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Biological theories and evaluation (AC2.1 + AC3.2) - Coggle Diagram
Biological theories and evaluation (AC2.1 + AC3.2)
Lombroso's Theory (1876)- Born Criminality
'Father of Modern Criminology'- believed that people can be identified based on their physical characteristics. Saw that criminals suffered from an illness, not beaten or cured. Criminality is allocated at birth.
Atavism- throwbacks to an earlier, primitive stage of evolution. Criminals are savages and 'ape' like. 40% of criminal behaviour could be accounted for due to atavistic characteristics.
Work: criminally insane in Italy. Observe criminals and pick out certain characteristics. Places in categories due to the crimes they committed.
Measured: height, weight, arm span, hands, necks, thighs, legs, feet, eye colour.
383- dead 3839- living
Criminaloid- criminality was caused by environmental factors
Females- female criminals are rare. Naturally passive which means they don't break the law.
Murders- cold, glassy stares, bloodshot eyes, big halk nose
Sex offenders- thick lips and protruding ears
Thieves- expressive face, manual dexterity and small, wandering eyes
Strengths:
Large sample size
Charles Goring (1913) supported this.
Butcher & Taylor (2007)-less attractive people commit crime
Lead the beginnings of offender profiling
1856 Chinese men 83% identified correctly.
Weakness:
Had no control group
Only studied caught people
Simplistic idea
Reflects racist prejudices
Sheldon's (1942) Theory- The Criminal Build
Somatotype- the structure or build of a person, especially, ectomorph, endomorph, mesomorph
Ectomorphic- fragile and thin, quiet and restrained
Endomorphic- soft and round, relaxed, sociable, tolerant, peaceful
Mesomorphic- muscular and trianglar, active and assertive
Mesomorphic most associated with crime, due to their physical capability to cause physical harm.
Ectomorphic least likely due to lack of physical capability
Research- used photographs of college students and delinquents rating them on a scale of 1 (low) 7 (high) on their resemblance to mesomorphic. Delinquents- 4.6 College students- 3.8
Strengths-
Putwain & Sammons (2002) found a small association
Most serious crimes- more mesomorphic
Glueck & Glueck (1956)- 60% of offenders mesomorphs. 31% non- offenders
Had a control
Large Sample- 4000
Weaknesses-
Glueck & Gluek (1950s) more than one influence.
Not fixed- can change
Cannot show that body shape causes criminal behaviour
Social class may have an influence
May be labelled more
Other body types still commit crime.
Genetic Theories
Twin Studies
Dizygotic- fraternal
Monozygotic- Identical
Looks at the concordance of different behaviours with twins.
Expect MZ twins to be 100%.
'Jim Twins' Study
Christiansens' (1977)-
Studied over 3500 pairs of twins
MZ- 35% Male 21% Female
DZ- 13% Males 8% Female
Shows a level of genetic involvement
Strengths:
Natural Experiment
Supports the genetic element
Weakness:
Not entirely genetic
Lange (1929) lacked control and validity
Small sample size and not representative
Does not look at nature v nurture
Adoption Studies
People who have been adopted are compared to their biological and adoptive parents- shows nature v nurture.
Mednick (1984)
1400 adopted males between 1924-1947
Compared the criminal records of them against their biological and adoptive parents.
Results- Biological and Adoptive NN 13.5% NY 14.7% YN 20% YY 24%
Evaluation:
Large sample
Both parents
No geographical variation
Only looked at males
Does not take into account time spent with biological parents to begin with.
Strengths:
Shows the role of the environment
Shows the link between the biological parents and the adoption.
Weakness:
Age may be an influence
Biological family info not always available
Adoptive process not random
Genes have little effect on criminality
XYY (Jacob's) Syndrome
Happens during meiosis II following a normal meiosis I. Resulting in an additional Y chromosome
Only found in males
1 in 1000 male children
Prison Population- 20 times more likely to have the condition.
No treatment but therapies can help
Richard Speck, Sidney Cornwell
Stochholm (2012) Study found a significant increase in convictions for XYY groups
Jacob (1956) found a higher proportion in the prison population 15/1000. Only looked at inmates of a secure psychiatric hospital.
Strengths:
Jacob (1956) found a link to convictions
Adler (2007) showed a possible link to aggression.
Price and Whatmore found link with property crime.
Weakness:
Does not take into account other factors
No evidence for correlation
Labelling of offenders due to physical characteristics
Still very rare- can't explain all crime
Does not explain female criminals