Biological Theory And Crime

Biology and Crime:
Andrea Yates, Charles Whitman, and John Hinckley Jr.

Jose A. Melendez Jr.

Week 2

CJS/231
Criminology

1 December 2014

Kenneth Bitting

Biological theory is the theory that attempts to explain criminal behavior through biological traits. It explains the cause of criminality in offenders to be due to biological inferiority compared to noncriminal. These biological inferiorities are the result of physiological influences and genetic inheritances. There isn’t any researched proof that isolates a single genetic factor or source that influences criminality. There is, however, research that indicates certain genetic and non genetic markers “control the propensities of individuals to exhibit aggressive or impulsive…show more content…
made world news in 1981 when he attempted to assassinate (then) President Ronald Reagan. Leading up to his attempt to assassinate, Hinckley endured psychological illnesses of depression, schizophrenia and obsession. He attempted to combat this by taking sedatives and antidepressants. Hinckley became obsessed with Jodie Foster after watching Taxi Driver. The film revolved a cab driver who plans to save a young prostitute and stalks a presidential candidate. Hinckley held a corrupt view of reality. His obsession with the movie and Jodie Foster led to the assassination attempt that in his mind would somehow unite him with Jodie Foster and stop her rejections of his advances. His fantasy and eccentric delusions caused Hinckley to display antisocial behavior and isolate himself from healthy relationships with others. In addition, Hinckley did not have the ability to comprehend the wrongfulness of his actions due to his mental status, as deduced by defense psychiatrist Dr. William T. Carpenter Jr. Dr. Carpenter used the term “process schizophrenia” to describe Hinckley’s condition as progressive mental deterioration from having “fairly subtle disorders” to “'more severe disorders and psychotic disorders” as time went on with “potentially lifelong applications.” Hinckley was committed to a mental institute (St. Elizabeth Hospital) after being found not guilty by reason of insanity in 1982. Hinckley suffered from depression, antisocial behavior, obsession, no…show more content…
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