Sheldon

• Key ideas of Sheldon

  Sheldon argued that somatotype is related to criminality: mesomorphs are more likely than other types to commit crimes
• Strengths of Sheldon

  • studies have replicated sheldon‘s findings. Glueck and Glueck found that 60% of the offenders in their study were mesomorphs
  • Most serious delinquents in the study were extremely mesomorphic body shape
• Limitation of Sheldon

  • Glueck and Glueck found that criminality was best explained not by biology alone
  • Crimimals may develop a mesomorphic build as a result of needing to be physically tough to succeed
  • social class may be the true cause both of offending and of mesomorphy. Convicted offenders are mainly working class males and are likely to have manual jobs where they acquire an athletic build
  • Mesomorphs may be labelled as trouble makers because they fit the ‘tough guy‘ stereotype, resulting in self-fulfilling prophecy
  • Doesnt account for ectomorphs and endomorphs who also commit crime