1. 4
Early Biological Perspectives on Criminal Behavior

2. Traditional Biological versus Modern Biosocial Theories
Criminology has been slow to give credence to biological theories
Roots grounded in the social sciences
Criminology today is interdisciplinary and recognizes contributions from many disciplines

3. Principles of Biological Theories
Early biological theorists focused mainly on physical features and heredity
Contemporary biosocial theorists take a more in-depth look at human biology
Major distinction is the emphasis placed on the interplay between biology and the social and physical environments

4. Figure Fundamental Assumptions of Biological Theories of Crime Causation Source: Schmalleger, Frank J., Criminology. Printed and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

5. Early Biological Theories
Built on scientific tradition of positivism
Positivism
associated with the belief that all valid knowledge is acquired only through observation
Key principles
Social determinism
Application of scientific techniques to the study of crime

6. Physical Features and Crime
Focus on identifying physical abnormalities that could be used to distinguish offenders from others
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7. Physical Features and Crime
Phrenology
The study of the shape of the head to determine anatomical correlates of human behavior
Franz Joseph Gall – located the roots of personality in the brain
Johann Gaspar Spurzheim – brought phrenology to the U.S.

8. The Italian School Cesare Lombroso - atavism
Criminality is the result of primitive urges that survived the evolutionary process
Stigmata of degeneration – physical features indicative of criminality
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9. The Italian School Criminaloids Masculinity hypothesis
“occasional criminals,” people led into crime by environmental influences
Masculinity hypothesis
Criminal women exhibited masculine features and mannerisms

10. Evaluations of Atavism
Earnest A. Hooton
Criminals are physiologically inferior to the general population
Canadian atavism study (2000) found subtle physical abnormalities were associated with an increased risk of behavioral and psychiatric problems among boys

11. Constitutional Theories
Explain criminality by reference to offenders' body types; genetics; or external, observable physical characteristics
Somatotyping
Ernst Kretschmer
William H. Sheldon

12. Figure Sheldon’s Body Types Source: Printed and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

13. Criminal Families
Sir Francis Galton – systematic study of heredity  field of behavioral genetics
Criminal families
The Juke family – Richard L. Dugdale
The Kallikak family – Henry H. Goddard
Eugenic criminology
Root causes of criminality were passed down in the form of “bad genes.”
Buck v. Bell (1927)

14. The XYY Supermale
Research in 1965 led to concept of “supermale” with XYY chromosome – considered potentially violent
Chromosome-based defense in court
Recent research demonstrates conclusively that XYY males are not predictably aggressive

15. Twin Studies and Heredity
Twin studies compare MZ and DZ twins to examine role of heredity in crime causation
Research supports relationship between heredity and risk of criminality
Minnesota Twin Family Study found MZ twins reared apart are about as similar as those reared together

16. Biological Roots of Human Aggression
Charles Darwin:
Interspecies aggression favors the strongest and best animals in the reproductive process
Konrad Lorenz – On Aggression (1966)
Human aggression serves other purposes but takes on covert forms (drive to acquire wealth and power)
Human behavior is adapted instinctive behavior

17. Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
Introduced by Edward O. Wilson in 1975
Systematic study of the biological basis of all social behavior
A new paradigm in criminological theories

18. Sociobiology
The main determinant of behavior is the need to ensure the survival and continuity of genetic material throughout generations
Altruism facilitates the continuity of the gene pool
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19. Sociobiology Territoriality as an explanation of human conflict
Used to explain both intergroup aggression (tribalism) and intragroup aggression

20. Criticisms of Sociobiology
Fails to consider the significance of culture, social learning, individual experiences
Fundamentally wrong in its depiction of basic human nature
Rationalizes labeling, stigmatization of minorities
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21. Criticisms of Sociobiology
Humans are too different from other animal species to apply findings from animal studies to human behavior

22. Critique of Early Biological Theories of Human Behavior
Disregard the role of free will in human behavior
Crime is a social construct and its meaning varies over time and place
Unlikely that any biological feature or combination of features could explain the wide variety of crime today