5a Describe the biological theories used to offer explanations of criminal behaviour. Physical type and body shape: Lombroso 1876, an Italian doctor and a criminal anthropologist first views were based on genetics. He argued that criminals were different then the rest of the population. He suggested that their look and behaviour was more primitive and that they did not evolve as well as the rest of us. He suggested that the primitive genetic form would have large jaws, high cheek bones, large ears, extra nipples, toes and fingers and were insensitive to pain.
3. Biological- theories that claim that your biological inheritance or genes may have an influence on your criminal behaviour. Biological theory; William Sheldon Body Shape Theory (1897-1998) William Sheldon’s work originated from Cesare Lombrosso’s work. Lombrosso looked at a large amount of prisoners and concluded that a person’s character could be determined by the shape of their skull and other physical characteristics; he believed that criminals were less evolved than normal people. This is no longer a satisfactory explanation of crime, this is because William Sheldon didn’t think this was a valid theory and wanted to get more in depth and produce a valid theory.
They are trying to use different approaches to explain crime by different category of theory, such as psychology, biology and sociology. I am going to introduce four major approaches in criminology that criminologists use to explain crime. There is positivist criminology, classical perspective, sociological criminology, environmental criminology. Positivist criminology was founded in the late 19th century by Italian academic who called Cesare Lombroso. He believes that the positivist scientific method could be applied to the study of crime so as to find out its causes and prevent it.
Mednick et al. have studied criminal convictions of over 14,000 people who have been adopted and created greater evidence to suggest that biology had more access over their behaviour. To support this theory further, Bohman reproduced Mednick et al’s study by analyzing the percentage of sons to with a biological parent with an existing criminal record to boys with an adoptive parent with a criminal record. Bohman also concluded with the fact that the genetic factors were more eloquent compared to the environmental influences. The psychological assumption of crime suggests that negative expectations influence certain individuals to execute in a criminal way as their stereotypes change their social interactions.
In my essay it shows how everything has changed from then until now. My paper discusses main points like the preliminary investigations, interrogations, notice of closure, preliminary hearing, trial, appeals, verdicts, and special proceedings. Even though Italy is so far away, it can be noticed that their criminal procedures are much like those here in America. Criminal procedures vary widely throughout all the countries in the world. Some are more complicated than others.
Cesare Lombroso (CL) was a Psychiatrist that believed that criminals had common facial characteristics and that they were “born criminals” which he also referred to as “atavisms”. His theory was that genetic factors or abnormalities that are inherited influence individuals to commit crime and that it was the individuals destiny to become a criminal`. This can be identified through the shape of their skulls, large ears and lips, long arms and a flattened nose. He also believed that men were more likely to commit crime than woman as they were more narrow-minded of their interests. CL theory has been largely criticised as it is very much descriptive based rather than experimental.
Discuss the work of Lombroso considering the critique of his work Cesare Lombroso, born Ezechia Marco Lombroso (November 6, 1835 - October 19, 1909) was a born Jewish from Italian. He gained fame as a criminologist and founder of the Italian School of Positivist Criminology. Lombroso rejected the established Classical School, which held that crime was a characteristic trait of human nature. Instead, using concepts drawn from physiognomy, early eugenics, psychiatry and Social Darwinism, Lombroso's theory of anthropological criminology essentially stated that criminality was inherited, and that someone "born criminal". In other words he advocates that the criminals are born not made.
These studies showed that genetics affords people with particular predispositions which, under certain conditions, could lead them to a life of crime. Eysenck also looked at the physical attributes of criminals and argued that there was a physical difference between criminals and non-criminals. Biological factors shape the development of traits that are more contributing to crime than others. Eysenck was particularly interested in the influence of body shapes, which is further illustrated through the work of Lombroso. Lombroso conducted a study amongst 3000 prisoners and a controlled group of non-offenders.
Eyesneck conducted his own research on prisoners and concluded that being high in any 3 can lead to criminal activity but more so neurotosism and psychosism. He argues there is a mirror neuron in people which enables you to sympathies and feel other peoples feeling, he argues that a lack of it means you find it hard to connect emotionally with others, something he sees could lead to criminal activity. Farmington et al reviewed a number of studies and found that offenders scored higher than a control group on psychotosism and neurotosism but not extroversion. Eyes neck believed people with high neurotosism scores would have difficulty learning socially appropriate behaviors through normal means of reinforcement and punishment. However Blackburn critiques Eyesneck saying it's unclear to what psychotosism is measuring it appears to be linked to psychopathic tendencies but not consistently.
Sutherland believed the propensity for criminality is neither genetic nor fated. Instead, Edwin’s theory holds that external factors have a substantial influence over an individual's behavior (Scarpitti, 2009). Edwin appreciated that even though certain crimes happen more in minority populations, not everyone of that community are criminals. This is also true with more prosperous groups. Edwin wanted to go past the “black and white” walls and explain the elements that influence criminal behavior.