Forensics - historical approach

Question 1

what is the historical approach

Answer 1

• Lombroso suggested that criminals are genetic throwbacks

Question 2

what is the biological approach

Answer 2

• offenders seen as lacking evolutionary development
• would find it impossible to adjust to civilised society and would turn to crime
• offending behaviour was innate and a offender was not to blame for his actions

Question 3

what is the atavistic form

Answer 3

• physiological markers linked to types of offence
• sloping brow, strong prominent jaw, dark skin, extra toes
• insensitivity to pain, use of slang, tattoos, unemployment

Question 4

what are offender types

Answer 4

Murderers = bloodshot eyes, curly hair
Sexual deviants = glinting eyes, swollen fleshy lips
Fraudsters = thin and reedy

Question 5

what was Lombroso’s research

Answer 5

• examined cranial and facial features of Italian convicts
• examined the skulls of 383 dead convicts and 3839 living ones
• 40% of criminal acts are committed by people with atavistic characteristics

Question 6

what are the strengths

Answer 6

• changed the face of the study of crime
• shifted the emphasis from a moralistic discourse where offenders were seen as wicked to a more scientific position
• began offender profiling

Question 7

what are the limitations

Answer 7

Goring
- compared 3000 offenders and non-offenders
- there was no evidence that offenders are distinct group with unusual facial and cranial features

• poor control in research
• didn’t limit extraneous variables
• he didn’t compare an offender sample with a non-offender sample
• eugenics