Atavistic form Flashcards
Intro
The Atavistic form is an early biological explanation for criminal behaviour advanced by Cesare Lombroso.
Pioneered a more scientific basis for the study of crime.
• L’Uomo Deliquente (1876)
• Criminals are “genetic throwbacks”
•Genetic subspecies
• Biologically different from non-criminals.
A biological approach
Offenders were seen by Lombroso as lacking evolutionary development.
• Savage and untamed
• Could not adjust to civil society
→ Turned to crime.
• Crime is rooted in genes.
→ Innate
Lombroso’s ideas were revolutionary, as this new perspective proposed offenders were not to blame for their actions.
The Atavistic Form
This sub-type could be identified via physiological markers.
These are linked to specific types of crime and mainly (but not exclusively) involve face and head
• Narrow, sloping brow
• Strong jaw
• High cheek bones
• Facial asymmetry
• Dark skin & extra toes, nipples or fingers.
• Insensitivity to pain; use of slang; tattoos and unemployment
Offender types
Lombroso went on to categorise particular types of offenders in terms of their physical and facial characteristics.
• Murderers → Bloodshot eyes; curly hair; long ears.
• Sexual deviants → Glinting eyes; swollen fleshy lips; projecting ears.
• Fraudsters → Thin reedy lips.
Lombroso’s research
Lombroso studied the facial and cranial features of many Italian convicts.
• 383 dead and 3839 living criminals.
• Concluded there was an atavistic form and that these features were key indicators of criminality.
• Concluded that 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with atavistic characteristics.
S-Lombrosos legacy counterpoint
One strength of Lombroso’s research is it changed the face of the study of crime.
• Father of modern criminology
• Shifted the emphasis of crime away from moralistic discourse.
• More towards to scientific realm.
Tried to describe how particular types of people are likely to commit crimes → brought about the beginning of offender profiling.
This suggests that Lombroso made a major contribution to the science of criminology.
counterpoint-However, there is some question as to whether or not Lombroso’s legacy is entirely positive (DeLisi, 2012)
• Racist undertones in Lombroso’s work.
• Many of the atavistic features Lombroso identified are most likely to be found in people of African descent.
• Fitted the attitude of the eugenics movement of the 19th century.
This suggests that Lombroso’s work might be more subjective that objective and may also be heavily influenced by racial prejudices.
L-contradictory evidence
Goring (1913) set out to establish whether there were any physical or mental abnormalities among offenders.
• Compared 3000 offenders and non-offenders.
• No evidence to support Lombroso’s ideas.
• Although he did suggest a lower level of intelligence.
This challenges the idea that offender can be physically distinguished from the rest of the population and are therefore unlikely to be a sub-species.
L-poor control
Lombroso failed to control important variables within his research.
• No control group of non-offenders
• Knock on effect to less control over confounding variables.
• E.g. there is research showing a link between crime and poverty and poor educational outcomes.
• Such a link would explain for example why offenders were more likely to be unemployed.
This suggests that Lombroso is research does not meet modern scientific standards and therefore his results lack validity.
Biological features he described could have been present in the general (non-criminal) population.
6 marker
The atavistic form is an early biological explanation for criminal behaviour put forward by Cesare Lombroso, suggesting that criminal behaviour is rooted in genes.
In the theory, criminals are seen as a genetic sub species; less developed on an evolutionary level than non-criminals. This lack of development results in a savage and untamed nature, making it difficult for them to adjust to civilised society and inevitably results in these people turning to crime.
Lombroso suggested that this subtype of human could be identified via physiological markers, mainly involving the face and head. Examples included a narrow sloping brow, a strong jaw, facial asymmetry, dark skin and an insensitivity to pain. He also suggested that particular types of offenders could be identified via their characteristics. For example murderers having bloodshot eyes, curly hair, and long ears.
Lombroso’s theory was underpinned by research he conducted into the facial and cranial features of over 4000 criminals (both living and dead). From this research he concluded not only that the atavistic features were indicators of criminality, but also that 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with these characteristics.
