Forensics: Atavistic Form (Explanation of offending)

Question 1

What is atavistic form

Answer 1

• biological approach to offending that attributes criminal activity to the fact that offenders are genetic throwbacks or a primitive subspecies ill-suited to conforming to the rules of modern society.
• Such individuals are distinguishable by particular facial and cranial characteristics.

Question 2

What was Lombroso’s theory on offending (L’Huomo Delinquente)

Answer 2

• believed offenders were lacking evolutionary development.
  -> their savage and untamed nature meant they found it impossible to adjust to the demands of civilised society and would inevitably turn to crime.

Question 3

What were the atavistic characteristics that Lombroso identified

Answer 3

• theorised criminals could be identified by physiological markers mainly on face and head:
  
  • Narrow, sloping brow
  • facial asymmetry
  • strong prominent jaw
• also identified other signs:
• insensitivity to pain
• unemployment

Question 4

What set of atavistic characteristics indicate a murderer

Answer 4

• bloodshot eyes, strong jaws, long ears and curly hair

Question 5

What set of atavistic characteristics indicate a sexual deviant

Answer 5

• glinting eyes, swollen, fleshy lips and projecting ears.

Question 6

What set of atavistic characteristics indicate a fraudster

Answer 6

lips were thin and reedy.

Question 7

List the evaluations for Lombroso’s research on L’Huomo Delinquente

Answer 7

Positive:
- Shifted crime research towards a scientific realm

negative:
- Scientific racism
- Methodological issues
- Causation

Question 8

(+) Explain how Lombroso shifted crime research towards a scientific realm (Hollin)

Answer 8

• Shifted emphasis in crime research away from moralistic discourse towards a scientific and credible realm.
• atavistic characteristics were the foundation of criminal profiling.
  -> Hollin (1989)

Question 9

(-) Explain how Lombroso’s research displays scientific racism (DeLisi)

Answer 9

• DeLisi found distinct racial undertones.
• Many of the features that Lombroso identified are more likely to be found among people of African descent.
• Lends support to the Eugenics movement – ‘uncivilised, primitive and savage’

Question 10

(-) Explain how Lombroso’s research displays contradictory evidence (Goring)

Answer 10

• limited support to the argument of ‘sub-species’ in terms of lower intelligence, not all criminals have low intelligence.
• Goring -> 3000 criminals and 3000 non-criminals -> studied physical or mental abnormalities.
  -> no evidence that offenders are a distinctive group with unusual facial or cranial features / characteristics.

Question 11

(-) What are the methodological issues with Lombroso’s research

Answer 11

• Lombroso did not compare his sample to a non-criminal
  control group.
• Failed to account for other variables: people he studied had a history of psychological disorders or chromosomal abnormalities: confounding variables.

Question 12

(-) Explain how there is a causation issue with Lombroso’s research

Answer 12

• Facial and cranial differences may be influenced by other factors such as poverty or poor diet rather than being an indication of delayed evolutionary development.
• In later work, the view was less extreme: criminals could be made as well as born due to a range of environmental factors.