, sloping brows
  • strong prominent jaw
  • high cheekbones
  • facial asymmetry
• example of atavistic facial features

  • bloodshot eyes, curly hair, long ears (murderer)
  • glinting eyes, swollen fleshy lips, projecting ears (sexual deviant)
  • thin and ‘reedy’ lips (fraudsters)
  • extra toes, nipples or fingers
  • dark skin
• what was Lombroso’s research supporting the historical approach of criminality and delinquency

  “L’uomo delinquente”. The Criminal Man

  • examined facial and cranial features of 100s Italian convicts
  • 3839 alive, 383 dead
• What did Lombroso conclude from his research

  • 40% of criminal acts can be accounted fro by atavistic characteristics
  • suggested criminals are biologically different and resemble primitive humans
• Scientific value of Lombroso’s research

  • pioneer of criminology and forensic psychology
  • empirical methods
  • foundation for modern, evidence based approaches
• Why is Lombroso’s work now discredited

  • flawed methodology
  • biased samples
  • ethical concerns
  • cautionary example of the dangers of reductionism and pseudoscience
• key criticism of historical approach - racial biases

  DeLisi: atavistic features are more likely to be found among people of african decent
• how does Charles Goring’s research contradict the historical approach

  • 6000 sample (1/2 offenders, 1/2 non-offenders)
  • no evidence that there was a distinct group with unusual facial and cranial features
• other ways of distinguishing criminals in the historical approach

  Somatotypes - Ernst Kretschmer (1921)
• what are the 4 criminal somatotypes

  1. Leptosome or asthentic: tall & thin (petty thieves)
  2. Athletic: tall & muscular (violent crimes)
  3. Pyknic: short & fat (deception crimes & violence)
  4. Dysplastic or mixed: more than one type (crimes against morality e.g. prostitution)
• AO3- what could Lombroso’s theory be supporting

  Eugenics

  he suggests that criminals are ‘born’ and so this is an inherited trait so in society if we want to reduce crime then theories of genetic superiority could call for policies in which whole groups of people should be eliminated from the gene pool