Atavistic form

• What is the atavistic form?

  • Lombroso (1876) suggested criminals were 'genetic throwbacks' - primitive subspecies who were biologically different to non-criminals and lacked evolutionary change
  • Their savage and untamed nature would make it difficult for them to adapt to the demands of civilised society and so turn to crime
  • Ideas were revolutionary in a sense that he proposed offenders were not to blame for their action, as offending was innate
• What are some atavistic features?

  • Offenders can be identified by having particular physiological 'markers' that are linked to particular types of offence
  • Murderers had bloodshot eyes, curly hair and long ears whereas sexual deviants had glinting eyes and swollen/fleshy lips
  • Fraudsters had lips that were thin and reedy
• What was Lombroso (1876)'s research?

  • Examined the skulls of 3839 living criminals and 383 dead criminals and concluded that 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with atavistic features
  • He argued that a person's atavistic characteristics interacted with the environment in a negative way e.g. believed offenders would be unemployed, have tattoos, etc.
• What is one strength of the atavistic form explanation?

  • Lombroso's legacy: hailed as the 'father of modern criminology' as he shifted emphasis in crime research away from a moralistic discourse where offenders were seen as weak-minded to a more scientific basis where blame was put on evolutionary influences and genetics
  • Carrabine et al (2014) suggested his research was more scientific than others at the time, emphasising an evidence-based approach in investigating offending behaviour
  • Suggests he made a major contribution to the science of criminology
• What is one limitation of the atavistic form explanation?

  • Social sensitivity in scientific racism: Matt DeLisi (2012) pointed out that Lombroso's atavistic features, such as dark skin and curly hair, have racist undertones as they are more likely found in people of African descent
  • By suggesting Africans are more likely to be offenders, his theory becomes highly subjective and influenced by racial prejudices at the time (19th century eugenic attitudes) contradicting its' "scientific" basis
• What is another limitation of the atavistic form explanation?

  • Contrasting evidence: Goring (1913) compared 3000 offenders to 3000 non-offenders and concluded there was NO evidence to suggest offenders are a distinct group with unusual facial and cranial characteristics, yet did suggest offenders have lower than average intelligence
  • Challenges the idea that offenders can be physically distinguished from the rest of the population, unlikely to be a sub-species
• What is another limitation of the atavistic form explanation?

  • Poor control: Lombroso did not compare his sample to a control group like Goring did with non-offenders, which means his findings may have been confounded by other variables
  • Hay and Forrest (2009) found links between crime and social conditions like poverty and poor educational outcomes, which could've explained higher crime rates and features like unemployment
  • Suggests Lombroso's research does not meet modern scientific standards