bio explan - historical approach

Question 1

what are the 2 historical approaches to explaining offender behaviour

Answer 1

• atavistic form
• somatotypes

Question 2

define atavistic form

Answer 2

• explanation for criminal behaviour suggesting certain individuals are born with criminal personality - innate personality is throwback to earlier primate forms

Question 3

who proposed atavistic form

Answer 3

Lombroso

Question 4

what was Lombroso’s view on atavistic form

Answer 4

Lombroso created theory based on Darwin’s theory of evolution
- suggested criminals are ‘genetic throwbacks’ to earlier species and can be identified by their atavistic traits

Question 5

what did Turvey identify which supports atavistic form

Answer 5

• Turvey identified 18 different characteristics that made atavistic type (assumption that innate physiological makeup of person causes them to become criminal)

Question 6

empirical evidence for atavistic form

Answer 6

• Lombroso based theory ff own research using post mortem examinations of criminals + studying faces of living criminals
• made measurements of skill + other characteristics
• over career - examined 50k bodies

Question 7

particular study Lombroso did supporting empirical evidence (italian criminals)

Answer 7

• he studied 383 convicted italian criminals
• found 21% had 1 atavistic trait + 43% had at least 5 traits

Question 8

environmental evidence for atavistic form as bio explan

Answer 8

• Lombroso recognised its unlikely only 1 factor would cause criminality - proposed inherited atavistic form interacted with persons physical and social environment (deterministic view)
• distinguished 3 types of criminals

Question 9

what were the 3 types of criminals Lombroso discovered

Answer 9

1. born criminals (atavistic type - throwbacks)
2. insane criminals (suffer from mental illness)
3. criminaloids (mental characteristics predispose them to being criminals under certain circumstances)

Question 10

how are somatotypes and explanation of offending behaviour

Answer 10

somatotypes are a way of categorising human physique which is then linked to different types of crimes

Question 11

research supporting somatotypes

Answer 11

• Kretschmer suggested 4 body types based on 400 studies of criminals

Question 12

what were the 4 body types Kretschmer suggested regarding somatotypes

Answer 12

1. leptosome/asthenin - tall and thin (petty thieves)
2. athletic - tall + muscular (crimes of violence)
3. pyknic - short +fat (crimes of deception)
4. dysplastic/mixed (more than 1 type) - crimes against morality

Question 13

evaluation points for historical approach of offending behaviour

Answer 13

(-) gender bias
(-) lacks temporal validity
(+) contributions to criminology
(-) criticisms of Lombroso’s method

Question 14

expand on gender bias being eval point for historical approach of offending behaviour

Answer 14

• Lombroso’s theory is gender biased
• he didnt directly study females yet claims women are less evolved than men (androcentrism)
• Lombroso believed women were naturally jealous + insensitive to pain but were passive + had low intelligence
• his assumptions towards females meant they were less likely to be criminals - those who were criminals were then seen as having masculine characteristics
• limiting the explanation as it cannot be generalised to females without sufficient evidence on women being conducted

Question 15

expand on eval point lacks temporal validity for historical approach of offending behaviour

Answer 15

• Lombroso’s explanations were based off 19th century views which hasnt been changed so is outdated
• studies today cannot use his methodology due to lacking validity
• limiting his explanation

Question 16

expand on eval point ‘contributions to criminology’ as strength for historical approach of offending behaviour

Answer 16

• writers praise Lombroso’s research as he brought science to crime
• regarded as founder of modern criminology
• Lombroso based his ideas off approach on empirical observations and detailed measurement - strengthening explanation
• his methods and conclusions may now be criticised but he raised possibility of scientific studies of criminal mind

Question 17

expand on eval point ‘criticisms of lombroso’s method’ as limitation to historical approach of offending behaviour

Answer 17

• Lombroso’s research lacked adequate control for future comparison
• when studying in prison he didnt pay same attention to non prisoners in which if he had paid equal attention to both groups he would have most likely found same characteristics of prisoners and non prisoners.
• Goring compared 3000 convicts with group of non convicts and found only 1 difference
• method lacks control - research can be seen to undermind Lombroso’s overall conclusion