Chapter 7: Biosocial criminology

Abstract

Chapter 7 describes the historical roots and contemporary versions of biosocial criminology. Biosocial criminology contends that delinquency and other forms of antisocial behavior result from a combination of individual and environmental causes. This approach is interdisciplinary and based on the fundamental concept of nature–nurture interaction, which refers to the shared and cumulative effect of biological, psychological, and sociological factors on behavior. This chapter explores scientific efforts to discover biological and psychological forces at work in the individual as they interface with the environment and together predispose some individuals to delinquency and crime. Contemporary biological approaches in biosocial criminology include three primary areas of study: (1) neurological deficits, (2) biochemical factors, and (3) heredity and behavioral genetics. Biosocial criminology also involves trait-based models of personality, which contend that personality can be characterized along a limited number of dimensions composed of personality traits that are often expressed together. Two dimensions have been found to predispose individuals to delinquent behavior: low agreeableness and low conscientiousness. Lastly, the chapter considers the role that intelligence plays in antisocial and delinquent behavior.

Key Terms

• atavism
• stigmata
• somatotypes
• biological determinism
• environmental determinism
• nature–nurture debate
• biosocial criminology
• nature–nurture interaction
• prefrontal cortex
• executive function
• autonomic system underarousal
• neurotransmitters
• fight-or-flight response
• testosterone
• behavioral genetics
• heritability
• personality
• agreeableness
• conscientiousness
• intelligence quotient (IQ)

Outline

1. Early biological approaches: focusing on physical characteristics
   1. Physical appearance and biological differences
   2. Search for “criminal man”
      1. Legal applications of Lombroso’s ideas
      2. Criminal sociology
   3. Physique, temperament, and delinquency
      1. Physique and delinquency
2. Contemporary biological approaches in biosocial criminology
   1. Neurological deficits
      1. The prefrontal cortex and executive functioning
      2. Autonomic system underarousal and low resting heart rate
   2. Biochemical factors
      1. Neurotransmitters
      2. Testosterone
   3. Behavioral genetics: the heritability of criminal disposition
      1. Adoption studies
      2. Twin studies
      3. Molecular genetic studies
      4. “Pulling back the curtain on heritability studies”
3. Personality and biosocial criminology
   1. Trait-based personality models
      1. Eysenck’s PEN model
      2. Five-factor model of personality
   2. Personality traits and antisocial behavior
4. Intelligence and delinquency
   1. Intelligence, school performance, and delinquency
   2. The heritability of intelligence
5. Summary and conclusions