Explaining Crime and Deviant Behaviour

Biological Explanation

It has been argued that some people are naturally inclined to be criminals - they are born with biological factors that are responsible for there crimes - they are born criminals
A study in 1876 claimed that criminal behaviour was a result of criminal behaviour - Lombroso studies prisoners and concluded that a person's character could be assessed from the shape of there skull and other physical characteristics. he believed that criminals were less evolved than normal people but this is no longer considered as a explanation for crime
A geneticist, Steve Jones believes that genes are a complex set of chemical instructions that shape our behaviour and do this in interaction with the environment
Any influences of biology are developed by society so attempts to explain human behaviour only in biological terms will never provide a complete answer

1 of 2

Premenstrual tension (PMT) - stress caused by menstruation can make women act irrationally and so they cannot be held responsible for their actions - it is believed that 80% of female crime occurs around the period of menstruation
Maternal Deprivation - research has shown that early childhood deprivation, lack of emotional security and lack of secure attachment in childhood could also lead to a person developing a criminal personality as they seek affection and attention from elsewhere

2 of 2