Most of Lombroso’s earliest work resulted from autopsies performed on male criminals. (Newburn, 2013). In order to identify a criminal, Lombroso focused mainly on the mental and physical characteristics for example the deviation in head size, asymmetry of the face, eye defects and peculiarities, nose twisted, upturned or flattened in thieves, defects of the thorax and imbalance of the hemispheres of the brain etc. (Newburn, 2013). Lombroso’s entire theory was based around the simple belief that ‘Criminals were born, not made.…
Research Paper Rough Draft There are many biological theories in criminology that attempt to explain behaviors that contrast with society’s expectations; these theories are within a paradigm known as positivism. The theory of positivism, asserting that criminal behavior is beyond ones’ control, can be used to explain why that individual committed the crime, as opposed to the crime being due to a rational choice made. The brains of violent offenders are different from other individuals in structure and in function. This part of the brain controls “deeper and more primitive subconical structures […] which are thought to give rise aggressive feelings.…
When crimes are committed, people perceive each crime differently and tend to add their opinion on how the criminal(s) should be treated. One crime, for example, had Tyrone Hood charged with the killing and robbing of a college student. The positivist theory helps understand why Tyrone Hood committed this crime and should go to trial, but be rehabilitated instead of being incarcerated based on the crime. The positivist theory is known as the, “...scientific method to the study of the criminal” (Cullen, 2013, p.7).…
Building on the work of Huxley, Tinbergen (1963) formulated four questions to tap into how organisms were structured and why they evolved the way they did (p. 411). Evolutionary questions typically fall into the why group as they address the ultimate levels of inference. Conversely, questions of ontology seek developmental answers for observable changes. Psychology is primarily concerned with the individual level of analysis, but in the case evolutionary psychology the theoretical and practical lines are much more blurred. This paper will provide a roadmap for the main positions held by evolutionary psychology while criticizing some of its key assumptions and theoretical blunders.…
Nonetheless, the childhood of prolific serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer proves that this view is not fully credible. From the cradle to his youth, Dahmer was an euphoric child, loved sports and socialising with his friends, traits not of an altered gene. Yet, after experiencing a normal childhood, the allocating to a new surrounding following his father's PhD in chemistry was the significant turning point in his life.(5) With his parent's struggling marriage also becoming more apparent accumulating to his inner battles with insecurity, Dahmer turned to the dissection of road kills and insects to gain the sense of power he lost, as his life slowly shifted around. Significantly, Jeffrey Dahmer's early life is evidential that genetics is not the primary reason for the questioning of the sanity of serial killers, but rather the domestic and communal aspect in playing a vital role in the crafting of…
Introduction In this paper, I will discuss positivist, biological, as well as psychological theories providing a comparison as well as contrast for each. Discussion The use of positivist theories emerged with the American, French, as well as the Industrial Revolutions prompting tremendous social changes throughout the world (Bohm & Vogel, 2011). In 1820, the term positivism was attributed to Auguste Comte during his works with Saint-Simon while developing their works of physical sciences in the study of society.…
Peer Evaluated Proposal Paper Darwin argued that “Can it be thought improbable, seeing that variations useful to man have undoubtedly occurred, that variations useful in some way to each being in the great and complex battle of life, should occur in the course of many successive generations?” Justifying the concept that is probable as to how species survive with things such as mutations. If a varying characteristic in a species benefits the individual, is it truly unlikely for that trait to be passed onto its offspring to benefit it as well. A changing environment affects the characteristics that will benefit a species. Between the different chemical make up of everyone, the ones that give an advantage to the organism is likely to be passed…
When looking at Criminal behaviour from a Biological perspective, the research of Phenomenal Physician Cesare Lombroso not only intrigues us but also captivates our minds. This blog will outline the Outstanding research completed by Lombroso and what his theories have taught us when studying Criminology today. Born Ezechia Marco Lombroso on November 6, 1835, Lombroso was an Italian Physician who came from a wealthy Jewish family. He studied in Pavia, Padua and obtained his Degree in 1858. A great thinker, Lombroso was drawn to Italian and French Positivism.…
He searched for biological features within the body to prove criminality, believing criminals were atavistic, evolutionary throwbacks to when crime was socially useful (Hopkins Burke, 2009). He categorised these as born criminals stating they inherited characteristics (McLaughlin and Muncie, 2001) which Lombroso believed made them distinguishable from non-criminals (cited in Jupp, 1989). He later acknowledged environmental factors leading him to identify other criminal types such as criminaloids who were influenced by the environment and therefore opportunity, showing a similarity to classicism as the criminal was believed to make a rational choice when considering criminal opportunities, although Lombroso did not believe criminals were capable of choice. He also spoke of insane criminals who had learning difficulties or poor mental health which relates to psychological positivism and criminals of passion those who were drawn to crime by extreme emotions (Barlow and Kauzlarich, 2010), which relates to sociological…
Contrasting traits between these two is that biological positivism rejects the concept of free will that is found in classical school of criminology. These leads into the explanation why positivism criminology is formed from hard determinism belief that crime results from external and internal forces that are beyond the control of the individual. Summation: All modern criminal justice systems assume the classical position that people are beings of free will, who deserve to be punished when they violate the law. Positivism did not disprove or destroy any principles set forth by the classical theory, it simply shifts the emphasis from one to another.…
Positive criminology is based off objective methods that are scientific in nature. Positive criminology posits that criminals are different than the non-criminal population and that these characteristics increase the likely hood of becoming a criminal, thus leaving people with little control over their actions. In the nineteenth century, Cesare Lombroso used Darwin’s theory of evolution to explain that criminals were atavistic and born criminal. Body type theories believed that physical appearance and temperament are intertwined, whereas hereditary factors that cause criminal behavior have the ability to change over time due to our environment. Positive criminologists believe in-order to prevent crime the underlying cause must be treated or eliminated.…
Biological Explanation is a study that physiological and neurological are key factors in people that make them prone to being criminals. According to Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909) there are three key ideas that categorizes one as a criminal. They are: People are born criminals Their physical appearance Their physical appearance is hereditary or acquired through alcoholism, epilepsy, or syphilis.…
Biological determinism refers to the idea that all human behavior is innate, determined by genes, brain size, or other biological features. Biological determinism is known widely to be science-based and possess an anthropological approach that aids in understanding criminality. Several thought criminals and serial killers possessed an innate impulse to commit crime. From this perspective and point of view, many would be convinced that nature is in fact that the factor that solely is the foundation of creating a serial killer, especially when combined with real…
Comparing Biological and Sociological Theories in Regards to Criminology There are two popular schools of thought in regards to the deviation of humans from social norms, biological and sociological. Biological theories focus on the mind as the center of the personality and the major determinant in controlling human behavior. Sociological theories analyze social structure and the interaction of social processes as they affect socialization and the impact they have on social life (behavior). Both theories offer a plethora of information and research supporting their hypothesis.…
In this essay I will reflect on the few assumptions and understandings I had about crime and see how they have changed. Upon arriving at De Montfort University to study Criminology and Criminal Justice, I had average knowledge about crime and punishment i.e. insight into biological and psychological perspectives of crime having studied A-level Law and Psychology beforehand. However I did expect to delve so deep into the history and other aspects of Criminology during this first semester. During A-level Law I have read many case studies of murder, manslaughter, GBH, rape etc. I found the main reasons behind committing these crimes were usually motives for revenge, loss of control, hate, rage, and biological inheritance of 'criminal genes ' such as Monoamine oxidase A which makes individuals more prone to exert violence.…