Lombroso Flashcards
Who is Lombroso?
Known as a father of criminology and developed a theory of criminality
What is his view?
His view was that there were physical features which offenders had, which indicated they were less developed in an evolutionary sense than non-offenders.
His view continued
Combind his ideas with Darwin’s theory of evolution to imply that offenders were more primitive and therefore not completely responsible for their criminal actions.
How did he describe criminals features
Lombroso referred to the physical features identified in criminals as ‘atavistic’ referring to primitive ancestors.
The aim of his study
To identify distinguishing physical features among criminals, which set them apart as offenders based on biological principles.
His method
Lombroso examined the features and measurements of nearly 4000 criminals and the skulls of 400 dead criminals.
Results
Sloping brow - indicated low intelligence levels
Pronounced jaw, high cheekbones, large ears + extra nipples, toes ans fingers
Conclusion
Lombroso concluded that these characteristics indicated that such people were more primitive in an evolutionary sense.
Links to crime
He went on to say that such individuals were therefore not responsible for their actions as they could not be blamed for their innate, inherited physiology.
Evalution - He did not use a control group
Although he found physical trends amongst his substantial group of offenders, he was not comparing them to a group of ‘normal’ controls. It may be more likely that these physical features are coincidental.
Evaluation - Goring (1913)
Attempted to replicate Lombroso’s findings by comparing a large group of offenders with a control group of non-criminals and found no significant differences between the two groups - lacks reliability.
Evaluation - alternative way of looking at his research
Is to ask whether people are treated differently due to their physical characteristics and this causes behaviour changes.
Evaluation - Kaplan’s (1980)
‘Self-derogation’ theory argues that if individuals experience persistently poor interactions with others, they will develop lower self-esteem and increased frustration with others, making them more likely to commit criminal behaviour.
