Criminology

• Lombroso Born criminals

  Lombroso measured the heads, faces and other physical features of thousands of offenders in prison
• Lombroso findings 


  criminals can be indentified through their physical features:

  • Large jaw
  • High cheekbones
  • Long arms
  • Poor vision
  • handle shaped ears
  • large eye sockets Criminals are atavistic-a historical approached used to explain criminal behaviour based on biological factors Lack of impulse controllack of social skills, reduced sensitivity to pain
• Lombroso Born criminals- Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Lombroso was credited for establishing criminology as a science- measured scientifically, objective measurements and gathered evidence
  • Initiated offender profiling Weaknesses
  • Research since Lombroso failed to establish a link between physical features and criminality
  • Radical discrimination is present as features described can be attributed to those of African descent
  • Didn't use a control group- may have found the same characteristics among the general population
• Sheldon's Somatotypes- general view

  Saw criminals as physically from non criminals

  Mesomorphs were more likely to engage in crime

  Risk taking, imposing physique and assertiveness are important assets in crime
• Mesomorph, endo morph and ectomorph description


  Endomorph- sociable, outgoing, lack muscle, wide hips, fat

  Ectomorph- thin, fragile, emotionally restrained, lack muscle

  Mesomroph, adventurous, dominant, muscular, risk taking
• Sheldon's somatotypes- strengths and Weaknesses

  More recent studies support:

  • Putwain and Simmons identified a link between body shae and crime
  • S and E Gleuk found 60% of offenders were mesomorphs Weaknesses
  • Doesn't factor in changes to the body from childhood to adulthood
  • Doesn't account for endo/ectomorphs who commit crimes, nor does it explain whether mesomorphs commit crime other than violent
  • Gleuk and Gleuk found criminality is best explaed by a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors
• Twin studies

  Test criminal gene through identical twins who are identical

  Monozygotic twins-

  Are identical twins who develop from the same fertilised egg share 100% DNA

  Dizygotic twins -

  Fraternal twins share 50% of DNA

  Christiansen twin study of 3586 twins-

  MZ twins= 55% concordance rate

  DZ twins= 22% concordance rate
• Twin studies strengths and Weaknesses

  Strengths

  • Because Monozygotic twins are identical it is logical to examine their offedning behaviour is identical
  • Other studies support- Ishawake and Rain found 44% concordance rate for MZ twins and 21.6% Weaknesses
  • If twins are bought up in the same environment then criminality could be environmental
  • If genes were the only cause of criminality then the concordance rate would be 100%
  • Impossible to isolate and measure effects of genes separately to environmental effects
• Jacobs XYY study


  Abnormalities of sex chromosomes is another possible cause of criminality

  = Chromosomes are made up of dna and protein found in the nucleus

  = Chromosomes carry genetic information that we inherit from our parents

  =46 chromosomes, 26 pairs male- XY female XX

  Sometimes abnormalities- extra Y male chromosome know as supermale syndrome/ XYY syndrome

  Traits, tall, large build, low intelligence and agressive tendancies
• Jacobs XYY- study


  Participants had a history of agression/ violence and had been admitted to a psychiatric hospital

  (Higher proportion of inmates were xyy)

  XYY inmates were unstable immature and more lily to commit motiveless property crime
• Jacobs XYY Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Found over representation in prison
  • Adler Et Al 2007- found aggressive and violent behaviour is partly determined by genetics
  • Prince and What more found a link between syndrome and property crime

  Weaknesses

  • Ignores environmental factors such as upbringing
  • Not all XYY individuals commit crimes/ violent crimes
  • Can't explain female criminality
• Adoption studies

  Menick compared behaviour of offspring who are adopted and ther biologica parents

  Hutchings and Mednick found a substantial amount of males with criminal convictions had parents with criminal convictions

  Biological and Adoptive convicted- 24.5%

  Biological innocent and Adoptive convicted- 15%

  Biological and Adoptive innocent- 20%
• Adoption studies strengths and weaknesses

  Strengths

  • Hutchings and Mednick study show a link between offspring who are adopted and their biological parents
  • Removal from one environment may give facility to split environmental and genetic factors

  Weaknesses

  • Data regarding biological family may be kept confidential
  • Older adopted children may already be influenced by the environment of their biological parents
  • Gottfredson and Hirsch aregue that adoption studies have littel effect on criminality
• Brain diseases

  EEG- Electroencephalogram used to diagnose insane or psychopaths

  1920's epidemic of encephalitis lethargis amongst children lead to criminal and deviant behaviour including:

  Destructiveness, arson, abnormal sexual behaviour

  Diseases that affect the brain have been linked to criminal and deviant behaviour

  Huntingsons

  Alzheimers/ Dementia

  Brain tumors
• Brain injuries and diseases- Strengths and Weaknesses

  Strengths

  -Brain injuries and diseases have lead to major changes to an individuals personality

  • Some correlation between eeg readings and psychopathic criminality

  Weaknesses

  • Crime caused by brain injuries and diseases is rare- the patients original personality s more important in whether they engage in crime
  • Criminality could cause brain diseases
  • Unclear whether abnormal brainwave activity causes psychopathic criminality
• Biochemical explanations overall

  Overall Biochemical processes and substances suggested as a possible cause of criminality because of its effect on brain chemistry and mental processes
• Sex hormones


  Males- over/under production of sex hormones can cause emotional disturbances and lead to criminal behaviour

  Males are more aggressive than females- male sex hormones have been linked to crimes such as murder and rape

  Females, Post natal depression, pre menstrual tension and breastfeeding partial defence for women for crimes such as infanticide and shoplifting
• Blood sugar


  Hypoglycaemia- low blood sugar- can trigger aggressive reactions

  Low blood sugar- hypoglycaemia- have een linked to alcohol abuse

  Drinking large quantities of alcohol can induce hypoglycemia and increased aggression

  Scholenthaler-

  By lowering the daily sugar intake in young offenders, reduce the evel of anti-social behaviour
• Substance abuse


  Intake of drugs and other substances

  Legal- alcohol and glues

  Medically prescribed- Barbiturates

  Illegal- Cannabis, MDMA, LSD

  Us

  Saunders- Alcohol plays a significant role in about 1,000 arrests per day

  Flanzer- 80% of family violence cases involved alcohol

  Crack and Cocaine are closely linked to violence

  MDMA, cannabis and heroin reduce aggression
• Other substances 


  Other substances we ingest have been linked to anti social/ criminal behaviour

  e.g food additives, allergies and Deficiencies

  They affect the body's biochemical processes and can affect behaviour

  • Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to erratic and aggressive behaviour

  However the link between such substances and criminality is not always clear
• Biochemical explanations strengths and Weaknesses 


  Strengths

  • Sex hormones, substance abuse and blood sugar can affect mood, judgement and aggression
  • Testosterone levels and male offending both peak around the same time- hormones affect criminal behaviour

  Weaknesses

  • Biochemical processes may predispose some individuals to offend but may require and environmental trigger to cause offending
  • Schalling- High testosterone levels in young males causes verbal aggression not physical
• Bowlby's maternal deprivation theory


  Bowlby argues- There is a link between maternal deprivation and deviant and anti social behaviour

  • A child needs a close, continuous relationship with its primary care giver- Bowlby assumes is the mother- from birth to age 5

  If this mother child attachment is broken through seperation it can leave the child unable to form meaningful emotional relationships with other

  This is known as affectionless psychopathy- can lead to criminal behaviour
• Evidence of Bowlby's theory


  Bowlby's 44 thieves study-

  44 juvenile delinquent thieves who had been referred to a child's guidance clinic

  Findings- 39% had suffered maternal deprivation before the age of 5

  5% of a control group of non criminals
• Strengths of Bowlby's study


  • More of his 44 juvenile delinquents had suffered maternal deprivation (39%) than a control group of non criminals
  • His work needs to consider the role of the parent child relationship in explaining criminality
• Weaknesses of Bowlby's study


  • It was a retrospective study, where delinquents and their mothers had to accurately recall past events. This can be inaccurate especially when recalling emotive experiences
  • Bowlby accounts for the delinquency of 39% of children in terms of maternal deprivation. Doesn't explain why the other 61% were delinquent- deprivation isn't the only cause
• Norm definition

  Norms are specific rules or socially accepted standards about how we are expected to behave in specific situations- can be informal, unwritten rules or formal written rules
• Mores


  Basic rules, essential norms that society sees as vital for maintaining standards of decency and civilised behaviour

  Most important moral rules

  e.g taboo against incest in most societies

  murder
• Billy Dunlop Case

  1989- Julie was murdered by Billy Dunlop and was charged

  After 2 successive juries failed to reach a verdict, Dunlop was acquitted

  Because- if two juries fail to reach a verdict, prosecutors drop the case

  1998 Dunlop was jailed for an attack on an ex lover. Whilst in prison- Dunlop confessed to the murder of Julie Hogg

  Dunlop was convicted for perjury- 6 months imprisonment

  Couldn't be tried for murder due to the double jeopardy rule
• Dunlop case- Anne mings campaign 


  The mother of Julie- Anne Ming campigned for a change to the law

  By:

  • Lobbying Politicians
  • Using the press, tv and radio to publicise the case

  The 2003 Criminal Justice Act-

  Was a result of Anne Mings campaign which permitted certain crimes to be re tried such as murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping major drug offences, armed robbery

  The re trial can only take place if new compelling evidence emerges and if the Director of Public Prosecutions gives the go ahead

  One re trial is permitted
• Clares law 


  The domestic violence disclosure scheme

  Introduced violence scheme in four police areas

  2014 Domestic violence disclosure scheme was rolled out across all 43 police forces in england and wales

  The right to ask- allow members of the public to as the police to disclose information about their own partner or someone elses partner

  The right to know- Allows police to disclose information to protect a potential victim

  Police aren't obliged to disclose information and will meet with other safeguarding agencies e.g prison or social services
• Operation of Clares law 


  2018- 6,496 right to ask

  2,575 were granted- average 40%

  Cumbria police- disclosed information in 96% cases

  Bedfordshire police- 7%

  Reasons-

  Just geography

  Different levels of knowledge and training
• Sarah's law successes

  Child sex offender disclosure scheme- 2011 England and Wales

  Wile they can ask whether someone in contact with a child has a record of child sexual offences- the police are not obliged to disclose information

  Police will only do so if they believe the child is at risk of harm and disclosure is necessary for the safety of the child
• Ann Ming's campaign- Billy dunlop


  Ann Ming campaigned for the change in the law

  • Lobbying politicions
  • using the press, TV and radio to publicise the case

  2003 Criminal justices act

  Permitted certain serious crimes to be re tried-

  • Murder, manslaughter, rape, kidnapping, major drug offences and armed robbery

  Retrial can only take place f new compelling evidence emerges

  And if Director of public prosecutions gives the go ahead
• Merton’s strain theory


  Robert K Merton

  society encourages people to subscribe to the goals of material successes

  however, society is unable to provide the legitimate means for all to achieve successes

  people’s opportunities are blocked and consequently they experience feelings of anomie

  various responses to strain such as conformity and innovation

  response may lead to criminality to reach goals