Biological theories of crime

Question 1

Lombroso

Answer 1

The ‘born criminal’/ atavism.
* Criminals are species of primitive human.
* The shape of the head and face would determine criminal tendencies.
* Supported by studies by Havelock Ellis, bringing Lombroso’s theory to the UK.

Question 2

Sheldon

Answer 2

Endomorphic (fat and soft) tend to be sociable
and relaxed.
2. Ectomorphic (thin and fragile) are introverted and restrained.
3. Mesomorphic (muscular and hard) are more aggressive and adventurous.

Question 3

Neurochemistry (Scerbo and Raine)

Answer 3

Changes in the body’s chemistry can lead to changes within the brain.
* Such changes can lead to aggression or involuntary movements.
* Steroid misuse may contribute to higher aggression levels, known as ‘roid rage’.
* Scerbo ad Raine’s study found that control of diet can lead to higher serotonin and better behaviour.

Question 4

Strengths of Lombroso

Answer 4

Lombroso credited for establishing criminology as a science.
* Challenges views that criminals choose criminality.
* Initiated offender profiling.

Question 5

Weakness of Lombroso

Answer 5

Racial discrimination is present as the features described can be attributed to those with African descent.
* Studies focused on the one group, so no comparison.

Question 6

Strength of Sheldon

Answer 6

More recent studies, e.g. Putwain and Sammons, have confirmed a link between body shape and crime.
* S. Glueck and E. Glueck’s 1956 study found that a majority of their mesomorphic sample were delinquents.

Question 7

Weakness of Sheldon

Answer 7

Does not factor in changes to body type from childhood to adulthood.
* Ignored criminals who had endomorphic or ectomorphic shapes.

Question 8

Strength of neurochemistry

Answer 8

Self-evaluation of steroid users report higher aggression levels (Dobash).
* Studies have confirmed that low serotonin levels can lead to aggression.
* Many of the clinical trials are led by medical practitioners and peer-reviewed.

Question 9

weakness of neurochemistry

Answer 9

Recent studies on steroids are inconclusive and find that other anti-social lifestyle factors can have a significant impact.
* The focus on aggression does not satisfy reasons for all types of crime, especially property-related offences.

Question 10

Death penalty

Answer 10

Ultimate way to deal with a person who is genetically driven to commit crime.
* Abolished in the UK in 1969.
* More studies show that the death penalty does not lower crime rates.

Question 11

Eugenics

Answer 11

Policy endorsed by the Nazi party to stop prisoners and ‘undesirables’ from having offspring.
* Looks to prevent the birth of people with criminal genes.
* Though improbable to see blanket sterilisations, courts can order sterilisation to citizens.

Question 12

Neurochemicals

Answer 12

Prison policies have encouraged diet change to lower aggression.
* Virkkunen et al discovered that aggressive prisoners held lower serotonin levels and therefore encouraged the introduction of oily fish into the prison diet.
* In the UK, it is good practice for prisons to offer balanced diets to prisoners.