Explanations of Offending - Biological Flashcards
What is the atavistic form
Biological approach to offending that attributes criminal activity to the fact that offenders are genetic throwbacks or a primitive subspecies ill-suited to conforming to the rules of modern society. Such individuals are distinguishable by particular facial and cranial characteristics
What is L’Huomo Delinquente (1876) by Lombroso
Book to discuss ‘faces of serial killers’
Lombroso believed offenders were lacking evolutionary development, their savage and untamed nature meant they found it impossible to adjust to the demands of civilised society and would inevitably turn to crime
What are some cranial characteristics
curly black hair
glasses
indian heritage
oh shi…
Narrow, sloping brow
Strong prominent jaw
High cheekbones
Facial asymmetry
Sometimes dark skin, extra toes, nipple or fingers
Other signs of criminality = insensitivity to pain, tattoos, unemployment or use or slang
What is Lambroso’s research
Examined cranial and facial features of living and dead criminals
383 dead and 3839 living criminals (skulls)
Concluded that 40% of all criminal acts could be accounted for by people with atavistic characteristics
What characteristics are associated with murderers
Bloodshot eyes
Strong jaws
Long ears
Curly hair
What characteristics are associated with sexual deviants
Glitning eyes
Swollen
Fleshy lips
Projecting ears
What characteristics are associated with fraudsters
Lips thin and reedy
What is a +ve evaluation involving crime research
Shifted the emphasis in crime research away from moralistic discourse towards a scientific and credible realm
Atavistic characteristics was the foundation of criminal profiling
Hollin 1989
What us a -ve evaluation regarding scientific racism
DeLisi 2012 stated it had distinct racial undertones
Many of the features that Lombroso identifies are more likely to be found among people of African descent
Lends support to the Eugenics movement - ‘uncivilised, primitive and savage’
What is a -ve evaluation regarding contradictory evidence with intelligence
Sharma et al 2015 - 202 participants (101 convicted offenders and 101 ‘normal’ controls)
Emotional intelligence and criminal behaviour
Criminals did score lower on EI domains including management of own emotions, and other emotions
What is a -ve evaluation regarding methodological criticisms
Lombroso did not compare his sample to a non-criminal control group
Significant difference may have disappeared
Failed to account for other variables: people he studied had a history of psychological disorders or chromosomal abnormalities - confounding variable
What is a -ve evaluation regarding causation is an issue
Facial and cranial differences may be influenced by other factors such as poverty or poor diet rather than being an indication of delayed evolutionary development
In later work, the view was less extreme: criminals could be made as well as born due to a range of environmental factors
