FP - Biological explanations Flashcards
Atavistic form
Atavistic form proposed:
- criminals are genetic throwbacks or primitive sub-species that cannot conform to the rules of modern society.
What are some atavistic characteristics?
Facial asymmetry, high cheek bones, dark skin, curly hair and a strong prominent jaw
What was the basis of the atavistic form?
- Lombroso studied the cranial and facial features of over 4000 criminals
- Found that 40% of crimes could be explained by atavistic characteristics
Negative evaluations of the atavistic form
- Scientific racism: the atavistic characteristics are similar to those of a person of African decent (curly hair, dark skin). This may have given a scientific justification for discrimination and support for eugenic philosophies at the time
- The entire sample of research was on Italian criminals and did not use any control groups of other cultures which limits it’s ecological validity
- Characteristics don’t make you destine to be a criminal
Positive evaluation of the atavistic form
- Lombroso has been labelled the ‘father of criminology’ as the atavistic form has shifted offender profiling to a more scientific realm
What is the basis of the genetic explanation to crime?
It proposes that would-be offenders inherit genes that predispose them to commit crime.
How does the twins study support a genetic explanation to crime?
- Identical twins showed higher concordance rates for criminal behaviour compared to non-identical twins
- Identical twins share 100% of their DNA whiles, non-identical twins share 50% of their DNA
Negative evaluation of the twin studies
- The study assumes that the only difference between identical and non-identical twins is the DNA they share
- Identical twins are more likely to share the same environment than non-identical twins which could be a factor in explaining the higher concordance rate
How does the adoption studies support the genetic explanation for crime?
The adoption studies found that if adopted children had a biological parent with a criminal record, they were at 50% risk of having a criminal record before 18, whiles adopted children without this had only a 5% risk.
Negative evaluation for adoption studies
- Many children experience late adoption, which means that much of their infancy was spent with their biological parents anyway
- Lots of adoptees maintain regular contact with their biological parents
This means that it is difficult to assess the environmental impact the biological parents might have had
How were candidate genes discovered and what are they?
Candidate genes are genetic abnormalities which increase risk of developing criminal behaviour.
A genetic analysis of offenders revealed abnormalities on two genes in offenders that may be associated with violent crime. One of these was the MAOA gene which controls dopamine and serotonin levels.
Negative evaluation of candidate genes
The research has not been replicated which means the results may not be reliable
Application of the diathesis stress model to the biological explanation of crime
A tendency towards crime may be based on inherited factors but must be triggered by environmental influences.
Neural explanation
- Antisocial personality disorder (APD) is common in criminals
- Research into APD have found that individuals with the condition have reduced activity in the pre-frontal cortex of their brain
- The pre-frontal cortex is in charge of regulating emotional behaviour
- Difficultly regulating emotion may lead to irrational decisions
Biological explanation for crime negative evaluation
Biological reductionism - may be inappropriate as is overly simplistic, other factors can play an important part for example, regular exposure to pro-criminal attitude
Biological determinism - our legal system is based on the idea that people have free will. If a criminal gene does exist it raises ethical questions about what society does with these people.
