pg. 1 Criminology Unit 2 Latest 2024 Flashcards/ Complete 150 Questions with Correct Detailed Answers (Verified Answers) Graded A+
AC 2.1 Describe biological theories of criminality
Lombroso's born criminals’ theory 1876 - ANSWER - Lombroso was a military doctor who believed criminality is heritable and that born criminals can be identified by physical characteristics. He referred to criminals as atavistic (someone who possesses primitive traits that can be linked to evolutionary times and may be unable to control their impulses). Some
examples of throwback/criminal characteristics include: a large nose, large
handle-like ears, thick lips, sharp jaw, close together/deep set eyes and long arms. He also believed that they had a reduced sensitivity to pain (so had tattoos) and were unemployed. Later into his studies he investigated more social and environmental factors that were involved in criminality.
What are the other two types of criminals Lombroso identified? - ANSWER
- Criminaloids- criminality caused due to environmental factors.
Biologically different- insane and epileptic criminals.
Sheldon’s' somatoform typology theory 1954 +his research - ANSWER - ....... studies how the build of a body can be linked to criminality. There are
three types of body: ectomorph- thin people who are more likely to commit
petty theft and drug offences, endomorphs- fat peoples who are more likely to commit technological crimes such as fraud and lastly mesomorphs- athletically bodied people who are more likely to commit violent/aggressive crimes like murder. Mesomorphs have a personality which makes them more risk-taking and energetic, also because of their physique they are more assertive, this leads to mesomorphs being the most likely to be 1 / 4
pg. 2 involved in crimes overall and ectomorphs being the least likely to commit crimes.
He studied photographs of 4000 barely clothed men, then examined the photos from the front, the back and the side angles. He used a correlation study (looking for a relationship between crime and somatotype), using a sample of photographs of college students and delinquents rated on a scale of 1(low) to 7 (high)in regards to their resemblance to mesomorph.The findings were that the delinquents had a higher average mesomorph rating than the college students.
Genetic theories of crime- XYY syndrome+ 2 studies - ANSWER - Some people might have a chromosomal abnormality that makes them more likely to commit a crime. XYY syndrome means a male has an extra Y chromosome making them a super male. This means they have more male characteristics such as aggression and violence.
Some characteristics include: increased height, problematic acne, higher
than average testosterone, allegedly lower IQ than average and poorly coordinated.Price and Whatmore found XYY males tend to be immature and unstable with a strong tendency to commit seemingly motiveless property crimes.Jacob et al claim men with XYY syndrome are more aggressive and violent, based on imprisoned criminals in secure psychiatric hospitals where a higher-than-average proportion had XYY syndrome and histories of aggression and violence.
Genetic theories of crime- Twin and adoption studies definition - ANSWER - If crime is because of genetic factors identical twins raised together will be equal to identical twins raised apart. An adopted child should be the same as their biological parents. If crime is because of environmental factors identical twins should be the same as fraternal twins, identical twins raised 2 / 4
pg. 3 apart will be different to identical twins raised apart and an adopted child will be the same as adopted parents.
- adoption/twin studies - ANSWER - Mednick et al examined data on over
14,000 adopted sons in Denmark from 1924-1947. They found that sons were more likely to have a criminal record if their biological parent also had a criminal record (20%) and only 14.7% had a criminal record if their adopted parent had one.Christiansen's study of 3,586 twin pairs in Denmark investigated if one identical twin had a conviction there was a 52% chance the other twin would get a conviction. Among non-identical twins there was only a 22% chance.A similar study by Ishikawa and Raine found a 44% rate for identical twins and only 21.6% for non-identical twins.-Since the concordance rates are not 100% it shows that crime is not purely because of genetics and that there are other factors involved which may be environmental.
What are monozygotic twins?What are dizygotic/fraternal twins? - ANSWER - Identical twins that share 100% genetics Non-identical twins that share 50% of genetics just like any other sibling (two separate eggs fertilized during the same pregnancy).
MAOA- Warrior gene - ANSWER - It is a gene mutation that only effects males and is present in 30-40% of the population. MAOA-L (low) is a low activity MAOA gene which is also known as the warrior gene, it is directly linked to chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) like dopamine and serotonin. Serotonin stabilizes mood and low levels can affect mood and communication with the emotional center of the brain (amygdala). 3 / 4
pg. 4 The warrior gene theory- if the gene is not as active as it should be then neurotransmitters e.g. serotonin aren't functioning properly- low levels of serotonin lead to a lack of impulse control. The theory relates to more impulsive and sudden acts of violence rather than premeditated.
- MAOA gene studies - ANSWER - Han Brunner 1993- made the discovery
of the MAOA gene mutation when he studied a Dutch family whose male generations displayed extreme violent aggression. 9 males from the family were biologically tested and they were all missing the gene completely. The study found people with the MAOA gene in the family had normal jobs and social behaviors. It is likely these are triggered by environmental factors.
Avshalom Caspi- from 1972 researchers monitored a group of children through their development from birth, specifically looking at maltreatment of children and the warrior gene. Children with trauma and the gene showed higher levels of anti-social behavior and criminality. 55/422 boys with the gene and mistreatment were said to be 10x more likely to be convicted of violent crime by the age of 26. In Finland 900 offenders were categorized on the level of violence, the people in the extremely violent category had the warrior gene. Other factors like life experiences/substance misuse could be a part of this.
Brain abnormality as an explanation for criminality. - ANSWER - This can
be caused by a: car accident, fall, assault, substance misuse, dementia or
sporting injury.
Damage to the pre-frontal cortex leads to immaturity, lack of self-control and inability to modify behavior.
Damage to the amygdala leads to reduction of fear and lack of/excessive emotions.
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