bio explanations

• atavistic forms is a biological explanation of offending proposed by lombroso
• atavistic form is a historical approach as it is from the 1870s and is not used in modern society

  it underpins darwin’s evolutionary theory as it suggests that we have reverted back to our ancestral characteristics
• lombroso was the first person to scientifically look at criminals as he is known as the ‘father of criminology’, leading further research in forensic psychology
• atavistic means reversion to ancestrial characteristics
• lombroso believed that criminal tendencies were innate and that offenders lacked evolutionary development, meaning that their untamed nature made them turn to crime as they couldn’t comply with the demands of society
• offender subtype could be depicted from particular physical characteristics and these are atavistic forms
• examples of atavistic forms:

  • asymmetry of the face
  • eye defects
  • curly hair
  • dark skin
  • prominent jaw
• lombroso looked at 383 convicted dead italian criminals and found that 40% of criminal acts were committed by people with atavistic characteristics
• murderers were described to have curly hair, long ears, bloodshot eyes
• sex offenders were described to have big lips, projecting ears
• atavistic forms AO3: scientifically racist

  socially sensitive - implies they are criminals

  many of the atavistic features are found to be among people of african descent

  supports the use of eugenics - reduced rate of sexual reproduction for people with undesired traits
• atavistic forms AO3: contradicting evidence

  goring (1913) - 3000 criminals and 3000 non criminals and couldn’t find a pattern

  challenges the idea that criminals can be physically distinguished from the rest of the population and that offenders are a subspecies

  did suggest that offenders had lower average intelligence
• atavistic form AO3: nature or nurture

  raises question whether criminals are born or made

  lombroso’s work suggests that it has a biological cause, however facial and cranial differences may be influenced by other factors, such as poverty, poor diet
• atavistic form AO3: poor control

  lombroso had no control group to compare to like goring

  does not meet modern scientific standards
• antisocial personality disorder is associated with reduced emotional responses, and a lack of empathy for others
• raine: people with antisocial personalities have reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex

  less than 11% in grey matter