The atavistic form Flashcards
What is the atavistic form?
Lombroso: suggested biological basis for criminal behavior.
Idea that criminals = ‘evolutionary throwbacks’ with distinct physical characteristics.
primitive subspecies .: biologically different from non-criminals.
How is the atavistic form seen as biological?
Lack evolutionary development.
Savaged + untamed
Cannpt adjust to society .: turn to crime
Crime = rooted in genes = innate
Subtype identified by physiological markers
Revolutionary idea –> proposed offenders not to be blame for their actions.
List physical characteristics associated with the atavistic form.
- Strong, prominent jaw
- High cheekbones
- Dark skin
- Facial asymmetry
- Dark skin + extra toes, nipples, fingers.
- Insenstivity to pain
- Tattoos
What were the offender types characterised by Lombroso?
- Murderers = bloodhot eyes, curly hair, long ears
- Sexual deviants = glinting eyes, swollen fleshylips, projecting ears
- Fraudsters = thin reedy lips
What was Lombroso’s research?
Studied facial + cranial features of many Italian convicts
383 dead + 3839 living
Concluded stated features commonality among criminals
What percentage of crimes did Lombroso attribute to atavistic characteristics based on his research?
40% of the crimes.
Evaluation point:
Lombroso’s Legacy
Changed the face of study of crime.
Father of modern criminology
Shifted the emphasis of crime away from moralistic discourse.
–> More scientific
Brought about beginning of offender profiling –> tried to describe how particular types ofpeople likely to commit crimes.
Major contribution to science of criminology.
COUNTERPOINT:
DeLisi (2012):
Racist undertones in Lombroso’s work.
Many of features identified by Lombroso found in people from African decent
–> Fitted attitude of eugenics/non-consentual sterilisation movement of 19th Century + institutionalised racism
Socially sensitive –> scapegoatinf ethnic minorities
.: Lombroso = subjective + heavily influenced by racist prejudice.
Contradictory evidence
What did Goring conclude about offenders in his 1913 study?
Compared 3000 offenders + non-offenders
No evidence that offenders are a distinct group with unusual characteristics.
However, did suggest lower IQ
Challenges idea that offender can be physically distinguished from rest of pop .: unlikely to be subspecies.
Evaluation:
Poor control
Lombroso failed to control variables in research.
No control group to compare.
third variable: criminality = poverty
Such link would explain by offenders more likely to be unemplyed
Relies on subjective data based off offender types. –> doesn’t operaltionalise behaviour categories
Doesn’t factorin changes in evironment having impact on physical traits.
Imposed etic
Issues + debates evaluation points
Deterministic
Reductionist
Culturally biased (only used Italian convicts)
