Neural Explanations

Neural Explanations
Biochemistry
There are three biochemicals that are implicated in offending behaviour:
 Noradrenaline: part of the fight or flight response. Helps us to
respond in a threatening situation. High levels are linked to violence
and aggression which can lead to crime.
 Serotonin: regulates mood and impulse control. Low levels are linked
to impulsivity. If a situation is particularly emotional someone with low
levels could easily react as they have an impaired capacity to hold
back.
 Dopamine: released during pleasurable situations and makes us seek
out pleasure. E.g., food, sex, drugs etc. linked to addiction and
substance abuse. This can lead to crime to fund the drug habit.

Brain Physiology
The physiology of the brain may be implicated in offending behaviour. The
two key areas implicated are:
Limbic System The way the brain develops
 A central part of the brain,  Research In this area has
where emotions are controlled. centred around those with
 Therefore, it is implicated in Auditory processing disorder.
criminal behaviour.  People with Auditory
 Criminal psychopaths, those processing disorder have less
with Auditory processing volume in the frontal lobe than
disorder have problems those without Auditory
processing emotions & processing disorder.
empathy.  This would explain why those
 This leads to lack of guilt/ with Auditory processing
remorse. disorder do not feel remorse.
 A fault in the limbic system can
lead to planned and organised
offending as they lack remorse
and self-serving.