Theories of Crime - Week 3

Question 1

Positivist

Answer 1

Positivist thought of school developed in the second half of the 19th century
Positivists believe that biological and cultural factors have a great influence on individuals behaviour

Question 2

Auguste Comte

Answer 2

Founder of positivist sociology
Use of measurement & importance of objectivity
Focused on search of root causes of social phenomena

Question 3

Cesare Lombroso

Answer 3

Theory of atavism
Atavist is born a criminal
- physiological characteristics
- protruding jaws and cheekbones
- sloping foreheads
- Close set eyes
- small skulls
Founder of positivist criminology

Question 4

Positivist School Goals

Answer 4

Underlying causes criminal behaviour

Question 5

Determinism

Answer 5

Cause of individuals behaviour (crime) are outside of their control
Behaviours determined by other factors
Could be internal (biological or psychological) or external (sociological)

Question 6

Positivists Punishment

Answer 6

Instead of punishment offender should undergo treatment
They support individualized sentences and programs which is the opposite of classical school
Consider the offender sick or abnormal
Some positivists believe in interdeterminate sentencing - no fixed time limit

Question 7

Biological Positivism

Answer 7

Sheldon’s 1949 study of the body type Theories

Question 8

Ectomorph

Answer 8

Small boned
Thin person
Shy personality

Question 9

Mesomoprh

Answer 9

Larger framed muscular person with aggressive extroverted personality
Delinquents

Question 10

Endomorph

Answer 10

Soft fat build with extroverted personality

Question 11

Positivist School of Thought

Answer 11

Second half of the 19th century

Humans begin to appear as creatures whose contact was influenced by biological and cultural factors not free will

Question 12

Auguste Comte

Answer 12

Founder of the positivist school and sociology
Method emphasize the measurement & the importance of objectivity
Focused on the need to find root causes of social phenomena
Behaviours were determined by various causes that individual has no control over
Believed if we could identify root causes of crime we could alter/ eliminate those factors & root causes of crime and eliminate crime

Question 13

Social contract model of law

Answer 13

Positivists believe in this
Laws are essentially agreement to all members of society that they will not harm or take one another property
Law represents collective interests of society
This is a consensual model of law
Crime is a violation of this consensus so it’s against the entire society (R v Doe)

Question 14

Psychological positivism

Answer 14

Emotional trauma or internal conflict will lead to propensity for crime
High correlation between being sexually victimized and offending sexually against others as an adult 90%
Antisocial personality or psychopath are believed to commit crimes because they are impulsive and cannot emphasize with the victim
Robert Hare created characteristics to identify people of antisocial personality disorder or psychopathy

Question 15

Criticisms of positivism

Answer 15

Relying on the consensus model
- Number of different ways to look at things
Rely on official statistics as a data source for a study in crime and criminals
- Official statistics usually are not accurate
Viewing behaviour as determine takes away responsibility
- Easy way out or excuses
Undermine the rights of offenders
- can’t object to treatment