AC3.2

Question 1

What is the strength of Lombroso’s physiological theory?

Answer 1

A strength is that Lombroso was the first person to study crime scientifically, his research showed the importance of examining records of criminals and his later work took some limited account of social and economic factors.

Question 2

What are the limitations to Lombroso’s physiological theory?

Answer 2

Research since Lombroso has failed to show link between facial features and criminality, he failed to compare his findings on prisoners and by describing criminals as primitive savages it could be deemed as racist.

Question 3

What are the strengths Sheldon’s physiological theory?

Answer 3

A strength could be the other studies have replicated his findings and that most serious delinquents in Sheldon sample were the ones with the most extremely metamorphic body shapes.

Question 4

What are the limitations of Sheldon’s physiological theory?

Answer 4

One limitation is that could be crime is not explained by biology alone. Criminals may develop a certain body type to be physically rough. Social class may be the true course of both offending and body types. I’m labelling may play a part as the more mesomorphs who are labelled as troublemakers the moremetamorphic to a court as makers.

Question 5

What are the strengths of twin studies?

Answer 5

My strength is that because MZ twins are genetically identical it is logical to examine whether they are offending behaviour is also identical. Twin studies also give some support to genetic explanations and there has been a found concordance rate.

Question 6

What are the limitations of Twin studies?

Answer 6

A limitation of twin studies is that if genes were the only cause of criminally identical twins would show 100% concordance rate but studies only show half or less.

Question 7

What are the strengths of adoption studies?

Answer 7

The strength of adoption studies are that adoption studies overcome the problem faced by twin studies where biological twins brought up in the same household which makes them impossible to separate out of the influence of genes or environment.

Question 8

What are the limitations of adoption studies?

Answer 8

Limitation is that studies argue how this shows genes have a little effect on criminal, adopted children are often placed in environment similar to their birth family and many children are not adopted immediately after birth but remain with a biological family for sometime.

Question 9

What is the strength of the XYY syndrome?

Answer 9

A strength is that there has been found to be an association between the syndrome and offenders in prison for violent behaviour. There’s a links between the syndrome and property crime.

Question 10

What are the limitations of XYY syndrome?

Answer 10

The limitations of that even if some violent offenders have the syndrome this doesn’t approve it is the course of their violence. Labelling theory can also come in with people with XYY syndrome. And XYY syndrome is very rare.

Question 11

What are the strengths for brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 11

The strengths are in a few extreme cases brain injury or disease has led to major changes in an individual personality and behaviour. There is a correlation. And prisoners are more likely to have brain injuries than non-prisoners.

Question 12

What are the limitations to brain injuries and disorders?

Answer 12

A limitation is that crime caused by brain injury or disease. It is not clear that abnormality in the brain causes psychopath, pathetic criminal. And prisoners higher likelihood of brain injury could be a result of the criminal rather than the cause of it.

Question 13

What are the strengths of the biochemical explanations?

Answer 13

The strength of the biochemical Nwes are that, blood sugar, and substance abuse can affect mood judgement and aggression. Biochemical factors are recognised by the courts. Alcohol produces disinhibition, reducing self control and leading to criminal behaviour.

Question 14

What are the strengths of the psychodynamic theory?

Answer 14

One strength is that the point of the importance of early socialisation and family relationships and understanding criminal behaviour. Explanations have had some influence on policies for dealing with crime.

Question 15

What are the limitations of the psychodynamic theory?

Answer 15

One limitation is a critics, doubt the existence of the unconscious mind. They think it is unscientific and subjective.

Question 16

What are the strength of personality theory?

Answer 16

A strength is that the theory is useful in describing how some measurable tendencies could increase persons risk of offending. My husband links between personality scores and criminality.

Question 17

What are the limitations of personality theory?

Answer 17

There has been a range of studies to show how eroticism and psychoticism are linked but not extra version. Evidence on prisoner shows a correlation between personality type and criminal but that is not the sole cause of criminal.

Question 18

What are the strengths of social learning theory?

Answer 18

One strength is it focuses on socialisation and how we learn from our experiences of others. It focuses on how children who observed aggressive behaviour being rewarded shows the behaviour later on and emphasise the importance of role models.

Question 19

What are the limitations of social learning theory?

Answer 19

One limitation is that it is all based on lab studies. The theory assumes peoples behaviour is completely determined by their learning experiences and ignores their freedom of choice.

Question 20

What are the strengths of functionalism by Durkheim?

Answer 20

One strength is that there there were the first recognise that crime has positive functions for society

Question 21

What are the limitations of functionalism Durkheim?

Answer 21

One limitation is it exclaimed society requires a certain amount of deviance to functions but offers no way of knowing how much is the right amount

Question 22

What are the strengths of functionalism by Merton?

Answer 22

One strength is that Merton shows how normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals.

Question 23

What are the limitations of functionalism by Merton?

Answer 23

One limitation is that Merton ignores crime of wealthy and over predict the amount of working class, he sees deviance as an individual response.

Question 24

What are the strengths of the subcultural theories?

Answer 24

One strength is that it shows how subcultural is perform a function for their members but offering solutions to the problem of failing to achieve mainstream goals legitimately

Question 25

What are the limitations of subcultural theories?

Answer 25

One limitation is they ignore crimes of wealthy and overprotective working class like Merton, they assume everyone starts with mainstream goals and turns to a subculture when they failed to achieve them.

Question 26

What are the strengths of interactionism and labelling theory?

Answer 26

The strengths are labelling theory shows how the law is not fixed several rules to be taken for granted but something who is construction we need to explain. It’s the focus on the police creating applying labels based on their stereotypes and it shows the attempts to control deviance can make it worse.

Question 27

What are the limitations of the interactionism and labelling theory?

Answer 27

The limitations are that it can wrongly imply someone is labelled a deviant career is inevitable, emphasises on the negative effects of labelling and give him a victim status.

Question 28

What are the strengths of mark ism?

Answer 28

One strength is that shows how poverty and inequality can cause working class crime. It shows how both lawmaking and law-enforcement are biased against the working class.

Question 29

What are the limitations of Marxist views?

Answer 29

The limitations are that it focuses on class a lot and ignores the relationship between crime and other inequalities such as gender or ethnicity.

Question 30

What are the strengths of right realism?

Answer 30

One strength is it may explain how some opportunistic petty crime such as theft occur. Studies show that people have made decisions about crime when interviewing burglars.

Question 31

What is a limitation of right realism?

Answer 31

One limitation is that not all crimes are the results of rational decisions. Violent crimes are often impulsive.

Question 32

What are the strengths of left realism?

Answer 32

The strength is that realism draws attention to the importance of poverty inequality and relative deprivation as the causes of crime.

Question 33

What are the limitations of left realism?

Answer 33

It can overprotect the amount of working class crime not everyone who experiences relative deprivation and marginalisation turns to crime. It focuses on high crime in the city areas gives an unreactive view and mixed climate appear a greater problem than it already is.

Question 34

What are the strengths of surveillance theories?

Answer 34

One strength is that researchers have identified other forms of surveillance, including actual justice and profiling.

Question 35

What are the limitations of surveillance theories?

Answer 35

One limitation is that surveillance may not change peoples behaviour because offenders often take no notice of it.