Biological Theories Flashcards
what did Osborn and West 1979 theorise?
13% of sons of non-criminal fathers had convictions, 40% of sons of of criminal fathers had convictions
What is the genetic condition called where a male has an extra chromosome?
XYY syndrome or ‘super male syndrome’
How often does the extra Y chromosome occur?
1 in 1000 male births
what did Jacob et al theorise in 1965 to do with XYY syndroms?
315 male patients in special security hospital for developmentally disabled people in Scotland
9 of these patients were generally taller, characterised wrongly as aggressive and generally taller- all had an extra Y chromosome
Cambridge longitudinal study:
397 families they follow, half of the criminal convictions were from just 23 households
Evaluation of genetic explanation- STRENGTH
Research evidence supports the theory
Evaluation of genetic explanations- WEAKNESSES
XYY- many people with the syndrome who are not aggressive
Theilgarrd- found no link between aggression and being XYY when he compared the characteristics of both types
Socialisation, upbringing, society etc can impact levels of criminality
What is Genetic explanations?
The argument that criminal behaviour is passed from parent to child through their genes
What are Physiological theories?
Focus on an individuals physical form as an indicator of criminal behaviour
What did Lombroso theorise?
-Criminals has similar features e.g prominent jaws, flattened/ upturned nose, brow ridges and large ears
-Criminals were a separate species falling between modern and primitive humans
-Violent criminals = less evolved human types, being compared to primitive savages
-Criminals are born and not made
what were the three body types that Sheldon believed in?
Three body types:
Ectomorphs- thin and fragile, introverted and restrained
Endomorphs- fat and soft, sociable and relaxed
Mesomorphs- muscular and hard, aggressive and adventurous
Evaluation of physiological theories- STRENGTHS
Lombroso’s work was the first attempt to give the study of criminality scientific status and challenged the idea that criminals have a choice
- helps us focus how we prevent future crime, rather than punishing offenders
Sheldon found evidence to support theory replicated by Glueck and Glueck who found 60% of offenders in their study had a mesomorph body type
Evaluation of physiological theories- WEAKNESSES
Lots of people with the physiological features are not criminals and many criminals don’t have the features
Lombroso had no non-criminal control group used, may have found these characteristics were equally common in non-criminals
Hard to establish cause and effect with Sheldon’s work, those who commit crime may deliberately have a mesomorph body type through working out to appear tough
