Crime Causation Theories of Crime Causation Name Class Date Professor Theories of Crime Causation Crimes are illegal behaviors committed in society that violate the laws of the land. There have been many different theories proposed explaining what causes crime in society that include psychological theories that find crime is the result of disruptions in normal personality development while sociological theories blame the offenders environment for their criminal behavior. Biological theories find crime is the result of genetic, biochemical, or neurological deficiencies in the body and through research great strides have been made in identifying potential biological causes. Biological Criminality Biological theories focus on functions in the body that relate to criminal behavior. The first theory involving a potential biological case comes from the positivist school. The positivist viewpoints, from the perspective of Lombroso, Ferri and Garofalo, found that crime is related to heredity, physiological incapacity, or biogenic. Lombroso’s theory found that criminals were born and blamed physical features of the criminal on their deviant behavior. The physical abnormalities of the offender cause them to commit crimes, which are out of their control. Ferri and Garofalo had supported Lombroso in his theory that crime was the result of biological processes. Despite these findings biological theories were quickly discredited and psychological and sociological causes for crime became more prevalent in society. Theorist looked at environmental factors such as poverty, or psychological factors, such as the abnormal development of the personality, or social learning. Biological theories became less prevalent in society due to the experiments of the Nazis’ scientists during War World II and it was not until the second half of the 20th Century that biological theories of crime began to once again emerge in society. As biological theories of crime became more developed the focus became less on the physical characteristics of the offender and more on physical processes of the body. Research began to look at potential genetic connections to criminal behavior and conducted empirical studies on identical twins. The goal of these studies was to show that biological inheritance can affect the individual’s tendency towards criminality independently of or in conjunction with the social environment (Lynch, 2000). The research showed that when one twin commits a crime the likelihood of the other twin committing a crime is greater than if they were just regular siblings. The research on twin and the potential genetic makeup of the criminal was inconclusive but the research has shown a clear trend of an interrelationship between criminal behavior in the parent and the criminal behavior of their offspring. The next significant biological theory of criminality finds neurological abnormalities are the cause of crim.

1. Crime Causation
Theories of Crime Causation
Name
Class
Date
Professor
Theories of Crime Causation
Crimes are illegal behaviors committed in society that
violate the laws of the land. There have been many different
theories proposed explaining what causes crime in society that
include psychological theories that find crime is the result of
disruptions in normal personality development while
sociological theories blame the offenders environment for their

2. criminal behavior. Biological theories find crime is the result of
genetic, biochemical, or neurological deficiencies in the body
and through research great strides have been made in
identifying potential biological causes.
Biological Criminality
Biological theories focus on functions in the body that
relate to criminal behavior. The first theory involving a
potential biological case comes from the positivist school. The
positivist viewpoints, from the perspective of Lombroso, Ferri
and Garofalo, found that crime is related to heredity,
physiological incapacity, or biogenic. Lombroso’s theory found
that criminals were born and blamed physical features of the
criminal on their deviant behavior. The physical abnormalities
of the offender cause them to commit crimes, which are out of
their control. Ferri and Garofalo had supported Lombroso in his
theory that crime was the result of biological processes.
Despite these findings biological theories were quickly
discredited and psychological and sociological causes for crime
became more prevalent in society. Theorist looked at
environmental factors such as poverty, or psychological factors,
such as the abnormal development of the personality, or social
learning. Biological theories became less prevalent in society
due to the experiments of the Nazis’ scientists during War
World II and it was not until the second half of the 20th Century
that biological theories of crime began to once again emerge in
society.
As biological theories of crime became more developed the
focus became less on the physical characteristics of the offender
and more on physical processes of the body. Research began to
look at potential genetic connections to criminal behavior and
conducted empirical studies on identical twins. The goal of
these studies was to show that biological inheritance can affect
the individual’s tendency towards criminality independently of
or in conjunction with the social environment (Lynch, 2000).
The research showed that when one twin commits a crime the
likelihood of the other twin committing a crime is greater than

3. if they were just regular siblings. The research on twin and the
potential genetic makeup of the criminal was inconclusive but
the research has shown a clear trend of an interrelationship
between criminal behavior in the parent and the criminal
behavior of their offspring.
The next significant biological theory of criminality finds
neurological abnormalities are the cause of criminal behavior.
Studies in this area focus on abnormalities in brain functioning
that reduce inhibitions toward aggression (Lynch, 2000).
Research has resulted in the discovery of brain abnormalities in
the frontal lobe of the brain and their relationship to violent,
criminal behavior. Next researchers have looked at chemical
imbalances in the brain and their association to crime. These
chemicals impact the normal transmission of electrical impulses
within the central nervous system and result in low levels of
neurotransmitters. The low level of neurotransmitters results in
aggressive behavior.
Biological Criminology n the 21st Century
As technology has become more advanced the ability of the
criminologist to determine biological cause of crime has become
more effective. The link between substance abuse and crime has
been identified and theories find that the use of illicit drugs
reduces norepinephrine levels which are designed to inhibit
aggressive behaviour. Another discovery involves the
neurotransmitter GABA which becomes restricted with the
consumption of alcohol and results in aggressive behaviour.
Neurotransmitters affect brain sensitivity and even the smallest
amount of alcohol can have a negative effect on impulse
control.
In the 21st Century discoveries in the brain and their link to
criminal behaviour have been discovered through brain
mapping. Through the use of CT, PET and RCBF scans
scientists have linked temporal lobe deficits to aggressive
criminal behaviour. MRI’s have identified potential structures
suggestive of frontal lobe dysfunction that is common in violent
offenders as well as frontal lobe dysfunction. Through the use

4. of neuropsychology research, scientists have also identified a
potential relationship to left hemisphere damage.
The research shows that left hemisphere damage exists in
higher than expected proportions in violent and offenders (Ford,
2009). The research showed that in 70% of violent offender that
were surveyed there was left hemisphere damage. Brain lesions
have also been linked to crime. Researchers have found that
there are a high number of offenders in the criminal justice
system that has experienced brain damage. Brain lesion creates
disruptions in the cognitive abilities of the criminal offender
resulting in low impulse control and violent behavior. Many
brain lesions were linked to child abuse or childhood injury.
Biosocial Criminology
Biosocial criminology looks at both the biological and
environmental causes for crime/. Over time theorists have
realized that criminal behavior is interrelated with biological
causes that can also be explained through environmental factors.
For example crime can be the result of genetics or the
observation of criminal behavior by a parent. Another
association between the environment and genetics can enhance
genes, such as an antisocial gene, that is inherited by the
criminal. In order for an individual to commit crime they must
first have the genetic predisposition and then be placed in an
environment that breeds criminal behavior.
Biosocial criminology also looks at the link between
neurophysiology and crime. Research has discovered a direct
link between levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and
dopamine, and criminal behavior. Neuro-imaging has discovered
a direct link between prefrontal cortex and the criminal’s
inability to delay the need for immediate gratification and
lowers the criminal’s ability to control their impulse to engage
in deviant. Based on the evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory
higher levels of testosterone have been linked to criminal
behavior in the male and is used to explain the high number of
male criminal offenders compared to the female offender.
Conclusion

5. Biological theories do not ignore potential sociological or
psychological causes for crime but recognizes that biological
processes in the body are directly related to criminality. While
sociological and psychological theories look at the criminal
environment of the offender not all criminals grew up in
poverty or experienced delays in the normal development. In
fact there are many cases where sociological and psychological
theories do not explain the unexpected criminal behavior of the
individual. In these cases biological associations provide an
explanation for crime.
References
Ford, R. (2009). Biological and Psychological Theories of
Crime. Retrieved October 15, 2012
from http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~cjreg/NCbiological.htm
Lynch, P. (2000). Criminology: Biological Theories. Retrieved
October 15, 2012 from
http://autocww.colorado.edu/~toldy3/E64ContentFiles/LawAnd
Courts/Criminology.html
It has been a year since Juanita finished her degree and about
two years since she has been promoted to HR Director Status.
As part of her training her boss has offered to send her to their
HQ in Uzbekistan for one year. The office is staffed with
several Americans and English speaking Uzbeks. She has spent
some time studying the people and culture and thinks this will
be an “adventure of a lifetime”. Of course, she knows that it
will be a very different world for her. She intends to be a
student of the culture and apply all that she has learned in the
last few years.
Juanita has asked for a week to do research on the culture and
how it has impacted the way their organization fulfills their
mission. This is a former Soviet country that is populated with
mostly Ukrainians, Kazakhs, Uzbeks and Tajiks. She has
learned that they think of themselves as European but are
primarily Muslim in their religious beliefs but motivated by

6. pursuing material wealth.
As she contemplates how little she knows about this country and
its people, some anxiety begins to creep in along with the
excitement of the challenge of the unknown. To ensure she is
reasonably well prepared before she goes, she decides to
communicate with the Uzbek Director, Ludmilla Kovalenko.
Ludmilla, is Ukranian and has offered to provide her insights
into the areas Juanita is interested in. In her first email she told
Ludmilla that she will be sending some emails with questions
related to the cultural context and other issues that may impact
how work gets done and the mission accomplished.