Criminology

• The social learning theory proposes that individuals learn criminal behavior through observation and imitation of others.
• Social learning theory focuses on how criminal behavior is learned through observation and imitation of others.
• Theories of crime are used to explain why people commit crimes, while theories of criminal justice focus on the response to crime.
• Criminal behavior can be influenced by the media, peers, family members, and other role models.
• Ishikawa and Raine found a 44% concordance rate for identical twins but only 21.6% for non-identical twins
• If crime is inborn, as Lombroso claimed, then presumably it is passed down from parent to child
• Osborn and We found that sons of criminal fathers were much more likely to have a criminal record too
• Studies of identical twins have been used to test the theory of criminality as they share exactly the same genes
• What kinds of crimes do you think the public would associate them with and why?
• Lombroso's theory in physiological theories of criminality: 'born criminals'
• Biological theories of criminality focus on the idea that criminals are biologically different from non-criminals, leading them to commit crimes
• If the adoptee's behaviour in regard to criminality is more similar to their birth parents' behaviour, this would support a genetic explanation
• Lombroso saw criminals as atavistic individuals, throwbacks to an earlier stage of human evolution
• How far would you say mesomorphs fit the stereotype of what criminals are supposed to look like?
• What sorts of crimes might endomorphs or ectomorphs be stereotyped as committing?
• Genetic theories explain that family members who are blood relatives share many of the same genes, hence if one member has criminal genes, it is likely that his or her blood relatives will have them too
• The Cambridge Study Delinquent Development, a longitudinal study since 1961, found that out of 397 families, half of all criminal convictions came from just 23 families
• Adoption studies compare adopted children both to their biological birth parents and to their adopted parents to test for a genetic cause of crime
• Christiansen's study of 3,586 twin pairs in Denmark found a 52% concordance rate between identical twins for criminal convictions
• What kinds of crimes do you associate with alcohol?
• Criminologists have developed many theories about the causes of crime, including biological, individualistic, and sociological theories
• Types of biological explanations for criminality

  • Physiological theories focusing on criminals' physical characteristics
  • Genetic theories that see criminality as inherited
  • Brain injuries and disorders that cause people to offend
  • Biochemical explanations involving factors such as hormones in offending
• Lombroso argued that criminals were physically different from non-criminals and identified them by distinct physical features
• Atavism

  Criminals seen as atavistic, throwbacks to an earlier, primitive stage of evolution, pre-social, unable to control impulses, reduced sensitivity to pain, often with tattoos
• Sheldon's somatotypes theory

  • Endomorphs are rounded, soft, lacking muscle or tone, with wide hips
  • Ectomorphs are thin, fragile, flat chested, with narrow hips and shoulders
  • Mesomorphs are muscular, hard-bodied, with strong limbs, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist
• Lombroso's theory


  Very much an 'us and them' theory, criminals are abnormal and fundamentally different from non-criminals
• Abnormality of the sex chromosomes, such as XYY syndrome, is a possible genetic cause of criminality
• Men with XYY syndrome are claimed to be more aggressive and potentially violent than other males
• Criminal facial features according to Lombroso

  • Eyebrow arches, exceptionally long arms, large eye sockets, extremely acute eyesight
  • Murderers have aquiline noses like the beak of an eagle, whereas thieves have flattened noses
• In Lombroso's view, criminals were born criminals that could be identified scientifically
• Types of criminals identified by Lombroso

  • Insane criminals
  • Epileptic criminals
• Sheldon's theory


  Mesomorphs are the somatotype most likely to engage in crime
• XYY syndrome is labelled 'super male syndrome' and men with this syndrome tend to be very tall, well-built, and of low intelligence
• Studies have found that men with XYY syndrome have a higher tendency to commit seemingly motiveless property crimes