Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to CriminologyCHAPTERCopyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pear.docx
Similar to CriminologyCHAPTERCopyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pear.docx (20)
More from vanesaburnand
More from vanesaburnand (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
CriminologyCHAPTERCopyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pear.docx
- 1. Criminology CHAPTER Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger THIRD EDITION Early Biological Perspectives on Criminal Behavior—It’s What We Are 3 Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Objectives • Describe the differences between historical biological and contemporary biosocial theories of crime.
- 2. • Outline the basic principles of biological theories of crime. • Describe early biological explanations of criminality. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Objectives • Explain how sociobiology views crime, and demonstrate the importance of altruism, territoriality, and tribalism from that perspective. • Identify some criticisms of early biological theories of criminal behavior. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Learning Objective 3.1
- 3. Describe the differences between historical biological and contemporary biosocial theories of crime. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Historical and Contemporary Biosocial Theories • Historical Biosocial Theories explaining human behavior and crime. • Contemporary Biosocial Theories hat genes and related biological features are more likely to be facilitators rather than determinants of behavior. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger
- 4. Learning Objective 3.2 Outline the basic principles of biological theories of crime. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Basic Principles of Biological Theories • Biological theories focus on the brain as the center of the personality and the major determinant in controlling human behavior. • Unlike classical and neoclassical traditions, which consider free will and external forces as the cause of behavior, biological theories look to internal sources. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger
- 5. Basic Principles of Biological Theories • Early biological theorists focused primarily on physical features and heredity as the source of criminal behavior. • Contemporary biological theorists have taken a more in-depth look at human biology. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Learning Objective 3.3 Describe early biological explanations of criminality. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Positivism
- 6. y of crime and its causation. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Positivism is built on two principles: ance of social determinism, or the belief that human behavior is determined not by the exercise of free choice but by causative factors beyond the control of the individual. to the study of crime and criminology. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations
- 7. • Auguste Comte (1798 – 1857) • Proposed the use of the scientific method in the study of society observed, explained, and measured in objective and qualitative terms Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) • The study of the shape of the head to determine anatomical correlates of human behavior • Also called craniology Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 8. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Four Themes of Phrenology associated with specific locations in the brain. ns of the brain that are well developed cause personality characteristics associated with them to be more prominent. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Four Themes of Phrenology corresponds to the shape of the underlying brain, and is therefore
- 9. indicative of the personality. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Johann Gaspar Spurzheim (1776–1853) United States and was used to classify and evaluate newly admitted prisoners. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Caesare Lombroso (1836-1909) • Suggest criminality was the result of primitive urges that survived the
- 10. evolutionary process. modern criminology”. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Criminal anthropology between human physical characteristics and criminality Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Lombroso’s term, atavism, implies criminals are born that way. • Criminaloids
- 11. criminals who were pulled into criminality by environmental influences Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Charles Buckman Goring (1870-1919) -controlled statistical study of Lombroso’s thesis of atavism whole fabric of Lombrosian doctrine is fundamentally unsound. (1913) Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Constitutional Theories
- 12. offenders’ body types, genetics, or external observable physical characteristics. • Ernst Kretschmer proposed a relationship between body build and personality type. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • William Sheldon utilized measurement techniques to connect body types to personality. • Sheldon concluded there are four basic body types associated with different personalities. criminal. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 13. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger FIGURE 3-3 Sheldon’s Body Types. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Early Biological Explanations • Genetics and Crime to be inherited • The Juke Family • The Kallikak Family development of Eugenic Criminology. • Buck v. Bell (1927) Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger
- 14. Modern Biological Explanations • The first well-known study of the modern era to focus on genetic difference was by Patricia A. Jacobs in 1965 with Scottish prisoners. • Findings of unusual chromosones Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Modern Biological Explanations • XXY Supermale • Have male genitalia, but are frequently sterile and have evidence of breast enlargement • Identified as potentially violent Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e
- 15. Frank Schmalleger Modern Biological Explanations Dizygotic Twins Monozygotic Twinsvs. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Modern Biological Explanations • Studies of twins have demonstrated the role of heredity in determining behavior. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Learning Objective 3.4 Explain how sociobiology views crime, and demonstrate the importance of altruism, territoriality, and tribalism from that perspective.
- 16. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Sociobiology • Konrad Lorenz rooted in instinctive behavioral responses characteristic of biological organisms everywhere. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Sociobiology • Sociobiology book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis of all social behavior
- 17. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Sociobiology • Altruism including human behavior according to Wilson, was the need to ensure the survival and continuity of genetic material from one generation to the next. • Altruism played a role in survival. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Sociobiology • Territoriality
- 18. conflicts between and among species, especially human beings. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Sociobiology • Tribalism from strong feelings of identification with one’s own social group. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Learning Objective 3.5 Identify some criticisms of early biological theories of criminal behavior. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
- 19. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Criticisms of Early Biological Theories • Central concern with all early biological theories of criminal behavior is the fact they seemed to regulate the role of free will in human behavior to a kind of philosophical dustbin. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Criticisms of Early Biological Theories • Concern from aligning the concept of crime with biological variables because crime itself is a social construction with varying meaning from place to place. • Seems unlikely any biological feature, or combination thereof, could explain the wide variety of criminal offending.
- 20. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Criticisms of Early Biological Theories • More sensible approach might be to work to identify biological influences on characteristics most criminals share. from law violators and law enforcers may be nature of social environment exposed to when growing up. features shared solely by criminals. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Summary • Early proponents of biological theories argued that at least some human behavior is the result of biological propensities inherited from more primitive developmental stages in the
- 21. evolutionary process. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Summary • Contemporary biosocial theories suggest human behavior is the result of complex interactions between biology and features of the physical and social environments. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Summary • Biological theories advance the principle that the basic determinants of human behavior are constitutionally or physiologically based and largely
- 22. inherited. • Early biological explanations of criminality built upon positivism. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Summary • Sociobiology is a theoretical perspective that applies evolutionary theory to social behavior, and most social behaviors are shaped by natural selection. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Chapter Summary • Some criminologists fear acceptance of
- 23. biological theories of crime causation might spark another eugenics movement where people are judged more on biology than behavior. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology CHAPTER 4 Biosocial and Other Contemporary Perspectives— Interaction is Key Chapter Objectives
- 24. continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger • Describe the purpose of the Human Genome Project (HGP), and explain its significance for modern biological theories of crime. • Identify the role of genetics and heritability in contemporary explanations for crime. • Show how brain dysfunction relates to criminality. Chapter Objectives continued on next slide
- 25. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger • Describe how body chemistry theories – including those involving diet, blood sugar levels, environmental contaminates, and hormones – explain crime. • Discuss biosocial theories and the role of the gender ratio problem in contemporary criminology. Chapter Objectives Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 26. • Describe the policy implications of modern biological theories of crime. • Identify critiques of biological and biosocial approaches to explaining crime. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.1 Describe the purpose of the Human Genome Project (HGP), and explain its significance for modern biological theories of crime.
- 27. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved The Human Genome Project • The Human Genome Project (HGP) is an international research program designed to construct detailed maps of the human genome. • The knowledge developed by the HGP is likely to have momentous implications for both individuals and society. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 28. The Human Genome Project • In the area of crime-control policy, HGP-related information is expected to support the development of public policy options related to crime prevention and treatment of offenders. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.2 Identify the role of genetics and heritability in contemporary explanations for crime.
- 29. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability • Ropers and Brunner chromosome, they are especially vulnerable to any defective gene. a backup gene where one defective gene may be compensated for by a correctly functioning one in the second X chromosome. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 30. Genetics and Heritability • Neurophysiology between neurotransmitters and behavior. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability • In some cases, genetic predispositions plus interaction with the surrounding social and physical environments combine to produce delinquency.
- 31. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability • Heritability within a group of people that can be attributed to variations in their genes rather than to their environment • Genes may simply influence the way in which people respond to their surroundings. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability
- 32. • Epigenetics occur within a genome, and that switch parts of the genome on or off at strategic times and locations. • Stress, diet, behavior, toxins, and other factors activate chemical switches that regulate gene expression. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability • The explanatory power of heritability appears to be limited by the fact that it may apply only to specific environments that existed at the time
- 33. of a given study. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Genetics and Heritability • Genes are both the cause and consequence of our actions, and they do not so much determine human action as enable it. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.3
- 34. Show how brain dysfunction relates to criminality. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Brain Dysfunction • Prefrontal cortex dysfunction must be evaluated in terms of how individuals who exhibit the condition interact with features of the environment, including social and psychological influences.
- 35. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Brain Dysfunction • Neurocriminology neurological links between the organism, social factors, and criminal behavior Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Brain Dysfunction • Frontal Brain Hypothesis
- 36. changes in certain parts of the brain to explain criminality • Neuroplasticity structure and function in response to experience Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Brain Dysfunction • Some suggestion that the interplay between heredity, biology, and the social and physical environments may be much more complicated than once thought and may provide the key nexus in any consideration of crime causation.
- 37. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.4 Describe how body chemistry theories – including those involving diet, blood sugar levels, environmental contaminants, and hormones – explain crime. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 38. • Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia chemical imbalances in the body as a cause of crime was a link between hypoglycemia and murder. hyperglycemia to crime. continued on next slide Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Hypoglycemia and Hyperglycemia
- 39. impaired ability of the brain to reason effectively or judge long-term consequences of behavior. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Some studies have implicated food additives in producing criminal violence. • Other studies appear to show diets deficient in various vitamins and other nutrients can increase aggressiveness and agitation, and can open the door to crime. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e
- 40. Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Environmental Pollution und in our environment have been shown to be linked to criminal behavior. exposure to heavy metals and other toxins, people lose the natural restraint that holds their violent tendencies in check. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 41. • More recent studies focusing in prenatal substance exposure found increases in conduct disorder symptoms. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Pyschobiotics behavioral effects that bacteria (primarily those found in the human gut) can have on the mind, feelings, emotions, and behavior Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e
- 42. Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Heart Rate and Crime One of the clearest biological relationships established to date between resting heart rate and criminality. is that continued on next slide Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 43. • Heart Rate and Crime associated only with antisocial behavior among males and not females. • Low heart rates are often found in well- conditioned athletes, and no one has suggested athletic conditioning plays a role in crime causation. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Hormones and Criminality potential behavior determinants.
- 44. Body Chemistry Theories Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Testosterone rimary male hormone. appears to play an important role in increasing the propensity toward violence and aggression among men -tenth the amount secreted by men; relatively high levels in women are associated with aggressively dominant behavior. Body Chemistry Theories
- 45. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Can cause irritable, aggressive, and confused behavior with a loss of self- control possibly explained by drops in serotonin • Serotonin has been called a “behavior- regulating chemical”. • Link between low levels and aggressive behavior Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 46. Learning Objective 4.5 Discuss biosocial theories and the role of the gender ratio problem in contemporary criminology. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Biosocial Criminology • A theoretical perspective that sees the interaction between biology and the physical and social environments as key to understanding human behavior, including criminality. Biosocial Criminology
- 47. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Walsh observes that biosocial perspectives are theories of criminality, not crime. • Legal label placed on specific behaviors that violate criminal law continued on next slide Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc.
- 48. All Rights Reserved • Walsh observes that biosocial perspectives are theories of criminality, not crime. • Property of individuals, a continuous trait that is an amalgam of other continuous traits and belongs to a more inclusive kind of criminology Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Biological criminology attempts to
- 49. recognize the complexity of the relationship between biology, behavior and the social environment by embracing the role of a multitude of factors leading to criminality. All R1ghts Reserved 1- .l;rl""'l"-_;, t Frank Schmalleger FIGURE 4-2 Selected Biological Factors Recognized by Biosocial Theory. Source: From Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction, 7e by Frank A. Schmalleger. Copyright© 2014 by Pearson Education. Used by permission of Pearson Education. Prenatal Substance Exposure (Including Controlled Substances) Gender iet (Including Poor Nutrition and Vitamin Deficiencies)
- 50. Body Type Body Chemistry (Including Hormones and Blood Sugar) Age,Intelligence, Personality Weather (Including Temperature, Barometric Pressure,etc.) continued on next slide Cnmmology, 3e Copynght © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 51. • Gender Differences in Criminality crimes committed by men far exceeds the number of crimes committed by women. far more likely to assume the role of followers rather than leaders. Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Gender Ratio Problem that the number of crimes committed by
- 52. men routinely far exceeds the number of crimes committed by women in almost all categories. Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • One of the primary contemporary paradigms useful in understanding gender differences in criminality is the concept of sexual selection. Biosocial Criminology Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 53. • Evolutionary Perspective • Seeks to explain behavior with reference to human evolutionary history • Recognized the influence that genes have over human traits Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.6
- 54. Describe the policy implications of modern biological theories of crime. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Policy Implications of Biological Theories • Many genes may affect brain functioning in ways that either increase or reduce the changes of individual learning various complex behavior patterns, including those so offensive to others that criminal sanctions have been instituted to minimize their recurrence. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger
- 55. Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Learning Objective 4.7 Identify critiques of biological and biosocial approaches to explaining crime. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Critiques of Biological and Biosocial Theories • Many perspectives of biological and biosocial approaches have been criticized because they fail to accurately predict criminality while purporting to understand its causes.
- 56. • Biosocial theories are criticized for methodological problems. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Critiques of Biological and Biosocial Theories • Biosocial theories fail to explain regional and temporal variations in crime rate. • Biological theories that focus on environmental and chemical precursors to crime cannot explain why certain kinds of crime are more likely to occur in certain areas and specific subcultures and not others.
- 57. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Critiques of Biological and Biosocial Theories • Theories involving criminal precursors cannot account for changes in crime rates over time. • Some biosocial criminologists have been accused of racial and class bias for failing to explain why. disproportionate numbers of certain kinds of crime are committed by poor people and by racial and ethnic minorities. Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved
- 58. Chapter Summary • The Human Genome Project (HGP) corresponds to the start of a new era of biosocial theories in criminology. • The contemporary study of human genetics builds upon a model of gene- environment interaction and employs the concept of heritability to help explain law-violating behavior. Chapter Summary continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger
- 59. • Brain dysfunction references physical changes in certain parts of the brain to explain criminality. • Body chemistry theories say violent or disruptive behavior can sometimes be linked to nutrition, vitamin deficiencies, and other conditions that affect the body. Chapter Summary continued on next slide Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger • Biosocial criminology sees the interaction between biology and the
- 60. physical and social environments as key to understanding human behavior, including criminality. • A contemporary crime-prevention program needs to be based on modern understandings of the link between biology and crime. Chapter Summary Criminology, 3e Frank Schmalleger Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2011 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved • Biological criminology has suffered from the lack of a workable definition of criminality. Unit Assignments Unit II Scholarly Activity
- 61. In this unit, we looked at the biological theories of crime. For this scholarly activity, you will explain four theories of crime from Chapters 3 and 4. Some of the biological theories focus on internal factors, such as low blood sugar, hormonal differences, and atavistic features. In your explanation of each theory, include responses to the following items: · Explain the basic concepts of the theory. · How is the theory related to crime? · Do you personally feel that the theory is acceptable as a potential reason for crime? Explain your answer. · Is there research to substantiate this theory? In accordance with APA style, format your scholarly activity with level one headings for each theory, and then answer the questions pertaining to that theory. Your scholarly activity (a combination of all four theories) must be two pages in length, not counting the title and reference pages. You are required to use at least one outside source; however, you may need to use more in order to successfully complete this assignment. All sources used, including the textbook, must be cited and referenced.