4. Biological Explanations: Atavistic Form

Question 1

What is the atavistic form?

Answer 1

A biological approach to offending that attributes criminal activity to the fact that offenders are genetic throwbacks or a primitive sub-species ill-suited to conforming to the rules of modern society.

Question 2

Who proposed the atavistic form?

Answer 2

An Italian Physician called Cesare Lombroso

Question 3

How is Lombroso’s theory viewed today?

Answer 3

His theory is considered speculative and naive by todays standards but it is credited with shifting criminology into a scientific and rigorous realm.

Question 4

How did Lombroso explain criminal behaviour?

Answer 4

He said criminals lacked the evolutionary development to cope with everyday society so inevitably turn to crime.

Question 5

What are atavistic & (specifically) cranial characteristics Lombroso highlighted in his theory?

Answer 5

Lombroso said criminals would possess particular physiological markers - different markers were linked to different types of crime. All markers are biologically determined. Usually there features of the face/head.

Question 6

What were the cranial characteristics Lombroso looked for?

Answer 6

Narrow sloping brow
Strong predominant jaw
High cheekbones
Facial asymmetry

Question 7

What were the non-cranial characteristics Lombroso looked for?

Answer 7

Dark skin
Extra toes
Extra fingers or nipples

Question 8

What characteristics were associated to a murderer?

Answer 8

Bloodshot eyes
Curly hair
Long ears

Question 9

What characteristics were associated to a sexual deviant?

Answer 9

Glinting eyes
Swollen and fleshy lips
Projecting ears

Question 10

What were the characteristics for fraudsters?

Answer 10

Thin and reedy lips

Question 11

What non-physical characteristics did Lombroso associate with with born criminals?

Answer 11

Insensitivity to pain
Criminal slang
Tatoos
Unemployment

Question 12

What study did Lombroso do?

Answer 12

He studied 100s of Italian convicts (living and dead) - proposed that atavistic form was linked to physical anomalies - examined the skull of 383 dead criminals and 3839 living - concluded that 40% of criminal acts could be accounted for by atavistic characteristics

Question 13

What are the evaluation points for the atavistic form?

Answer 13

Contribution to criminology (+)
Poor control in his study (-)
Scientific racism (-)
Contradictory evidence (-)
Causation issues (-)

Question 14

How did atavistic form contribute to criminology?

Answer 14

Lombroso shifted the study of criminology from a moralistic discourse towards a more scientific and credible realm.

Question 15

How did Lombroso have poor control in his study?

Answer 15

He had no control group which meant he couldn’t compare his results to a ‘normal’ level - also he didn’t control confounding variables like psychological disorders.

Question 16

How is the atavistic form scientifically racist?

Answer 16

What Lombroso viewed as ‘genetic throwback’ characteristics are more common in certain races - e.g. black people tend to have ‘dark skin’ and ‘fleshy lips’.

Question 17

What is the contradictory evidence to the atavistic form?

Answer 17

Goring et al. - conducted the same study as Lombroso but this time with a control group of 3000 non-criminals - he found no link between facial features and criminality. Instead he found intelligence may be a factor - higher IQ = less likely to commit crimes.

Question 18

What are the issues of causation in the atavistic form theory?

Answer 18

Its difficult to know if facial features are causing criminality in criminals or if the fact that they are criminals, fighting and suffering damage to their faces is causing the features that Lombroso sees as ‘genetic throwbacks’.