1. Physiological Theories of
Crime and Deviance.
The criminal is biologically different
from others – deviance is innate.
NATURE V’S NURTURE

2. Demonology
 Crime caused by
demonic activity
 Offender to be
purged of evil
presence

3. Phrenology - Franz Joseph Gall (1758-
1828)

4. Cesere Lombroso (1835–1909)
 Lombroso (1876) argued that the
criminal is a separate species, a
species that is between modern
and primitive humans. He argued
that the physical shape of the
head and face determined the
"born criminal".
 Compared Italian prisoners to
soldiers.

5. Large jaw
High cheekbones
Flattened or upturned
nose
Handle-shaped ears
Large chin
Hawk-like noses or fleshy
lips
Hard shifty eyes
Scanty beard or baldness
Insensitivity to pain, long
arms.

7. William Sheldon
Sheldon believed that people could be classified
into 3 body shapes, which correspond with 3
different personality types.
1. endomorphic (fat and soft) tend to be
sociable and relaxed.
2. ectomorphic (thin and fragile) are introverted
and restrained
3. mesomorphic (muscular and hard) tend to be
aggressive and adventurous.

8. Sheldon, using a correlational study,
found that many convicts were
mesomorphic, and they were least likely
to be ectomorphic (Sheldon et al 1949).

9. Adoption Studies
Mednick et al (1987) - court convictions,
found 14,000 adoptees amongst them.
Criminal records of biological and adoptive
parents were then investigated.
Many adoptees had criminal biological
parents (strong relationship for sons and
fathers).
Where there was an improvement in social
conditions there was a reduction in crime
(going against the genetic explanation).
Do criminals inherit bad genes?

10. Biological
Parent with
Criminal
Record
Adoptive
Parent with
Criminal
Record
% of sons
with criminal
record
(Mednick
1987)
% of sons
with criminal
record
(Bohman,
1995)
No No 13.5 3
Yes No 20.0 12
No Yes 14.7 7
Yes Yes 24.5 40

11. Modern Biological Theories
Biochemical (diet, hypoglycemia,
hormones, environmental exposure)
Neurophysiological (brain dysfunction)
Genetic Predispositions – Alcoholism,
Suicide, Mental illness

12. What are the merits of these
theories?
 May explain the relationship between
gender and crime.
 Lack of Free Will?
 ‘Sick’ behaviour rather than ‘bad’.
 Most actions defined as deviant are carried
out by people who are physically normal.
 Biological approach doesn’t explain why
crime is more likely to occur in western,
urban areas.