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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper that describes and explains these two theories. Criminal atavism, promoted by Lombroso, claims criminals are born criminals. Choice theory argues criminals make rational choices regarding their behavior. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: MM12_PGjvdatc.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
(Clinton Community College, n.d.; Sage Publishers, n.d.). Lombrosos book, Criminal Man was published in 1876 (Sage Publishers, n.d.). His theories are categorized under trait theories (Clinton Community College, n.d.). That
means people are born with certain traits or characteristics that cause them to behave in certain ways. Lombroso, an Italian physician, promoted the notion that criminals are born that way
(Sage Publishers, n.d.). He reached this conclusion after performing numerous autopsies on criminals (OConnor, 2006). According to Lombroso, criminals were born criminals and thus, followed the path into which they
were born (Sage Publishers, n.d.). Lombroso considered these individuals to be "evolutionary throwbacks to an earlier form of life" (Sage Publishers, n.d.). In other words, they are primitive (Clinton Community
College, n.d.). This is true for both juvenile and adult offenders. Atavism is the term used to denote this condition (Clinton Community College, n.d.). Lombroso proposed that "delinquents manifest physical
anomalies that make them biologically and physiologically similar to our primitive ancestors" (Clinton Community College, n.d.). This theory is called criminal atavism (Clinton Community College, n.d.). As one author explained,
atavism is "The term used to describe the appearance of organisms resembling ancestral forms of life" (Sage Publishers, n.d.). According to Lombroso, criminals could be identified because they had
very distinct physical characteristics (Clinton Community College, n.d.). Examples include a flattened nose, very large jaws, strong canine teeth or even a double row of teeth (Clinton Community College, n.d.).
Other indicators included the circumference and width of the head, the degree to which the forehead receded, height and weight (OConnor, 2006). Lombroso was even harsher in his discussions of
female criminals (OConnor, 2006). In addition to these physical inferiorities, Lombroso said they "had more masculine than feminine characteristics" (OConnor, 2006). His analysis of the female criminal may have had
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