Biological 1) Inherited Criminality Flashcards
Lambroso’s Studies
Very early theory.
Criminal behaviour is inherited, because of atavistic form.
Criminals had certain features in common e.g. broad forehead, wide jaw line, eye defects.
Although the theory is now lost its validity, modern theorists still consider it.
Statistics
40% of criminals in Lombroso’s studies did have atavistic forms and characteristics.
Seen as the father of early profiling.
Goring
Early 20th Century.
Criminals tend to have a lower than average intelligence, due to lack of education rather than any biological factor.
Main Study (Twins)
Identical (MZ) and non-identical (DZ).
Raine et al. - criminality should be more prevalent in MZ twins. E.g. 72% correlation with MZ, 12% correlation between DZ.
Christiansen (Denmark)
Different figure in UK.
35% for MZ twins and 12% for DZ twins.
Adoption Studies
Compared criminal traits in those adopted to their biological parents criminality.
Crow
Adopted child, with biological parents that had a criminal background had 38% chance of being a criminal by age 18, if the father was the criminal.
If the mother was the criminal the figure is lower.
Mednick et al.
15% of those adopted tended to enter a life of crime by 18, if their adopted family, particularly the father, entered a life of crime.
Other factors, as well as biological, environmental factors.
Grove et al.
Criminal behaviour in twins brought up in different ways/families.
In the family, if there were drug issues or anti-social behaviour - 29% chance of criminality by 18.
Jacobs et al.
Shows majority of male criminals have an extra Y chromosome, high levels of testosterone which is linked to aggression.
Overall
Tends to be a biological link with those who commit violent crimes, but research shows that is not the case for non-violent crimes.
The environment someone grows up in is also important and significant.
