Causes And Theories Of Crime Flashcards
Lombrosos theory of atavism KU
Criminals have atavistic features from unevolved ancestors
Observed dead criminals who share qualities like large jaws and thick skulls
Said If someone shared 5 or more of these traits they were likely to be a criminal
Can also determine specific crime eg. Murderers thin lips and thieves beak noses
Lombroso Analysis
Led to discrimination and eugenics (hitler)
He contradicted his previous statements and was unable to provide proper evidence that criminals are a less evolved sub-species.
Only researched dead prisoners so unable to take into account their environment or psychology
Psychological theory- Mental Health Disorder
Prisoners have a higher rate of mhd than the general public - BBC news report 7-40% of prisoners may have ADHD and other similar disorders
Derek McGill governor of Barlinnie - “you could fill an entire hall at the prison with the people who have mental health problems”
University of Edinburgh study - little evidence that major mhd is common in prisoners and any issue is more likely linked to alcohol and drugs
Mental Health Disorder Analysis
Several stats and professionals support the theory
Fails to consider that mental health and addiction are often linked and the reason that people are committing crimes intoxicated is because they were using it as an escape
Rational Choice Theory ku
States individuals take part in crime when benefits outweigh the risks, promotes beleif that people choose to commit crime rather than being forced.
William O Grady - theory falsely assumes everyone has rational thought and disregards NCRMD (Not Criminally Responsable on Account of Mental Health Disorder) or children.
Rational Choice Theory Analysis
Not everyone thinks rationally and does not consider some people’s lack of impulse and emotional control.
A lot of crimes committed don’t have higher benefits than risks
The supermale syndrome (ku)
Most men possess xy chromosomes but some have xyy because of a random mutation
Study found xyy people grow faster and taller and around half suffered from learning difficulties, also argued it leads to more aggressive behavior
Also claimed that xyy was found in more inmates than in the general population (study later found that the percentage of violent crime committed by xyy men was less than the control group and sample size was less than scientifically valid)
Xyy is only found in 1 in 1,000 men
The supermale syndrome analysis
Xyy is so rare that its significance is limited and therefore doesn’t impact crime
There is very little evidence for xyy leading to violent crime
The warrior gene (ku)
1970s Dutch woman went to doctor to ask if her unborn child would be Violent as the men in her family had a history of violence
Geneticist discovered the family shared a gene that inhibits serotonin and can be linked to aggression
Believed 6/10 people have a low activity version
University of Wisconsin studied 400 Boys and recorded dna and environments and found that genes or environment alone could not predict violent crime
Experts studied Boys with that gene who experience abuse and 85% went on to commit Violent crime
Someone with low genetic risk would need pushed hard to commit Violent acts and someone with higher risk may have a hair trigger
The warrior gene analysis
Environment has a lot to do with this, cannot be generated alone
The 6/10 is not proportional to the rates of violent crime
Social learning Theory KU
Albert Bandura, said that people learn through watching other people
Bobo doll experiment where children watched a trusted adult hit a doll, found that children did imitate the aggression towards the doll
Social learning theory analysis
Opportunistic crime isn’t explained through this as they do not see the behaviour first, can only account for some crime
Alcohol and crime ku
In 2020 and 2019 42% of violent crime involved alcohol
47% report being drunk at the time of their offense rising to 60% in young offenders
Alcohol and crime analysis
Alcohol is often used as a crutch because of other things such as mental health it’s unlikely that alcohol and drugs alone are the cause
Strain theory ku
Crime occurs when there is a gap between cultural goals and means to acheive it
When people can’t achieve societies expectations they attempt to acheive through crime
Crimes like theft only made up 9.5% of reported crime in londons most deprived areas and antisocial behaviour makes up 44.7% of it
