Biosocial theories: Positivist Criminology

Question 1

What is positivism?

Answer 1

• not a theory but a philosophy related to the use of science in regulating the world around us
• the basic features of positivism:
  1. systematic observation
  2. accumulation of evidence
  3. objective fact
  4. deductive framework

Question 2

What are the focuses of trait theories?

Answer 2

• theories focus on characteristics of the offender rather than to his/her circumstances
• theories have always produced controversial debates but hard to ignore research on twins
  –> example; shows significant amount of behavioural concordance even if separated shortly after birth and raised differently
• as technology enhances our ability to identify biological correlates of human behaviour might give approach more credibility down the road

Question 3

What were some of Cesare Lombroso’s contributions?

Answer 3

• Lombroso’s most lasting contribution was in relation to the cjs
• classical theorists said punishment should fit the crime but lombroso said punishment should fit the criminal
  –> as such, he called for different treatment in the justice system for different kinds of criminals
• born criminals should be incarcerated to protect society
  –> however they should be treated leniently as they have no control over their behaviour

Question 4

What are sociological theories in relation to crime and deviance?

Answer 4

• differences in the social environment explain crime
  –> family, school, peer group, community
• argue there are no individual differences between criminals and non criminals

Question 5

What did the modern biological theories reemerge?

Answer 5

reemergence of individual level theories
- focus on individual differences and the influence of these differences on the likelihood of crime

Question 6

What are some factors in the development of trait theory

Answer 6

sociobiology and criminology
- biology, environment and learning are mutually interdependent
- personal traits separate deviant from non-deviant
- personal traits account for different responses to similar conditions

Question 7

What is contemporary trait theory?

Answer 7

1. criminality can be explained by individual differences:
   - both biological and psychological
   - may be genetic, neurological or chemical
2. Focus on basic human drives, not legal definitions:
   - example; aggression, impulsivity
3. Traits work in combination with environment and social factors
   -focuses on chronic offenders, criminal careers

Question 8

What are the 2 main reasons to examine individual/biological factors?

Answer 8

1. biological factors can interact with the social environment to produce crime
   - influence how individuals respond to their environment
   - individuals may respond to the same environment differently
2. individual traits may influence the social environment in ways that may increase the likelihood of crime
   - may evoke responses from others and/or seek out risky peers/situations
   - failure to consider biological factors and individual traits may result in inaccurate estimates of the effect of social factors on crime

Question 9

What do biosocial researchers do?

Answer 9

see connections among environmental factors, biological factors and individual traits

Question 10

What do modern day biological theories argue?

Answer 10

1. biological and environmental factors influence the development of trait conductive to crime
2. traits conductive to crime influence the social environment in ways that increase the likelihood of crime
3. crime is most likely among individuals who possess traits conducive to crime and are aversive environments

Question 11

What was the Gluecks theory and research

Answer 11

gleuck and gleuck examined the impact of biological, sociological and social factors in the explanation of crime
- looked to explain why people respond to different environments in different ways
- took a life-course approach examining how the causes of crime develop from childhood to adulthood

Question 12

Who were the people being examined in Gleuck and Gleucks research?

Answer 12

• examined a matched sample of 500 delinquent and 500 non delinquent boys
• white males ages 10-17 matched on age, race, neighbourhood characteristics and intelligence
• delinquents from 2 juvenile reformatories in Massachusetts and non-delinquents from Boston public schools
• followed up with the boys at ages 25 and 32

Question 13

What did Sutherland and sociologists say about Gleuck and Gleucks work

Answer 13

Sutherland
- attacked their work saying it was theoretical and downplayed sociological factors
sociologists
- rejected the work saying it was flawed methodologically and portrayed offenders as biologically deficient

Question 14

What did Gleuck and Glueck argue?

Answer 14

1. argued we needed a multidisciplinary study of crime
2. argued that area studies establish a region of economic and cultural disorganization that tends to have a criminogenic effect on people
   - but these studies fail to emphasize that this influence affects only a selected group of people and not all residents in that area
3. argued many theories of their time were focused on a single factor (e.g. poverty) and thus were not able to thoroughly explain crime

Question 15

What are some factors with probable causal significance?

Answer 15

• Physique
• temperamental traits and emotional dynamics
• intellectual traits
• behaviour reflecting traits

Question 16

What are temperamental traits and emotional dynamics?

Answer 16

• Delinquents found to be more extroversive, more vivacious, more emotionally labile or impulsive, more destructive/sadistic, more aggressive, and more adventurous
• Also delinquents found to be more hostile, defiant, resentful, destructive, and suspicious than non delinquents
• Delinquents are shown to be higher on social assertiveness, feelings of not being recognized/appreciated, and narcissism and are less conventional, cooperative, inclined to meet expectations of others, and submissive to authority
• Delinquents are more stubborn and egocentric, less critical of themselves, less conscientious, and more likely to experience conflicts
  –> Delinquents are more likely to handle conflicts through extroversion

Question 17

What are Intellectual traits?

Answer 17

The boys were matched on intelligence but differences were still seen
- Delinquents are distinguished from non delinquents in having a lesser capacity to approach problems methodiologically
- Delinquents have less verbal intelligence
- Delinquents tend to express themselves intellectually in a direct, immediate and concrete manner rather than through the use of intermediate symbols of abstractions
- Delinquents have greater emotional disharmony connected with their performance of intellectual traits

Question 18

What are some behaviour reflecting significant traits?

Answer 18

• School attainment
• School misbehviour
• general misbehaviour tendencies
• leisure time and companions
• sociocultural factors

Question 19

How is physique a probable causal significance?

Answer 19

• High incidence of mesomorphic (muscular, solid) dominance in delinquents
• Among non-delinquents, there is a high incidence of ectomorphic (linear, thin) dominance
• Delinquents also have been reported to have been restless as children

Question 20

How is school attainment a behaviour reflecting trait?

Answer 20

May reflect temperamental and intellectual differences or variations in early environment and training
- School accomplishment of delinquents was definitely inferior to that of the control group
- Delinquents had a poorer attitude toward school
–> Markedly disliked school and few expressed a desire to continue their schooling
–> Less interested in academic tasks, less attentive, more often tardy, less reliable, more careless with their work, lazier, more restless, less truthful, and sought attention

Question 21

How is school misbehaviour a behaviour reflecting trait?

Answer 21

Delinquents misbehave at a much higher rate than non- delinquents
- Average age at first school misbehavior was nine and a half (fourth grade)
–> That is three years younger than non-delinquents who misbehaved in school
–> Engage in truancy, disobedience, disorderliness, stubbornness, impudence, quarrelsome, cruelty, and the destruction of school property

Question 22

How is general misbehaviour tendencies a behaviour reflecting trait?

Answer 22

Outside of school, delinquents stole rides, hopped on trucks, committed destructive mischief, set fires, snuck into theaters without paying, ran away from home, bunked out, kept late hours, gambled, begged, and smoked and drank at an early age more than non-delinquents

Question 23

How is leisure time and companions a behaviour reflecting trait?

Answer 23

Delinquents spent more time away from home
- More likely to play in distant neighborhoods, hang around street corners, vacant lots, waterfronts, railroad yards, and poolrooms
- Engaged in fewer supervised activities
- Gravitated to more adventurous activities
- Preferred to associate with delinquent peers

Question 24

How are sociocultural factors a behaviour reflecting trait?

Question 25

Overall what does delinquency result from?

Answer 25

the interplay among somatic (physique—mesomorphic), temperamental (restless and aggressive), attitudinal (hostile and defiant), psychological (less methodical), intellectual, and sociocultural (especially family) forces

Question 26

What were gleucks works 3 important contributions?

Answer 26

1. Embraced a multifactor approach where the causes of crime were driven by the data
2. Showed early antisocial behavior was related to later criminal behavior and thus criminal involvement was a dynamic developmental process
   - Need to examine childhood and theories that are incomplete
   - Criminological theory should become largely a branch of developmental criminology
3. Showed antisocial youths not only are shaped by their circumstances but also impact the social world