Biological Theories of Crime

Biological Theories

Focus on anatomical, physiological, or genetic abnormalities within the individual

Deterministic causation vs Free will Ignore the effect of social environmental

factors in crime Control==>Cure, treatment Shifts focus away from act and back to

Actor

Biological theories

Crime has been redefined as “sick” rather than “bad” behavior

“Medicalization” of behavior (hyperactive children are given medicine)

Search for individuals traits rather than social factors

Fundamental assumptions of

biological theories

The brain is the organ of the mind and the locus of personality. No theory of behavior can ignore neurology and neurochemistry

The basic determinants of human behavior are genetically based

Observed gender and racial differences in rates and types of criminality may be at least partially the result of biological differences b/w the sexes and racially distinct groups

Knowing what you do about trends and patterns in crime, how would you counteract the assertion that people who commit crime are physically abnormal? For example, how would you explain that fact that crime is more likely to occur in western and urban areas than in eastern and urban areas?

Lombroso’s Theory of Born Criminal

Observed the physical characteristics (head, body, arms, and skin) of Italian prisoners and compared them to Italian soldiers

Concluded that criminals were physically different

Lombroso

Born criminal is unsuited for society Inevitably violate social and legal rules

Critique of Lombroso

Theory overlooks the bright and handsome criminals

Theory ignores those who are ugly and live lives of productive and cooperative labor.

Theory does not look at the variations over time in crime rates. Since genes change very slowly, there should be a steady rate of crime over the centuries. That is not the case. Crime rates vary dramatically.

He was studying the very poor - people whose physical development had been affected by poverty, poor nutrition

Not everyone who breaks the law ends up in prison. This type of theorising neglects the idea that there is a "grey area" of criminality - people who commit crimes but who are not caught and therefore not imprisoned.

Critique of Lombroso

Particular groups in any society may possess the power to either "hide" their deviance or - more probably - escape having their behaviour classified / labelled as deviant in the first place

In this respect, Lombroso's research was hopelessly biased

Critique of Lombroso

Charles Goring (1913)

Junior medical officer in the English prison service

Tested the concept of “born criminal” He used statistical analysis to determine the

presence of 37 Lombrosian characteristics in the criminal population (2,348 convicts)

Compared criminals with “non-criminal public” (undergraduate students, soldiers, inmates of two separate hospitals)

Findings: no evidence of a physical type criminal

Body Types

Criminality is explained by reference to the offenders’ body types. Genetics, or external observable physical characteristics

Ernst Kretschmer

“biopsychological constitutional typology” Cycloid personality, associated with heavy,

soft type of body, lacks spontaneity and sophistication. Commit mostly non violent property crimes

Schizoids (athletic body type) commit violent types of offenses

Displastics (mixed group) are highly emotional, unable to control themselves, commit mostly sexual offenses and other crimes of passion.

1949: William Sheldon: "Varieties of Delinquent Youth"

Endomorph: fat, round--Psych: luxury, sloth, consumption.

Ectomorph: frail, skinny, gangly--Psych: introverts, cunning, stealth.

Mesomorph: large, strong, hard--Psych: active, dynamic, assertive, forceful.

Endomorph, Mesomorph, Ectomorph,

Research

Study-200 boys, Hayden Goodwill Institute. 7 point somotyping scale, 650 psychological attributes. Disproportionately mesomorphic--more prone to delinquency.

Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck (1950's): 800 adjudicated delinquents/matched sample of non-delinquents==> delinquents more likely to be mesomorphs.

Questions/Problems

Maybe need a tough body to gain acceptance/survive on the streets.

Body type and social meaning--the boys were already judged to be delinquent

Body type can change over time

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (brain dysfunction)

Lack of attention, impulsivity, hyperactivity

Blue, green - areas of low metabolism 3% of children (boys) Stimulants like Ritalin Control emotional

outburst

The XYY “Supermale”

Patricia Jacobs (1965) examined 198 Scottish prisoners for chromosomal abnormalities (blood test known “karyotyping”)

12 member of the group displayed XYY (only 3.5% of prison population)

1976 Danish study of 4,000 men found that the incidence of XYY men was less than 1% in the general male population

Crimes for which XYY men were convicted were not violent ones

There was significant difference between the XYYs and the XYs in the conviction for violent offenses

The XYY “Supermale”

200 studies on XYY males

Supermales are taller than average male, often standing more than 6’1’’

Suffer from acne or skin disorder Have less than average intelligence Come from families with a lower than

average history of crime or mental illness

Modern Biological Theories

Biochemical (diet, hypoglycemia, hormones, environmental exposure)

Neurophysiological (brain dysfunction) Evolutionary theories