Evaluate the Effectiveness of Criminological Theories to Explain Causes of Criminality (AC 3.2)

Question 1

Strengths of Lombroso

Answer 1

• Scientific
• Showed importance of examining clinical records
• His argument shows how we may go about preventing crime

Question 2

Limitations of Lombroso

Answer 2

• Other research fails to see any connection between physical traits and criminality
• No control group too compare with means his results are invalid
• Outdated research and is discredited today

Question 3

Strengths of Sheldon

Answer 3

• Glueck and Glueck found that 60% of offenders were indeed mesomorphs
• Extreme delinquency acts are mostly made by people with a mesomorphic body type

Question 4

Limitations of Sheldon

Answer 4

• Glueck and Glueck did point out that a range of factors were involved such as labelling
• A persons somatotype could be caused by their criminality rather than vice versa
• It doesn’t account for other somatotype criminals

Question 5

Strengths of Twin / Adoption studies

Answer 5

• It is logical to use concordance rates
• Evidence from research does support its argument

Question 6

Limitations of Twin / Adoption studies

Answer 6

• Studies never show 100% concordance rates, other factors such as environment must also influence criminality
• Adopted children are likely to stay within the same area (same environmental factors)

Question 7

Strengths of Jacob

Answer 7

• An association is found between criminals and XYY syndrome
• Price and Whatmore also found links between XYY syndrome and motiveless property crime

Question 8

Limitations of Jacob

Answer 8

• XYY syndrome is rare, so iy cannot explain all crime
• This could stereotype people with the syndrome as criminals when it hasn’t been proven to be the main cause of criminality
• XYY hasn’t been proven to be the main or the only cause of violence in criminals who do have it

Question 9

Strengths of Brain injuries and disorders

Answer 9

• Evidence supporting its claims
• There is a correlation between abnormal EEG test results and psychotic criminality
• Prisoners are more likely to have brain injuries

Question 10

Limitations of Brain injures and disorders

Answer 10

• Brain injuries are too rare for us to conclude they cause all criminality
• The connections of a cause and effect relationship are unclear
• An injury could be a result of criminal behaviour rather than the cause

Question 11

Strengths of Biochemical explanations

Answer 11

• It has been proven that hormones so effect mood and judgment
• Biochemical factors are factored in by courts
• Offending statistics match up with the ages in which hormone levels peak

Question 12

Limitations of Biochemical explanations

Answer 12

• Ignores environmental factors
• Some research (Scarmella and Brown) finds that testosterone levels do not greatly affect aggression in most men
• Links between other substance use and criminality is unclear

Question 13

General critiques of Biological Theories

Answer 13

• Crime is a social construct, so there is no universal explanation
• There is gender bias in most research as little is focused on female criminality
• There’s also sample bias as they can only study convicted criminals and not those who get away with it
• Environmental factors are ignored, they will trigger an act with or without biological factors

Question 14

Strengths of Durkheim

Answer 14

• First to recognise the positive effect crime had on society

Question 15

Limitations of Durkheim

Answer 15

• Victims of crime may not find it to be “functional”
• Never suggested the amount of deviance needed for society to function

Question 16

Strengths of Merton

Answer 16

• Shows how both normal and deviant behaviours arise from the same goals
• Explains high property crime rates

Question 17

Limitations of Merton

Answer 17

• Ignores white-collar crimes
• Ignores non-utilitarian crimes

Question 18

Strengths of Subcultural

Answer 18

• Shows how subcultures have a purpose to their members

Question 19

Limitations of Subcultural

Answer 19

• Ignores upperclass criminals
• People can be attracted to crime for other reasons than blocked opportunities

Question 20

Strengths of Labelling Theory

Answer 20

• Shows how the law is not a fixed set of rules, but a social construct
• Shifts focus onto police created crime and selective law enforcement

Question 21

Limitations of Labelling Theory

Answer 21

• A deviant label does not always lead to a deviant career
• Fails to explain why primary deviance occurs
• Doesn’t explain where the power to label comes from or why labels are applied to some groups over others

Question 22

Strengths of Marxism

Answer 22

• Shows how inequality can cause crime and how capitalism encouraging upperclass crime
• Shows how enforcement of the law is bias

Question 23

Limitations of Marxism

Answer 23

• Ignores other inequities e.g gender, ethnicity
• Over predicts working class crime, not all people in poverty will turn to crime
• Not all capitalist socketed have high crime rates e.g. Japan

Question 24

Strengths of Right Realism

Answer 24

Supported by several studies:
- Rettig found the degree of punishment affected students choice to commit crime in a hypothetical scenario
- Feldman found people thought crime was worth committing based on low risk and high reward
- Bennett and Wright interviewed burglars, reward and difficulty were the most important factors

Question 25

Limitations of Right Realism

Answer 25

Studies have weaknesses:
- Rettig and Feldman used experiments, may not generalise ti real life
- Bennett and Wright used unsuccessful burglars, doesn’t apply to successful ones
Also, Not all crimes are of rational decision: Violent crime is often impulsive, alcohol/ drugs affect ability to calculate risk

Question 26

Strengths of Left Realism

Answer 26

• Draws attention to poverty as the underlying cause of crime
• Draws attention to street crime and its effects on victims from deprived groups

Question 27

Limitations of Left Realism

Answer 27

• Ignored white-collar crimes
• Over predicts crime, not everyone experiencing relative deprivation will turn to crime
• Focus on high-crime inner-city areas gives an unrepresentative view