Outline (AO1)

• Characteristics of Criminals (Lombroso):

  • Cranial -> narrow sloping brow, prominent jawline, high cheekbones + facial asymmetry
  • Physical Markers: dark skin + extra toe, finger or nipple
• Characteristics of specific criminals:

  • Murderers: blooshot eyes, curly hair, long ears
  • Sexual Deviants: glinting eyes, swollen fleshy lips, projecting ears
  • Fraudsters: thin lips
• Lombroso's Theory:

  • moved criminology to a more scientific realm
  • criminals are 'genetic throwbacks' -> primitive species who are genetically different from non-criminals (therefore considered a biological explanation)
  • criminals lack evolutionary development + are therefore savage + untamed + as a resulty find it dificult to adjust to society + therefore turn to crime
• Lombroso's Research:

  • 383 dead Italian crinimals
  • 3839 living Italian crininals
  • 40% had atavistic form