Biological Explanations of Offending Behaviour Genetic Neural Explanations

Biological Explanations of Offending Behaviour Genetic & Neural Explanations

The Atavistic Form Theory: Starter Exercise On the worksheet, in pairs, list the features of the atavistic form that you think each of the serial killers display Try to remember what they are without looking at your notes Do they have atavistic features? If so, have we supported Lombroso’s theory? (Give a reason for your answer)

The Atavistic Form Theory: True or False Based on your preparation homework, decide whether the following statements are true or false: Lombroso’s early theory for criminal behaviour is still used to explain criminal behaviour today False Lombroso suggested criminals were biologically different from non-criminals True According to Lombroso, criminals find it impossible to adjust to the demands of a civilised society as they lack evolutionary development. True According to Lombroso, criminals have a distinctive look and think differently to non-criminals False. Thought processes are not part of evolutionary theory According to Lombroso, criminals are not to blame for their behaviour True Characteristics include: a broad brow, a weak jawline, facial symmetry and high cheekbones. False. A strong prominent jaw, facial asymmetry Lombroso’s research concluded that 30% of criminal acts could be accounted for by atavistic characteristics False (it is 40%)

The Atavistic Form Theory: Match the correct description with the type of criminal 1. Bloodshot eyes, curly hair, long ears Sexual Deviants 2. Glinting eyes, swollen fleshy lips, projecting ears Fraudsters 3. Thin lips, ‘reedy’ Murderers

The Atavistic Form Theory: Evaluation In your groups, get Microsoft Whiteboard up on the screen, and list the potential strengths and weaknesses of Lombroso’s atavistic theory

The Atavistic Form Theory: Evaluation Answer the following questions in your groups on MWBs: Goring (1913) conducted a comparison between 3000 criminals and 3000 noncriminals and concluded that there was no evidence that offenders are a distinct group with unusual facial and cranial characteristics What does this finding suggest about Lombroso’s original study? Why might we consider Goring’s research better than Lombroso’s?

The Atavistic Form Theory: Evaluation Answer the following questions in your groups on MWBs: Moral explanations whereby offenders were judged as wicked and weak-minded were the emphasis of research into crime before Lombroso developed the atavistic form Why might Lombroso’s research be considered an improvement on this? What may Lombroso’s research have led to?

The Atavistic Form Theory: Evaluation Answer the following questions in your groups on MWBs: Lombroso suggested that criminals were 'genetic throwbacks‘, a primitive sub-species who were biologically different from noncriminals. Offenders were seen by Lombroso as lacking evolutionary development, their savage and untamed nature meant that they would find it impossible to adjust to the demands of a civilised society and would inevitably turn to crime. Therefore he argued that criminals were not to blame for their activities as their behaviour was determined by their physiology. Some of the atavistic features include dark skin and curly hair Now attempt t o write a PEEL for this oint Why may Lombroso’s theory be pconsidered on the Microso ft socially sensitive? whiteboard There is more than one possible answer

The Atavistic Form Theory: Exam Practice In your groups, split into three and number yourselves either 1, 2 or 3 Without notes, you will now write an answer to the question that corresponds to your number. You have 4 minutes 1. Outline how the atavistic form can explain offending behaviour (3 marks) 2. Outline one study in which the atavistic form was investigated. Include details of what the psychologist(s) did and what they found (3 marks) 3. Briefly discuss two contributions the atavistic form has made to our modern understanding of crime (4 marks) You will now see, on the next slides, a model answer for each question. Read the question then, the person who wrote an answer to it, reads it to the group. The group will decide how many marks the question is worth

Q 1: Outline how the atavistic form can explain offending behaviour (3 marks) Lombroso’s atavistic form suggested that offenders were lacking evolutionary development, their savage and untamed nature meant that they would find it impossible to adjust to the demands of a civilised society and would inevitably turn to crime thus suggesting criminals are biologically different from non-criminals. The atavistic form suggested criminals had distinguishing physical features which originated from a more primitive stage of development therefore criminals were seen as physically different to non-criminals for example, a narrow sloping brow and a strong prominent jaw

Q 2: Outline one study in which the atavistic form was investigated. Include details of what the psychologist(s) did and what they found (3 marks) Lombroso examined the facial and cranial features of 3839 living and 383 dead Italian convicts. He concluded that 40% of criminal acts could be accounted for by atavistic characteristics. Or Goring conducted a comparison between 3000 criminals and 3000 non -criminals and concluded that there was no evidence that offenders are a distinct group with unusual facial and cranial characteristics

Q 3: Briefly discuss two contributions the atavistic form has made to our modern understanding of crime (4 marks) One contribution that the atavistic form theory has made is that it shifted the emphasis in crime research away from a simple form of moral explanation, whereby offenders were judged as wicked and weak-minded, to a more scientific and credible view by acknowledging that biological factors could play a role in offending behaviour. Another contribution is that by attempting to describe how particular types of people are likely to commit particular crimes, the atavistic form theory, could have led to the development of modern methods of offender profiling

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Answer the following questions in pairs on MWBs: 1. 2. 3. What does the term candidate gene refer to? 4. Christiansen used a sample of 3, 586 twin pairs in his study. What concordance rate for offending behaviour did he find for MZ twins, and what concordance rate for DZ twins? 5. Raine reviewed 13 twin studies. What was the overall concordance rate for offending behaviour for MZs, and what was the overall concordance rate for DZs? 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. What do these studies suggest about a genetic link in offending behaviour What did Tihonen et al suggest were the two candidate genes for violent crime? Bruner studied a Dutch family with a high prevalence of violent behaviour and found that they had abnormally low levels of what? Anti-social personality disorder (APD) is associated with which two psychological characteristics? Raine found that murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals have reduced functioning in which part of the brain? What functions is this area of the brain involved in? What other area of the brain did Raine find differences in when scanning the brains of murderers and non-murderers? How is serotonin linked to criminal behaviour

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: Answers 1. What does the term candidate gene refer to? 2. What did Tihonen et al suggest were the two candidate genes for violent crime? 3. Bruner studied a Dutch family with a high prevalence of violent behaviour and found that they had abnormally low levels of what? 4. Christiansen used a sample of 3, 586 twin pairs in his study. What concordance rate did he find for MZ twins, and what concordance rate for DZ twins? 5. Raine reviewed 13 twin studies. What was the overall concordance rate for MZs, and what was the overall concordance rate for DZs? 6. What do these studies suggest about a genetic link in offending behaviour 7. Anti-social personality disorder (APD) is associated with which two psychological characteristics? 8. Raine found that murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals have reduced functioning in which part of the brain? 9. What functions is this area of the brain involved in? 10. What other area of the brain did Raine find differences in when scanning the brains of murderers and non-murderers? 11. How is serotonin linked to criminal behaviour 1. A gene, or combination of genes that predispose someone to a certain behaviour or trait 2. The MAOA gene and the CDH 13 (linked to substance misuse and ADHD) 3. MAOA (which regulates noradrenaline) 4. MZ: 33% DZ: 12% 5. MZ: 52% DZ: 21% 6. That is may be partly down to genetics, but other factors must play a part 7. Reduced emotional responses and lack of empathy 8. Pre-frontal cortex 9. Regulating emotions and controlling moral behaviour 10. The limbic system, including the amygdala 11. Low levels lead to impulsive behaviour

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Explain the following cases through either a genetic or neural explanation. Be specific about what factors may be involved: Tom, Harry, Richard and George are all brothers. Their dad is currently serving a life sentence for murder. Their grandad was a gangland boss who died in prison after being convicted for GBH. Tom has just been sentenced for murdering his ex-girlfriend’s new partner. George is already in prison for kicking a man to death in a drunken fight. Harry is a member of the police force and Richard works as a teacher

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Explain the following cases through either a genetic or neural explanation. Be specific about what factors may be involved: Adrian is currently on remand for a crime he committed six weeks ago. He was at standing at a bus stop and a man approached him and asked him for some money for the bus. Adrian said that he wasn’t willing to give him any money. The man then became very abusive, using verbally aggressive behaviour and calling Adrian names. Adrian punched him hard. The man fell to the floor and suffered a head injury. He was taken to hospital and died of his injury three days later. Adrian has said that he just snapped, but didn’t intend to do the man any harm. He has been charged with manslaughter

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Explain the following cases through either a genetic or neural explanation. Be specific about what factors may be involved: Jacob’s mother has been worried about him since early childhood. He does not seem to care much about the feelings of others. He was quite a destructive child and would deliberately break his friend’s toys when he went round to play. He once took his friend’s hamster out of the cage and kicked it around the room like a football, killing the hamster. As an older child he started to torture animals and was convicted of setting fire to a neighbour’s cat, which he described as being ‘funny’. He also seems to enjoy hurting his friends and making them cry

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Explain the following cases through either a genetic or neural explanation. Be specific about what factors may be involved: Colin regularly steals from shops. He doesn’t always intend to do this, but sometimes, when he sees something he wants, he doesn’t seem to be able to stop himself from taking it. Colin has had driving convictions in the past for speeding and most recently has been banned for 12 months for driving while 4 times over the legal alcohol limit

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: Exam Practice Answer the following question individually and without notes: Outline the genetic and/or neural explanation of offending behaviour (6 marks) Now give yourself a mark according to the following guidance

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: Mark Scheme Genetic: • Genetic explanations for crime suggest that would-be offenders inherit a gene, or combination of genes, that predispose them to commit crime (1 mark) • Twin studies seem to suggest genes play a role in offending behaviour. Christiansen (1977) used a sample of 3, 586 twin pairs and found a concordance rate of 35% for MZ twins and 13% for DZ twins (males) and 21% MZ and 8% DZ (females). (1 mark) Also Raine (1993) reviewed 13 twin studies and found an overall concordance rate of 52% for MZ twins and 21% for DZ twins (1 mark) • Genetic analysis of just under 900 offenders by Tihonen et al (2014) revealed abnormalities on two genes that may be associated with violent crime – MAOA (linked to aggressive behaviour) and CDH 13 (linked to substance misuse and attention deficit disorder). (1 mark) Within the Finnish sample, individuals with this high risk combination were 13 times more likely to have had a history of violent behaviour. (1 mark) • Further evidence on MAOA comes from Brunner et al (1993 analysed the DNA of the male members of a Dutch family who had a history of violent and impulsive criminal behavior (1 mark) and found they shared a particular gene that led to abnormally low levels of MAOA (1 mark)

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: Mark Scheme Neural: • Neural explanations suggest there may be neural differences in the brains of criminals and non-criminals. (1 mark) • Much of the evidence in this area has investigated individuals diagnosed with anti-social personality disorder (formerly known as psychopathy) – APD. (1 mark) • APD is associated with reduced emotional responses and a lack of empathy. It is a condition that characterises many convicted criminals (1 mark) • Raine (2004) citied 71 brain imaging studies showing that murderers, psychopaths and violent individuals have reduced functioning in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain that is involved in regulating emotions and controlling moral behaviour. (1 mark) Lowered activity in this area is associated with impulsiveness and loss of control (1 mark) • Adrian Raine (1997) investigated whethere was any difference in the brain activity of murderers and non-murderers. The sample was 41 violent murderers and 41 non murderers. Using PET scanning techniques, Raine found differences in brain activity in the prefrontal cortex and areas of the limbic system including the amygdala. (1 mark) As these areas regulate emotions it is suggested that they could be linked to aggressive/violent behavior (1 mark) • Serotonin regulates mood and impulse control. This means that in low levels it could be implicated in criminal behaviour as there will be more impulsivity. (1 mark) • Davidson et al (2000) found that violent criminals had markedly lower levels of serotonin to non-violent criminals. (1 mark)

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Although brain scanning studies show differences in the brain activity of murderers and non-murderers it is not possible to conclude that these abnormalities are caused by biological factors. Why do you think this is? Why do you think it may be problematic suggesting that APD is genetically inherited?

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: Are either of these men a Psychopath? Man A and his accomplice were jailed for carrying out a revenge attack on a 33 -year-old ex-fireman Barrie Jackson. The pair lay in wait for their victim outside a pub, bludgeoned him with a hammer before kicking and punching him to death after Jackson attacked The man’s girlfriend, according to media reports of the court case During the London Bridge attack in 2019, Man B started to tackle Usman Khan armed only with a chair. He said he went to investigate after he heard noises from a lower floor of the building. "I could tell something was wrong and had to help, " "I saw injured people. Khan was stood in the foyer with two large knives in his hands. " "He was a clear danger to all, so I didn't hesitate. " Man B used a wooden chair to keep the knifeman at bay, before throwing it at Khan when he revealed his suicide belt, which was later shown to be fake. Another man then handed Man B a narwhal tusk, which he had found on a nearby wall display, as Khan "started running towards him with knives raised above his head". Man B helped to restrain Khan until the police arrived

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Man A and Man B are, in fact, the same person • Steven Gallant is currently serving a 17 year life sentence for murder. • He helped to restrain the London Bridge attacker during a day release trip to a Learning Together conference • Since being in prison he has learned to read and write, is studying for a business studies degree and was taking part in the Learning Together rehabilitation project. He has vowed never to be involved in violence again

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour • In another case, another reformed exprisoner who also fought the London Bridge knife attacker with a fire extinguisher has said he was prepared to die to protect others. • John Crilly, who was jailed for murder after a burglary went wrong, said he tackled Usman Khan while believing he was wearing a live suicide belt. • "I was screaming at him to blow it. I was prepared to lose my life. " • As he and others fought Khan on the street, he shouted at police to shoot the attacker.

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: The Case of Steven Gallant • How might Steven Gallant’s (or John Crilly’s) behaviour, on both occasions, be explained through what you saw in the video clip? • What might these cases suggest about biological factors that are associated with criminal behaviour? (Refer to the free-will determinism debate)

Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: The Warrior Gene Watch the video and consider how it links to the reductionism/holism and determinism/free will debates Now wr it relating e a PEEL point to nature o the determinist ft /or neur he genetic and al exp offendin lanations of g behav iour

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour: The case of Bradley Waldroup on Oct. 16, 2006, Bradley Waldroup was waiting for his estranged wife to arrive with their four kids for the weekend. He had been drinking, and when his wife said she was leaving with her friend, Leslie Bradshaw, they began to fight. Soon, Waldroup had shot Bradshaw eight times and sliced her head open with a sharp object. When Waldroup was finished with her, he chased after his wife, Penny, with a machete, chopping off her finger and cutting her over and over. Prosecutors charged Waldroup with the felony murder of Bradshaw, which carries the death penalty. There were numerous things he did around the crime scene that were conscious choices, " the prosecution said. "One of them was [that] he told his children to 'come tell your mama goodbye, ' because he was going to kill her. And he had the gun, and he had the machete. " Waldroup was found to be carrying the warrior gene. This was used, along with a history of early abuse, as a defence. As a result he was not given the death penalty, but instead sentenced to 32 years in prison Why might we consider the genetic explanation of offending behaviour to be socially sensitive? Use the case of Bradley Waldroup in your answer. Write you answer up in PEEL format on the Microsoft whiteboard

Evaluation of Genetic & neural explanations of offending behaviour Mednick et al (1984) found, from an investigation of 13, 000 Danish adoptees, that when neither biological or adoptive parents had convictions, the percentage of adoptees that did was 13. 5%. This figure rose to 20% when either of the biological parents had convictions and 24. 5% when both adoptive and biological parents had convictions What do the findings of this study suggest?