Criminal Behaviour - Biological Theory

OUTLINE

Criminal personality and behaviour is inherited, and people are genetically programmed through DNA. This is seen in criminal families - if a parent is a criminal there is a higher chance that the child will also be one. This inheritance may cause abnormal brain development, which in turn causes brain dysfunction - the idea that a brain is not operating as normal brains do. This includes

1 - Prefrontal cortex

• Underactive in some criminals
• This is where the association between fear and anti-social behaviour is formed

2 - Limbic system

• Increased activity
• Controls sexual and aggressive behaviour
• The amygdala is located here and controls emotions, and this does not function in many psychopaths

3 - Corpus callosum

• 'Bridge' that allows the rational and irrational sides of the brain to communicate
• Less active in murderers, causing weak communication between the brains hemispheres

4 - Temporal lobe

• Brainwave activity is more likely to be slower in aggressive 
• psychopaths
• Involved in numerous functions - eg language, learning, emotions and memory

In the 19th century, psychologists began arguing that criminals have common physical characteristics. Genes could also result in common facial features such as

• asymmetrical faces
• low and sloping foreheads
• glinting/glassy eyes
• high cheekbones
• large,protuding, handleshaped ears
• crooked,flat, or upturned noses
• fleshy lips
• strong jaws
• prominent chins
• lots of hair

CRITICISMS 

1 - Critics argue that there cannot be one singular gene that accounts for all criminal behaviour

• Crimes vary in factors such as violence, intelligence, or property
• Genes don't vary across cultures, yet crimes do

2 - Brain dysfunction is not present in all criminals

• It cannot reliably predict if someone is going to be a criminal
• Brain dysfunction may also be caused by environmental factors such as problems during pregnancy/birth, illness or injury

3 - Criminal facial features have limited evidence

• People may be prejudiced against certain features
• Some features may be due to environmental factors

4 - It ignores the influence of the social environment

• 'Criminal families' can be explained by how children learn behaviour from other people, such as their parents.