INTRODUCTION:
Explanation of crime and antisocial behaviour: STRENGTH WEAKNESS
biological explanation
Amygdala Against brain injury PARAGRAPH 1:
Brain injury Pardini: conducted The relationship between
Brain injury is linked to offending neuroimaging scans on a brain injury and offending is it AO1:
group of 26 year old men. causal,other variable may be AO3:
Williams (2010) 60% out of the 196 inmates in a The were divided into 2 influential. Ppl with head
groups (normal amygdala or injury are more likely you PARAGRAPH 2: STRENGTH
male UK prison had brain injury in their youth. The
reduce amygdala volume) 3 experience mental health AO1:
60%, were younger at the first offence and had a AO3:
years later, they found that issues and drug abuse
high rate of reoffending than the rest of the sample
reduced volume group were 3
times more likely to be Complex relationship
Connection between brain injury and offending aggressive between amygdala and crime PARAGRAPH 3: WEAKNESS
Acquired brain injuries (ABI) disrupted Other areas of the brain are AO1:
development and as the brain is not fully XYY implicated. The amygdala is AO3:
developed until their mid-20s. This means that the Jacobs: conducted a survey heavily influenced by
of male prisoners at a state (orbitofrontal cortex) OFC. PARAGRAPH 4: STRENGTH
individual fails to move beyond the reckless
hospital in Scotland and The OFC regulates self AO1:
behaviour associated with childhood. ABI can AO3:
found that XYY chromosome control and reduced function
also destabilize mood affect cognitive abilities like
patterns were is associated with increase
impulse control and decision making. overrepresented in prison aggression and violence
population (9/315) compared CONCLUSION:
Amygdala and aggression to general population (1/315) XXY and offending are
It is a feature of the limbic system which directs how unrelated
we react to threatening situation.Abnormalities in the Application to assessment Weakness is that it lacks
size,structure and activity of the amygdala correlate Bio explanation can lead to evidence
with increased aggression making criminal behavior new ways to assess criminal Re and Birkhoff: mega
culpability analysis looking at 50 years
more likely
Williams - raise awareness of evidence and concluded
around ABI and increase there is no link between XYY
XYY Syndrome standard screen. They and offending. The
1/1000 males are born with an extra chromosome recommend that ABI should prevalence of XYY males in
which lead to physical and behavioural differences. be viewed the same way as prison could be explained by
XYY males are taller than average,lower mental health and should be social factors such as XYY
intelligence,can be impulsive and have behavioural taken into account as part of characteristics make it harder
difficulties sentencing. The punishment for men to integrate and find
should be reduced as the work
individual has less
responsibility for their crime
, Explanation of crime and antisocial behaviour: Personality
Biological foundation STRENGTH WEAKNESS
Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality
Personality directs behavior in different situations Psychoticism
(low empathy,aggressive,cold and Empirical basis Competing argument
Dimensions of personality and the criminal type impulsive) Boduszek Investigated Evidence for criminal
Possible to measure personality along 2 dimensions It’s linked to hormones. testosterone the prevalence of personality is not
Extraversion-introversion: Extravents crave excitement, so they are is linked with this trait. They have Eysenck’s personality conclusive. Farrington
prone to engage in dangerous behavior.they also tend not condition easily larger brian areas in relation to the traits among 133 violent found little evidence that
(don’t learn from mistakes) This means that an extravert would not be limbic system-which leads to more and 179 non-violent male the EPI was an adequate
affected as strongly by punishment as an introvert impulse control offenders. He found that measure
Neuroticism- stability: neurotic individuals are anxious.Their general criminal thinking style is
instability means they are difficult to predict Extraversion correlated with high levels Is there a single criminal
(sociable,popular,unreliable,thrillseek of psychoticism, type?
Biological basis er and impsulve) extraversion and Other models of
The personality traits we develop are explained by the type of nervous Strong nervous system where neuroticism personality challenge
system we inherit. The need for excitement can be explained by an message pass between the brain is Eysenck’s model eg. 5
underactive nervous system which requires high levels of arousal. Those activated slowly and needs more Support for biological bias factor model (digman)
with high neuroticism score strongly react to situations others find less stimulation than other Criminal personality could accepts Extraversion and
stressful be linked to the nervous introversion but adds
Neuroticism system openness,agreeableness
A 3rd dimension: psychoticism (Worried and anxious) Raine found that those and conscientiousness.
Eysenck added a 3rd dimension to criminal types -psychoticism.They are easily activated fight/flight response who had signs of under Low agreeableness and
individuals who are self-centred,cold and lack empathy . from sympathetic nervous arousal in the nervous conscientious is linked
system.Leads to people being more system eg lower heart with offending
He developed the Eysenck personality inventory (EPI) a questionnaire on edge and jumpy than stable rates at 15 had criminal Lipsey and Derzon
which places respondents along E,N and P dimension to determine people records 24 years later suggest that impulsivity is
personality type better predictor of
Gender and personality Application to early crime antisocial behaviour
The socialisation process More males than females in Uk prevention
Socialisation process determines whether a person becomes la w adinfing prisons has ASPD. 63% males and Criminal tendencies can
or not . People who are extraverts are natural reward seekers and are 31% females be identified at childhood,
less respective to punishments (OC) and high neuroticism interfere with So if intervention come
efficient learning - difficulty taking on board social rules, so thoes E nad N early enough it is possible
personalities are more anti social to modify socialization
experiences of high risk
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) lawbreakers,no remorse and individuals,preventing
impulsive criminals
Explanation of crime and antisocial behaviour: STRENGTH WEAKNESS
biological explanation
Amygdala Against brain injury PARAGRAPH 1:
Brain injury Pardini: conducted The relationship between
Brain injury is linked to offending neuroimaging scans on a brain injury and offending is it AO1:
group of 26 year old men. causal,other variable may be AO3:
Williams (2010) 60% out of the 196 inmates in a The were divided into 2 influential. Ppl with head
groups (normal amygdala or injury are more likely you PARAGRAPH 2: STRENGTH
male UK prison had brain injury in their youth. The
reduce amygdala volume) 3 experience mental health AO1:
60%, were younger at the first offence and had a AO3:
years later, they found that issues and drug abuse
high rate of reoffending than the rest of the sample
reduced volume group were 3
times more likely to be Complex relationship
Connection between brain injury and offending aggressive between amygdala and crime PARAGRAPH 3: WEAKNESS
Acquired brain injuries (ABI) disrupted Other areas of the brain are AO1:
development and as the brain is not fully XYY implicated. The amygdala is AO3:
developed until their mid-20s. This means that the Jacobs: conducted a survey heavily influenced by
of male prisoners at a state (orbitofrontal cortex) OFC. PARAGRAPH 4: STRENGTH
individual fails to move beyond the reckless
hospital in Scotland and The OFC regulates self AO1:
behaviour associated with childhood. ABI can AO3:
found that XYY chromosome control and reduced function
also destabilize mood affect cognitive abilities like
patterns were is associated with increase
impulse control and decision making. overrepresented in prison aggression and violence
population (9/315) compared CONCLUSION:
Amygdala and aggression to general population (1/315) XXY and offending are
It is a feature of the limbic system which directs how unrelated
we react to threatening situation.Abnormalities in the Application to assessment Weakness is that it lacks
size,structure and activity of the amygdala correlate Bio explanation can lead to evidence
with increased aggression making criminal behavior new ways to assess criminal Re and Birkhoff: mega
culpability analysis looking at 50 years
more likely
Williams - raise awareness of evidence and concluded
around ABI and increase there is no link between XYY
XYY Syndrome standard screen. They and offending. The
1/1000 males are born with an extra chromosome recommend that ABI should prevalence of XYY males in
which lead to physical and behavioural differences. be viewed the same way as prison could be explained by
XYY males are taller than average,lower mental health and should be social factors such as XYY
intelligence,can be impulsive and have behavioural taken into account as part of characteristics make it harder
difficulties sentencing. The punishment for men to integrate and find
should be reduced as the work
individual has less
responsibility for their crime
, Explanation of crime and antisocial behaviour: Personality
Biological foundation STRENGTH WEAKNESS
Eysenck’s theory of the criminal personality
Personality directs behavior in different situations Psychoticism
(low empathy,aggressive,cold and Empirical basis Competing argument
Dimensions of personality and the criminal type impulsive) Boduszek Investigated Evidence for criminal
Possible to measure personality along 2 dimensions It’s linked to hormones. testosterone the prevalence of personality is not
Extraversion-introversion: Extravents crave excitement, so they are is linked with this trait. They have Eysenck’s personality conclusive. Farrington
prone to engage in dangerous behavior.they also tend not condition easily larger brian areas in relation to the traits among 133 violent found little evidence that
(don’t learn from mistakes) This means that an extravert would not be limbic system-which leads to more and 179 non-violent male the EPI was an adequate
affected as strongly by punishment as an introvert impulse control offenders. He found that measure
Neuroticism- stability: neurotic individuals are anxious.Their general criminal thinking style is
instability means they are difficult to predict Extraversion correlated with high levels Is there a single criminal
(sociable,popular,unreliable,thrillseek of psychoticism, type?
Biological basis er and impsulve) extraversion and Other models of
The personality traits we develop are explained by the type of nervous Strong nervous system where neuroticism personality challenge
system we inherit. The need for excitement can be explained by an message pass between the brain is Eysenck’s model eg. 5
underactive nervous system which requires high levels of arousal. Those activated slowly and needs more Support for biological bias factor model (digman)
with high neuroticism score strongly react to situations others find less stimulation than other Criminal personality could accepts Extraversion and
stressful be linked to the nervous introversion but adds
Neuroticism system openness,agreeableness
A 3rd dimension: psychoticism (Worried and anxious) Raine found that those and conscientiousness.
Eysenck added a 3rd dimension to criminal types -psychoticism.They are easily activated fight/flight response who had signs of under Low agreeableness and
individuals who are self-centred,cold and lack empathy . from sympathetic nervous arousal in the nervous conscientious is linked
system.Leads to people being more system eg lower heart with offending
He developed the Eysenck personality inventory (EPI) a questionnaire on edge and jumpy than stable rates at 15 had criminal Lipsey and Derzon
which places respondents along E,N and P dimension to determine people records 24 years later suggest that impulsivity is
personality type better predictor of
Gender and personality Application to early crime antisocial behaviour
The socialisation process More males than females in Uk prevention
Socialisation process determines whether a person becomes la w adinfing prisons has ASPD. 63% males and Criminal tendencies can
or not . People who are extraverts are natural reward seekers and are 31% females be identified at childhood,
less respective to punishments (OC) and high neuroticism interfere with So if intervention come
efficient learning - difficulty taking on board social rules, so thoes E nad N early enough it is possible
personalities are more anti social to modify socialization
experiences of high risk
Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) lawbreakers,no remorse and individuals,preventing
impulsive criminals
