Introduction to CriminologyCRJ 270

Instructor: Jorge Pierrott

Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives

After reading this chapter, students should be able to answer the following questions:•What are the differences between historical biological and contemporary biosocial theories of crime?•What are the basic principles of biological theories of crime?•How does the positivist school explain criminality?•How does sociobiology explain crime, and what is the importance of altruism, territoriality and tribalism in that perspective •What are the policy implications of biological theories?•What are some criticisms of early biological theories of criminal behavior?

Traditional Biological versus Traditional Biological versus Modern Biosocial TheoriesModern Biosocial Theories

• Criminology has been slow to give credence to biological theories

• Roots grounded in the social sciences• Criminology today is interdisciplinary

and recognizes contributions from many disciplines

Diet and BehaviorDiet and Behavior

• 2012 – Dutch Ministry of Justice examined the link between good nutrition and antisocial behavior among prison inmates.

• Bernard Gesch’s research – Oxford University 500 inmates were studied Good diets with low sugar content 26.3% fewer offenses 35.1% reduction in overall offenses in groups

receiving supplements 37% drop of violent offenses

Principles of Biological TheoriesPrinciples of Biological Theories

• Early biological theorists focused mainly on physical features and heredity

• Contemporary biosocial theorists take a more in-depth look at human biology

• Major distinction is the emphasis placed on the interplay between biology and the social and physical environments

Figure 4-2 Fundamental Assumptions of Biological Theories of Crime CausationSource: Schmalleger, Frank J., Criminology. Printed and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Early Biological TheoriesEarly Biological Theories

• Built on scientific tradition of positivism• Positivism

Associated with the belief that all valid knowledge is acquired only through observation.

Build on:• An unflagging acceptance of social determinism or

consider free will and external forces as the cause of behavior

• The application of scientific techniques to the study of crime and criminology.

Early Biological TheoriesEarly Biological Theories

• Key principles Social determinism• Early biological theories consider the role

of the social environment to be relatively minor

Application of scientific techniques to the study of crime

Physical Features and CrimePhysical Features and Crime

• Focus on identifying physical abnormalities that could be used to distinguish offenders from others

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Known KillersKnown Killers

Physical Features and CrimePhysical Features and Crime

• Phrenology The study of the shape of the head to

determine anatomical correlates of human behavior

Franz Joseph Gall – located the roots of personality in the brain

Johann Gaspar Spurzheim – brought phrenology to the U.S.

The Italian SchoolThe Italian School

• Cesare Lombroso - atavism Criminality is the result of primitive

urges that survived the evolutionary process

Stigmata of degeneration – physical features indicative of criminality

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The Italian SchoolThe Italian School

• Criminaloids “occasional criminals,” people led into

crime by environmental influences

• Masculinity hypothesis Criminal women exhibited masculine

features and mannerisms

Evaluations of AtavismEvaluations of Atavism

• Earnest A. Hooton Criminals are physiologically inferior to

the general population

• Canadian atavism study (2000) found subtle physical abnormalities were associated with an increased risk of behavioral and psychiatric problems among boys

Constitutional TheoriesConstitutional Theories

• Explain criminality by reference to offenders' body types; genetics; or external, observable physical characteristics

• Somatotyping Ernst Kretschmer William H. Sheldon

Figure 4-3 Sheldon’s Body TypesSource: Printed and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Criminal FamiliesCriminal Families

• Sir Francis Galton – systematic study of heredity field of behavioral genetics

• Criminal families The Juke family – Richard L. Dugdale The Kallikak family – Henry H. Goddard

• Eugenic criminology Root causes of criminality were passed

down in the form of “bad genes.” Buck v. Bell (1927)

The XYY SupermaleThe XYY Supermale

• Research in 1965 led to concept of “supermale” with XYY chromosome – considered potentially violent

• Chromosome-based defense in court• Recent research demonstrates

conclusively that XYY males are not predictably aggressive

Twin Studies and HeredityTwin Studies and Heredity

• Twin studies compare MZ and DZ twins to examine role of heredity in crime causation

• Research supports relationship between heredity and risk of criminality

• Minnesota Twin Family Study found MZ twins reared apart are about as similar as those reared together

Biological Roots of Human Biological Roots of Human AggressionAggression

• Charles Darwin: Interspecies aggression favors the

strongest and best animals in the reproductive process

• Konrad Lorenz – On Aggression (1966) Human aggression serves other purposes

but takes on covert forms (drive to acquire wealth and power)

Human behavior is adapted instinctive behavior

Sociobiology: The New SynthesisSociobiology: The New Synthesis

• Introduced by Edward O. Wilson in 1975• Systematic study of the biological basis

of all social behavior• A new paradigm in criminological

theories

SociobiologySociobiology

• The main determinant of behavior is the need to ensure the survival and continuity of genetic material throughout generations

• Altruism facilitates the continuity of the gene pool

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SociobiologySociobiology

• Territoriality as an explanation of human conflict

• Used to explain both intergroup aggression (tribalism) and intragroup aggression

Criticisms of SociobiologyCriticisms of Sociobiology

• Fails to consider the significance of culture, social learning, individual experiences

• Fundamentally wrong in its depiction of basic human nature

• Rationalizes labeling, stigmatization of minorities

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Criticisms of SociobiologyCriticisms of Sociobiology

• Humans are too different from other animal species to apply findings from animal studies to human behavior

Critique of Early Biological Critique of Early Biological Theories of Human BehaviorTheories of Human Behavior

• Disregard the role of free will in human behavior

• Crime is a social construct and its meaning varies over time and place

• Unlikely that any biological feature or combination of features could explain the wide variety of crime today