biochemical

Question 1

strength: testosterone

Answer 1

Testosterone levels and males offending both peak around the same age, suggesting hormones affect criminal behaviour.

Question 2

Strength: substance abuse

Answer 2

sexual hormones, blood sugar levels and substance abuse can affect mood, judgement, and aggression

Question 3

strength: courts

Answer 3

Biochemical factors are recognised by the courts. The law of infanticide. States that if a mother kills her baby because of post – natal depression or breastfeeding, she has a partial defence to murder. Premenstrual tension (PMT) has been accepted as a defence in shoplifting cases.

Question 4

weakness: environmental

Answer 4

Biochemical processes may predispose some individuals to offend, but it may require an environmental ‘trigger’ to cause actual offending.

Question 5

weakness: Scaramella and Brown

Answer 5

Scaramella and Brown (1978) found
testosterone levels do not greatly affect aggression levels in most men.

Question 6

weakness: infanticide

Answer 6

Infanticide may be due to isolation and the responsibility for caring for a new-born child rather than hormones.