Summary

Summary Criminology Unit 2 Criminological Theories Biological 2.1 Notes

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Module
Criminological Theories

Institution
WJEC

I used these notes to revise for the Unit 2 Criminology exam and got an A. These are for 2.1 and the theories are laid out in a simple format which is easy to understand.

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Uploaded on June 16, 2023
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Written in 2022/2023
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- Lombroso proposed a physiological theory of criminality in the 1800’s that suggested
criminals are a seperate species, that have different facial features from other humans.
- He proposed the aviatistic theory, deducting traits that are common among prisoners
and deceased convicts, and that criminals were between modern man and primative
animal.
- Lombroso believed that criminals could be identified by these facial features, and these
features also indicated biological inferiority.
- There are a number of traits that Lombroso suggested indicated a criminal, such as
long arms, large teeth, lots of body hair, larger eye sockets and more prominent
eyebrow arches.
- Lombroso believed that these traits lead to criminality because these people were more
primitive that modern humans, so often struggled to form relationships and were often
more impulsive and reckless, as well as having a higher pain threshold.

- Lombroso was the first to study crime scientifically and is therefore given credibility.
- He also suggested that prisoners are like “criminological universities,” and many
criminals come out of prison worse than they came in. According to many pieces of
research, this is true.
- Lombroso’s research lacked a control group, so the criminals cannot be compared to
another group in terms of the trends of “criminal” features.
- Many of the features Lombroso determines as criminal and “primative,” can often be
linked to African descent and can often be accused of being a racist theory.

, - Sheldon also believed that criminals are identifiable by their body
types, identifying three body types, or as he called them,
“somatotypes.”
- He connected these somatotypes with personality, identifying those
susceptible to crime.
- Ectomorphs are rounding and soft, Endomorphs are thin and fragile, and Mesomrphs are
muscular and hard.
- In terms of personality, Sheldon identified that Ectomorphs are sociable and relaxed,
Endomorphs are introverted and restrained, and Mesomorphs are aggressive and
impulsive.
- Sheldon deducted these somatoypes using body measurement techniques to connect
body type and personality.
- Sheldon identifies that mesomoprhs are the somatotype most common within criminals,
and criminals are least likely to be endomorphic.

- A sample of 200 criminals were compared to non-offender students, which means that
Sheldon’s ideas and research was conducted in controlled conditions.
- A number of other studies have also evidenced that there is a small association
between body type and criminality, for example Putwain and Simmons.
- Labelling may play a part in these results, as mesomorphs often fall victim to the
“tough guy” stereotype and therefore may be over-repersented in prison as they attract
more police attention.
- This theory does not take into account that body types change over time, and humans
are not fixed to one.

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