Are there relationships between one's body and crime?
Did you know that the size and shape of one's breasts, jawbone, ears, nose, eyes and forehead were some of the factors that early biological criminologists identified as characteristics of a criminal? There was even an early concept of a "born criminal" or atavist.
Well, these theories emphasising such physical characteristics have been rejected for several reasons, including how the research was conducted.Biological criminological explanations continued. They ventured into assessing the relationship between the muscularity of a person and crime. They looked at the body type of a person (called somatotype) and criminality. For example, they found that more muscular and athletic people (called mesomorphs) were usually more aggressive and prone to aggressive acts than overweight people (endomorphs) and ectomorphs (who were fragile and thin).
There were, of course, several oppositions to this theory. If this proposition were applied today, how many of us would be classified as criminals or potential criminals?However, this concept evolved, and today, it leads, for example, to the incorporation of the Body Mass Index (BMI) concept into such predictions, with some limited success when prisoners were examined in the USA.Another way in which the human body has been linked to crime is in the "supermale" phenomenon. Scientists reported that there are some males who have an extra "Y" in their chromosome construction, enabling them to have a "XYY" chromosome make-up, or, being a "supermale." They reported that males with this genetic makeup are more inclined to engage in crime.
How many of us have this extra "y" and how do we relate to crime? A number of studies were done on prison populations.I wonder what the results would be for our own prison population and that of other Caribbean jurisdictions.There has also been consideration and acceptance in some jurisdictions of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) experienced by some women as a defence for engagement in some crimes. Another hormonal consideration that may be accepted as a defence for criminal behaviour is post-partum depression. This is where the courts may accept that people who suffer from these hormonal imbalances may commit a related crime. They may receive reduced sentences, for example.
Another massive area of research is in the field of genetics and crime. Studies in some Scandinavian countries as well as North America have revealed that genetic factors may contribute to someone engaging in crime. For example, studies were done in which the children of people (father and/or mother) who were imprisoned (criminals) and were placed with adopted parents who had no criminal records, showed that a notable percentage of those children (not all) did engage in crime later on in life.
Another set of studies to show the relationship between genetics and crime deal with twins and crime. Among many of their modest findings were that twins who lived with their biological parents who were criminals did themselves engage in crime later on. Some other results were that twins who had biological parents who had a criminal past and were then separated from their biological parents and had adoptive parents did engage in crime, even though the adoptive parents had no criminal record.
Many of the more contemporary biological theories of crime deal with levels of testosterone, serotonin, heart rate, skin conductance levels, sugar intake, etc. Also, brain-imaging techniques are utilised in this area of study. These new findings suggest linkages between levels of each of the above and involvement in criminal activities.
While in the past biological theories of crime were heavily criticised for their weak methodology, with the advent of more advanced and accurate scientific methods, more reliable findings are forthcoming. This is not to say that biological factors solely contribute to a person's criminal behaviour. There are other factors that probably contribute simultaneously. These include environmental factors, socio-economic background, opportunity, as well as a range of psychological factors that can be discussed in another article.
What does all of this mean to readers?
There is always the question: What causes crime? Well, there is a wide range of explanations of crime, that is, there is no one reason. This article focuses on one category of explanations–the biological.
If a person is predisposed to engage in crime owing to his/her biological make-up, what type(s) of punishment should be meted out to him/her? Should such a person be imprisoned? Should there be treatment?
This touches on the whole issue of punishment and sentencing. Would you say that such a person has "free will" and choice to commit crime?
These are some of the issues that policymakers, criminologists, and indeed, the wider public need to tackle urgently to develop and implement effective solutions to many of the crime problems confronting us in the Caribbean.
IAN RAMDHANIE
Principal, CISPS