Other Explanations of Crime and Deviance

Question 1

Biological Theories:

Answer 1

Criminals are genetically determined to commit crimes: ‘born criminal.’

Lombroso = criminals were primitive throwbacks and identified certain traits found in criminals E.g: high cheekbones.

MAOA gene links to aggression in individuals.

Question 2

Psychological Theories:

Answer 2

• Certain personality traits make people more likely to commit crimes. E.g: thrill-seeking from extroverts.

Bowlby = socialisation leads to a psychopathic personality. E.g: deprived of a maternal figure = more likely to act impulsively.

Question 3

Evaluation:

Answer 3

• Sociologists reject these as they ignore social and cultural factors that define crime. Also, the rules of crime vary across cultures, so hard to prove.
• Crime is determined by structural factors and the effects of these. E.g: age, class, ethnicity, etc. Theories based on unrepresentative samples, lacking reliable evidence.