Physiological- Lombroso


	Physiological- Lombroso
	Advantages Lombroso gave scientific credibility to criminology for the first time. Lombroso’s work appears to be backed up by Goring (1913) who found lower rates of intelligence in convicts- suggesting they might be less evolved. His work did challenge the idea that criminals are just evil or that they chose to commit crime. Was an early influence on the idea of offender profiling. Saw prisons as universities of crime which led to more offending- quite perceptive given today recidivism rates.	Disadvantages lacks credibility Lacks accuracy, doesn’t take facial disfigurement into consideration. Not all criminals may have atavistic features, only 40% of criminals Lombroso looked at had atavistic features. There may be people who have atavistic features that aren’t criminal. People with atavistic features will be labelled and a self-fulfilling prophecy. Scientific racism- many of the atavistic features defined are those that are normal of people with African descent. Extremely deterministic- idea that theory assumes people who are criminal can’t escape their destiny of being a criminal. Lack of a control group meaning criminals features can’t be compared to those that aren’t criminal.
	Evaluation

Lombroso gave scientific credibility to criminology for the first time.
Lombroso’s work appears to be backed up by Goring (1913) who found lower rates of intelligence in convicts- suggesting they might be less evolved.
His work did challenge the idea that criminals are just evil or that they chose to commit crime.
Was an early influence on the idea of offender profiling.
Saw prisons as universities of crime which led to more offending- quite perceptive given today recidivism rates.

lacks credibility
Lacks accuracy, doesn’t take facial disfigurement into consideration.
Not all criminals may have atavistic features, only 40% of criminals Lombroso looked at had atavistic features. There may be people who have atavistic features that aren’t criminal.
People with atavistic features will be labelled and a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Scientific racism- many of the atavistic features defined are those that are normal of people with African descent.
Extremely deterministic- idea that theory assumes people who are criminal can’t escape their destiny of being a criminal.
Lack of a control group meaning criminals features can’t be compared to those that aren’t criminal.

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