Criminology AC 2.1

• Biological theories suggest criminal behaviour is a result of abnormality in the brain: e.g. injuries to the brain, particularly in areas which regulate behaviour
• The 3 biological explanations: physiological, biochemical, genetic
• Criminal behaviour can also be connected to irregularities in the neurochemical activity in the brain of offenders
• Damage to the pre-frontal cortex can be an explanation for aggressive and impulsive behaviours
• Pre-frontal cortex controls individuals emotions, therefore damage to this area may impact on behavioural patterns
• PET scans used by Raine examined brain activity, convicted criminals had damaged of reduced activity in pre-frontal cortex
• Tumors and lesions can impact on the ability of the brain to regulate behaviours
• Dementia patients prone to aggressive outbursts as the disease affects their brain
• Charles Whitman- murdered several people, post-mortum found he had a tumor in the pre-frontal cortex
• 1920s- Encephalitis lethargica linked to criminality in children
• The brain regulates activity of hormones and neurotransmitters that influence our behaviour
• Low serotonin levels linked to higher levels of aggression. Serotonin production can be influenced through the use of drugs and alcohol
• Males more likely to commit crime than females. Higher levels of criminal and aggressive behaviour in males who produce more testosterone
• Scerbo and Raine found low levels of serotonin in sample of people with anti-social behaviour
• Brain abnormality strength: criminal behaviour can be studied scientifically and treatments used to control behaviour
• Brain abnormality limitation: low serotonin levels also present in people with depression and other mental health conditions
• Biological explanations can be broken down into different causes of criminal behaviour
• Physiological theories suggest the physical traits of an individual are likely causing their criminal behaviour
• Correlations between individuals with certain psychical traits and criminal behaviour
• In 1876, Lombroso argued that criminals have facial features and bodily appearances that are different to non-criminals
• Lombroso developed Atavistic theory after examining skulls of deceased criminals and facial features of prisoners- he believed they were less developed than non-criminals
• Lombroso found common traits amoungst those who committed crime
• The traits Lombroso found include: larger jaw, larger eye sockets, prominent eyebrow arches, higher cheek bones, nose shape flatter for thieves and more pointed for murderers
• Atavistic form theory lack of reliability: his work has not been proven by other scientists which negatively impacts on the reliability of his findings
• Lombroso may have focused on features not typical of Western cultures, can be seen as a form of racial profiling
• Sheldon and Lombroso in agreement that physiological traits were common amoungst criminals
• Sheldon categorized body types into three distinct categories and found correlations between body types and criminality
• Sheldon found that criminals were more likely to have a mesomorph body type
• Endomorphs: round, lack of muscle, wide hips+ outgoing
• Ectomorphs: thin, lack of fat and muscle, high forehead+ self conscious and emotionally restrained
• Mesomorphs: muscular, strong limbs, broad shoulders+ sensation seeking, risk taking, domineering
• Sheldon's somatotypes supporting evidence: Gluek and Gluek replicated Sheldon's work and found 60% of criminality had the mesomorph body type
• Correlations between criminality and twins (both monozygotic and dizygotic) and between children who have been adopted and their biological families
• Identical twins: monozygotic twins
• Identical twins have 100% of the same genetic structure- if both commit criminal acts, a genetic cause may be attributed to the behaviour
• Non-identical twins: dizygotic twins
• Non-identical twins do not have 100% similarity in genetic structure, and so less likely to behave in a similar way due to genes
• Adoption studies used to establish correlation between criminality between those with similar genes
• Lange found higher concordance levels of criminal behaviour in identical twins than non-identical twins
• In Lange's research, 10 out of 13 sets of identical twins both had criminal records compared to 2 out of 17 non-identical twins