XYY Theory Flashcards
1
Q
What is XYY theory?
A
- chromosome abnormalities
- also known as ‘super male syndrome’
- men with an extra Y chromosome
2
Q
What are the features of men with XYY syndrome?
A
- very tall
- well built
- low intelligence
3
Q
What did Jacob Et Al say about men with XYY syndrome?
A
- more aggressive
- more violent than other males
4
Q
How many men are undiagnosed from XYY syndrome?
A
- 88%
5
Q
How many many men suffer from XYY syndrome?
A
- 15 suffer per 1,000 in prisons
- 1 per 1,000 in the general population
6
Q
What did Price and Whatmore find out about men with XYY syndrome?
A
- immature and unstable
- strong tendency to commit motiveless property crimes
7
Q
What do prisoners with XYY syndrome have a history of?
A
- aggression and violent assault
8
Q
What are the strengths of XYY theory?
A
- supporting evidence for links between XYY syndrome and crime, Jacob Et Al (1965) found a significant number of men in prison had XYY chromosomes instead of normal ones
- supporting evidence from Price + Whatmore who found XYY males tend to be immature + unstable with a strong tendency to commit property crimes
9
Q
What are the weaknesses of the XYY theory?
A
- the evidence can’t establish cause + effect - just because some offenders have XYY syndrome, this does not cause criminal behaviour
- XYY males are tall + well built - they may be more stereotyped as violent offenders - more likely to receive harsh prison sentences
- XYY males have low intelligence meaning they may be more likely than other criminals to get caught
- XYY syndrome is very rare - only 1 in 1000 men have it so it can’t be used to explain female offenders.
