Study of Criminal Behavior Assignment

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
1
Theoretical Explanation of Criminal Behaviour
Student’s Name
Code + Course Name
Professor’s Name
University Name
City, State
Date

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
2
Executive Summary
The study of criminal behaviour has received significant attention by scholars in the
recent decades. The paramount attention towards this study may have been influenced by the
ever increasing reports on criminal behaviour. For this reason, scholars have developed
numerous theories in attempt to explain how criminal behaviour is developed. Among the major
theories there are sociological theories or positivism, psychological positivism, and biological
positivism. This paper, however, pays attention to two theories. That is Lombroso’s theory,
commonly known as inborn criminal and behavioural theory. The former is a biological theory
while the latter is psychological. Additionally, the paper seeks to explain how criminal behaviour
is explained by each theory. Also addressed in the paper is how the two theories compare and
contrast. Later in the paper is the evaluation of what theory is deemed most necessary in
explaining criminal behaviour.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
3
Table of Content
Introduction......................................................................................................................4
An overview of biology and psychology relationship with criminality...........................4
Comparing biological positivism (lombroso's theory) and psychological positivism.......
(behavioural theory) in relation to criminal behaviour...................................................5
Contrasting biological positivism (lombroso's theory) and psychological positivism.......
(behavioural theory) in relation to criminal behaviour...................................................7
How behavioural theory is a better approach in explaining criminal behaviour.............9
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................10
List of references...........................................................................................................12

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
4
Theoretical Explanation of Criminal Behaviour
Introduction
Criminal behaviour is one of the discourses that have been studied widely by different
scholars. Perhaps the increase in the rate of crime is one of the precipitating factors towards this
study. In an endeavour to study and understand criminal behaviour, there are some important
aspects worth considering. For instance, it is important to understand who are regarded to as
criminals, the reasons why they commit crimes, what they do as well as what they think. The
definition of criminal behaviour is ambiguous in the sense that one act may be classified as a
crime in one environment but not in another. Nonetheless, criminal behaviour is seen as an act(s)
prohibited by law, violation of religious or moral codes, violation of societal norms, and acts that
serious to serious mental, physical or psychological stress to the victim. Scholars have attempted
to provide both biological and psychological explanations of criminal behaviour. The aim of this
paper, therefore, is to compare and contrast the psychological positivism theory (behavioural
theory) and biological or genetic positivism (Lombroso's theory) in an attempt to explain the
scope of criminal behaviour.
An Overview of Biology and Psychology Relationship with Criminality
The earlier and the latest criminology studies reveal that there in an intrinsic relationship
between criminal behaviour and human biology. Scientists, therefore, argue that the tendency to
be aggressive or violent in some situations is genetically inherited (Portnoy, Chen, and Raine,
2013: 294). Therefore, although criminals are not naturally born as criminals Delisi (2016: 25)
argue that the act of violence which results in the commitment of crime is present in some people
during birth, mainly because of the genes inherited.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
5
The psychological explanations of criminal behaviour, on the other hand, show that
criminals are predisposed to criminal behaviour due to particular psychological problems.
Psychologist (Raine, 2013: 13), in his explanation of criminal behaviour uses four distinct
approaches. Firstly, he attributes criminal behaviour to incomplete psychological development or
failure in psychological development. In this view, Raine cites factors such as individual's inner
conflict, poor childhood attachment to parents, weak conscience or lack of moral development.
Secondly is the focus on the causes of aggression such as exposure to aggressive behaviour or
negative influence by others. The third approach involves the study of a person's personality
characteristics. Raine thus argues that criminals have defining characteristics such as
irresponsibility, impulsive and intolerance. The fourth explanation is attributed to psychopathy
which is a mental disorder.
In general, the investigators examine some of the personality characteristics in criminals.
Among these characteristics, there is the personality disorder, cognitive processing and the level
of intelligence (Taylor, Fritsch and Liederbach, 2014: 109). The investigations depict that there
is a relationship between psychology, crime, and mental illnesses. Hence, egoism, incorrigibility,
impulsiveness, and temperament are seen as some of the psychological states that may result in
criminal behaviours in some individuals (Okada, 2015: 44).
Comparing Biological Positivism (Lombroso's theory) and Psychological Positivism
(Behavioural Theory) in relation to Criminal Behaviour
The behavioural theory stresses that human behaviour is primarily developed through
learning experiences. The centrality of the behavioural theory, therefore, is the underpinned
notion that people tend to alter their behaviours depending on the reactions that these behaviours
bring forth in other people. Principally, the behaviourists view criminal acts as emanating from

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
6
the life situations that people experience. Bandura one of the social learning theorists contends
that acts of aggression and violence result from behavioural modelling. In other words, the
external environment plays a role in influencing criminal acts. The notion of the role of the
environment in influencing people's behaviour is thus in agreement with the latest book entitled
Crime, Its Causes, and Remedies. The book is the third volume of Lombroso's Criminal Man.
In this theory, Lombroso, other than contending that criminal behaviour is inborn in criminals he
cites other predisposing factors to criminal behaviour. In other words, although he maintains that
criminals are born with intrinsic ability to commit criminal behaviours, other factors are also
responsible for fuelling the criminals' vulnerability (Akers, 2013: 37). It is such a notion that
depicts the comparing characteristic of the biological positivism and psychological positivism
explanations of criminal behaviour. In the new volume, Lombroso lists some of the factors that
lead to criminal behaviour including sex, age, geographical conditions, civilization, political
conditions, religion, alcoholism, influence of race, civil status, prisons, education, economic
conditions, meteorological and climate influences, and population density (Akers, 2013: 39).
Secondly, a large number of behaviourists see cognitions as playing central role in the
formation and maintenance of criminal behaviour. Moreover, both covert and overt cognitions
are referred to as the major causes of maladaptive behaviour. Similarly, while Lombroso's theory
is purely biological, in his later years, Lombroso incorporates both psychological and social
factors which he argues that they produce crime. His sentiments depict his perception about the
characteristic of a criminal not only as an organic anomaly but also as atavistic and pathological.
He argues that the social causes of crime are stimuli that contribute both psychical and organic
abnormalities in the individual.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
7
Contrasting Biological Positivism (Lombroso's theory) and Psychological Positivism
(Behavioural Theory) in Relation to Criminal Behaviour
Lombroso's theory differs significantly from the behavioural theory when it comes to the
explanations of criminal behaviour. One of the major variances between Lombroso's theory and
behavioural theory is that the former stresses that the propensity to commit crimes is inborn
(Beaver and Schwartz, 2014: 1908) while the latter attributes criminal behaviour to social,
environmental influences. Lombroso applied scientific study to crime and criminals. One of
Lombroso's major findings was that criminal behaviour was inherited hence it was inborn in
some criminals (Carrier and Walby, 2014:1). Similarly, he also contended that criminals were
identifiable through physical characteristics. For instance, Lombroso in his study maintained that
thieves are identifiable through physical characteristics such as small wandering eyes, facial
expression, and manual agility. Serial murderers can be identified through bloodshot eyes, glassy
and cold stares, and a big nose that resemble that of a hawk. He also found out that rapists have
jug-like ears. He thus concluded that majority of the criminals tend to have one or more of such
features as prominent superciliary jaws, palms with solitary lines, insensitivity to pain, enormous
jaws, tattoos, high cheekbones, desire for orgies, idleness, extremely large orbits, and desire to
kill and mutilate the body (Carrier and Walby, 2014:1).
On the contrary, the behavioural theory posits that all human behaviours are learned
through interacting with the social environment (Eck and Weisburd, 2015: 3). Essentially, the
theory stands in high contrast with the concept of inborn criminal. In other words, this theory
holds that people are not born with the propensity to become violent or commit crimes. The
underpinning of the theory is that people accustom to think and express violence due to their
day-to-day experience or encounters (Eck and Weisburd, 2015: 4). The proponents of the

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
8
behavioural theory say that the observation of rewarding of violent behaviour and the
glorification of violence are primary predisposing factors to committing criminal behaviour. It is
for this reason that people who live in violent neighbourhoods tend to exhibit aggressive
behaviour.
Another striking difference brought forth by Lombroso is the finding that there is a
difference between the male criminals and female criminals. However, the behavioural theory is
limited to the general causes of criminal behaviour in criminals. Thus, Lombroso contends that
female criminals are more callous compared to their male counterparts (Burgess, 2014: 165). He
also found characteristics such as shortness and wrinkles, smaller skulls than those of non-
criminal women, lust and immodesty, baldness, prominent lower jaws, and black hair (Smart,
2013: 27-28).
While Lombroso stresses on the inheritable causes of criminal behaviour and the
anatomical features of criminals in both men and women (Chirchiglia et al.: 294), the proponents
of behavioural theory address four distinct factors that lead to criminal behaviour. One of the
outlined factors is the aggressive learned skills which are mainly learned through observing
others. Secondly is a stressful experience or stimuli such as assault or threat. These two arouse
aggression and consequential involvement in criminal behaviour. Thirdly, the proponents argue
that people are likely to commit crimes in a system or a social context that is tolerant to violence.
Finally, criminal behaviour aggravates due to the belief that violence or aggressions are
rewarded. For instance, some people believe that expression of violence or aggression is a way
of earning praise from others, enhancing self-esteem, reducing or avoiding frustration or even
proving material needs.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
9
In addition, behavioural theory puts into perspective factors such as egoism,
incorrigibility, impulsiveness, and temperament as leading to criminality (Okada, 2015: 36).
These factors, however, are triggered by the social environment thereby leading one to commit
the crime(s). Conversely, in an attempt to further his Inborn Criminal theory, Lombroso
developed another theory where he classified criminals into three categories (Abbaszadeh, 2016;
1206). He again disregards the significance of the social, environmental factors in which
individuals find themselves. One of three categories is the group of people who are born as
criminals. The second category refers to the abnormal criminals such as alcoholics, paralytics,
demented persons, idiots, and paranoids among others. The third category comprises of the
occasional criminals (pseudo criminals, habitual criminals, and criminaloids). For this reason,
Lombroso's theory creates a large divergence with the behavioural theory that rules out the
likelihood of inborn criminal.
How Behavioural Theory is a Better Approach in Explaining Criminal Behaviour
When Lombroso argues that tendency to commit a crime is inborn and that there is a
relationship between physical characteristics and propensity to commit a crime is undermining
the real causes of criminal behaviour. Criminal behaviour occurs as a result of learning process
which is primarily influenced by the social environment. What Lombroso does is shifting from
the analysis of criminal behaviour as a social phenomenon to individual phenomenon (Akers,
2011: 79). As a matter of fact, the biological reasons given by Lombroso cannot adequately
account for the causes of criminal behaviour hence the need to incorporate the behavioural
causes of criminal behaviour. Factors such as social illness, emotional reactions, and
geographical conditions also form a rigid foundation on which crimes result.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
10
Lombroso has over-emphasized on the role that an individual's physical characteristics
can have in committing a criminal behaviour (Chirchiglia et al.: 294) A person's characteristics
(egoism, incorrigibility, impulsiveness, and temperament) which may influence criminality may
however not lead to crime unless aroused by the social, environmental factors. In other words,
when egoism, incorrigibility, impulsiveness, and temperament are confronted by the
environmental factors such as lust, frustrations, temptations, and anger are likely to result in
criminal behaviour.
Although Lombroso maintains that criminal behaviour is inborn and not made, Okada
(2015: 35) argues that it is not necessarily that those individuals who exhibit these features (as
explained by Lombroso) must engage in criminal behaviour. For instance, having an
asymmetrical face and thick dark hair may not predispose one to commit crime. However, a
person's inherent characteristics such as impatience and irritability can result in criminal
behaviour if not adequately controlled. In this view, therefore, Lombroso's theory may not
adequately explain why people engage in criminal behaviour.
Behavioural theory supports the notion that the causation of criminal behaviour is learned
and anybody can become a criminal if exposed to the environment that supports aggression and
violence. On the other hand, Lombroso's broad generalization on genetics, physicality, and body
type are discriminative against some members of the community who may possess one or more
of the features or characteristics he identified (Rudo-Hutt et al.2014: 22). In fact, according to
Rudo-Hutt et al. (2014: 23), Lombroso's theory was primarily used to enforce the controversial
law that resulted in racial profiling and confinement of the Japanese Americans during the World
War II.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
11
Conclusion
In conclusion, criminal behaviour has been explained by various theorists. Both
biological and psychological theories provide substantial information about the development and
persistence of criminal behaviour. In furthering the understanding, this paper has explained how
both psychology and biology approach the whole issue of criminal behaviour. In so doing,
Lombroso's theory of inborn crime and the behavioural theory have shown how criminal
behaviour occurs in individuals. Lombroso in his view saw criminal behaviour as resulting from
the biological and physical characteristics possessed by a person. He, therefore, summarized that
criminals are born and not made. Behavioural theory, on the other hand, stands in contrast with
the behavioural theory by asserting that criminals are made and not born. The theory holds that
people's propensities to commit crimes are influenced by the social environmental factors.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
12
References
Abbaszadeh, S. (2016). Habitual crime’s factors. International Journal of Humanities and
Cultural Studies (IJHCS) ISSN 2356-5926, 1205-1213.
Akers, R. L. (2011). Social learning and social structure: A general theory of crime and
deviance. Transaction Publishers.
Akers, R. L. (2013). Criminological theories: Introduction and evaluation. Routledge.
Beaver, K. M., and Schwartz, J. A. (2014). Genes, Crime, and Antisocial Behaviours. In
Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice (pp. 1907-1915). Springer New York.
Bonger, W. A. (2015). An introduction to criminology. Routledge.
Burgess, H. (2014). The framing of the Shrew: A study of the sexualisation of the female
criminal. Trinity CL Rev., 17, 165.
Carrier, N., and Walby, K. (2014). Ptolemizing Lombroso the Pseudo-Revolution of Biosocial
Criminology. Journal of Theoretical & Philosophical Criminology, 6(1), 1.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
13
Chirchiglia, D., Della Torre, A., Marotta, R.,and Lavano, A. (2016). Down and Dirty
Lombroso’s Born to Crime, the Morphoanthropology and the Ignored Human Neurophysiology:
A Critical Review on a Historical Context. Collegium antropologicum, 40(4), 291-294.
Delisi, M. (2016). Biology and Crime. The Encyclopedia of Crime and Punishment.
Eck, J. E., and Weisburd, D. L. (2015). Crime places in crime theory. The Criminal Justice Press.
Okada, J. (2015 ) Criminological Theory and Crime Explanation. Criminal Justice and
Criminological Paradigms, pp 34-50.
Portnoy, J., Chen, F. R., and Raine, A. (2013). Biological protective factors for antisocial and
criminal behaviour. Journal of Criminal Justice, 41(5), 292-299.
Raine, A. (2013). The psychopathology of crime: Criminal behaviour as a clinical disorder.
Elsevier.
Rudo-Hutt, A. S., Portnoy, J., Chen, F. R., and Raine, A. (2014). Biosocial criminology as a
paradigm shift. The Routledge International Handbook of Biosocial Criminology, Abingdon,
Routledge, 22-31.

THEORETICAL EXPLANATION OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR
14
Smart, C. (2013). Women, Crime and Criminology (Routledge Revivals): A Feminist Critique.
Routledge.
Taylor, R. W., Fritsch, E. J., and Liederbach, J. (2014). Digital crime and digital terrorism.
Prentice Hall Press.