Biological explanations (Atavistic form) Flashcards
(28 cards)
What is the atavistic form:
A biological approach to offending that attributes criminal activity to the fact that offenders are genetic throwbacks or a primitive sub species who cannot conform to the rules of modern society. Such individuals are distinguishable by particular facial and cranial characteristics..
The historical approach
Lombroso suggested that criminals were ‘genetic throwbacks’, who were biologically different from non criminals.
By today’s standards. Lombroso’s theory of the atavistic form would be seen as naive, but his ideas may have laid the foundation for modern profiling techniques.
Offenders were seen by Lombroso as LACKING EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT, their savage and untamed nature meant that they would find it impossible to adjust to the demands of civilised society and therefore inevitably turn to crime. Therefore, criminal behaviour is innate (genetics).
What is the atavistic form (background)
Lombroso gathered empirical evidence from post-mortem examinations of criminals and took measurements of the faces of living criminals. He examined the facial and cranial features of both living and dead, proposed that the atavistic form was associated with a number of physical anomalies which were key indicators of criminality.
In a study of 383 dead convicted Italian criminals and 3839 living ones, he found that 40% of crimanal acts are committed by people with atavistic characteristics.
Examples of PHYSIOLOGICAL MARKERS:
Thief = expressive face and small wandering eyes
Habitual murderers - cold, glassy stares, bloodshot eyes.
Rapists - ‘jug ears’.
Fraudsters = thin and ‘reedy’ lips
Sexual deviants = glinting eyes, swollen, fleshy lips and projecting ears.
Cranial characteristics and other
Narrow, sloping brow, strong prominent jaw, high cheekbones, facial asymmetry.
Other = dark skin, extra toes, insensitivity to pain, slang and tattoos.
Strength of atavistic form
Contribution to criminology:
Lombroso was hailed as the ‘father of modern criminology’.
He is credited as shifting the emphasis in crime research away from a moralistic discourse (wicked) towards a more scientific r4ealm of genetics.
Before lombroso, it was assumed that crime was a choice which could be deterred with punishment. Lombroso argued a more ‘humane’ view was needed when dealing with criminals, as biology and env may remove the option of free will - although this may have implications for the judicial system.
Also, in trying to describe how particular types of people are likely to commit particular types of crime, this contributed to the science of criminology.
Limitation to Lombroso - MATT DeLisi
Scientific racism.
Features include curly hair and dark skin -> African descent.
Uncomfortable and controversial aspect of his legacy and may be socially sensitive.
Another limitation (his study)
His study is gender biased as he did not study women.
Despite being less evolved than men, women were less likely to become criminals. Women’s passivity, low intelligence and maternal instinct neutralised their negative traits of jealousy and insensitivity to pain.
He saw women who did commit crimes as possessing masculine traits.
Therefore this theory can’t be applied to both men and women.
Atavistic form: Charles Goring
Lombrosos work was poorly controlled as there was no control group. Charles Goring conducted a study comparing the physical features of 3000 English non criminals with 3000 criminals and found no significant difference in their physical features.
All the characteristics may be linked to non criminal populations too. Could be poor diet or poverty.
Poor validity.
What is the genetic explanation?
Offenders inherit a gene, or combination of genes that predispose them to commit crime.
Twin study (Johannes Lange)
Investigated 13 MZ and 17 DZ twins, where one of the twins in each pair had served some time in prison. 10/13 MZ twins had a co-twin also in prison, and only 2/17 DZ had a co twin. therefore genetic factors must play a role in offending behaviour.
Twin studies - Raine
52% concordance rate for offender behaviour in MZ, and 21% in DZ twins.
Adoption study - Crowe
Found that adopted children who had a biological parent with a criminal record had a 50% risk of having a criminal record by 18, compared to adopted children whose mother didn’t have a criminal record only had a 5% risk.
Candidate genes: Jari Tiihonen
Jari Tiihonen et al (2014) carried out a genetic analysis of almost 900 offenders. They revealed abnormalities of two genes which may be associated with violent crimes including, the MAOA gene (responsible for controlling dopamine and serotonin in the brain and has been linked to aggressive behaviour) and CDH13 (that has been linked to substance abuse and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD). Within the Finnish sample, individuals with this high-risk combination were 13 times more likely to have a history of violent behaviour. However, this research is still early days – and so far, has not been replicated.
How is abdominal levels of dopamine linked to offending? (BLUM)
Dopamine is linked with arousal and reward seeking - people with deficits in the normal reward system who do not gain pleasure from normal pleasurable activities need greater stimulation -> crime.
How is serotonin linked?
responsible for regulating mood and impulsiveness, so if levels of serotonin are unstable, it can leads to increased impulsivity and increase crime,
Genetic explanation - diathesis stress model
Suggests that becoming a criminal may be influenced through the combination of genetic PREDISPOSITIONS and an environmental trigger, such as being raised in a dysfunctional environment.
Evaluation for DSM (environment) - SARNOFF MEDNICK
13,000 Danish adoptees, studied genetic and environmental influences in criminal behaviour.
When neither the biological nor adoptive parent had convictions, percentage of adoptees that did was 13.5%. When either parent had one, figure is 20%, when both adoptive and biological parents it rose to 24.5%. -> environmental.
Problems with Lange’s twin study
Poorly controlled and judgements related to zygosity were based on appearance rather than DNA testing, thereofore research may lack validity.
Twin studies also involve small sample sizes, and may not represent rest of population. Twins re also reared in the same env is a major confounding variable as concordance rates may be due to shared environment rather than genetics.
Problems with adoption studies
Presumed separation of genetic and environment influences in adoption studies. Many adoptees spend a lot of their life w biological parents anyways, and remain in contact.
These points make it difficult to assess the environmental impact the biological parents may have had.
Neural explanations for crime:
Alot of the evidence in this area has been investigated on individuals who have been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder (APD). APD is associated with reduced emotional responses, a lack of empathy for others feelings and is a condition which characterises many convicted criminals.
Prefrontal cortex
Mirror neurons
What did Raine find in brains of APD
He found they had reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex, the area that regulates emotional behaviour.
Raine found an 11% reduction in the volume of grey matter in the prefrontal cortex of people with APD compared to controls.
How did Raine find this?
21 people with APD, and 21 without was measured using an MRI scan for the volume of grey matter in their prefrontal cortex. These people show less emotion or feeling for others. All 42 participants had their autonomic activity measured through the measuring of their heart rate and skin conductance while they were put into a stressful situation through videotaping them talking about their faults.
How are neurotransmitters linked to offending?
Serotonin - low levels of serotonin lead to impulsive aggression.
Serotonin helps regulate the functioning of the pre-frontal cortex.
Noradrenaline - too high can lead to aggressive behaviours and violence. Noradraneline is involved in the fight or flight response in determining if threats are real or not. So it can impair decision making.
