The Contribution of Lombroso’s Work to Criminology and Perceptions of Criminal Behavior

The Contribution Lombroso’s work to Criminology, and Perceptions of Criminal Behaviour
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The Contribution Lombroso’s work to Criminology, and Perceptions of Criminal Behaviour
Cesare Lombroso was an Italian Criminologist and a physician whose works had a significant contribution to criminology and perceptions of criminal behaviour. In the history of criminology, no name has been lauded or attacked as Lombroso. Most people recognise him as the father of modern criminology because he pioneered the study of crime and criminals. In fact, he is one of the first people to introduce scientific methods to investigate crime, and write about female crimes. By the time of his demise in 1909, his ideas had contributed considerably to criminology.[Albrecht, Adalbert. "Cesare Lombroso. A Glance at His Life Work." Journal of the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology 1, no. 2 (1910): 71-83.] [Becky, Little, ‘What Type of Criminal Are You? 19th-Century Doctors Claimed to Know by Your Face’ History (August 8, 2019) accessed April 14, 2021.]
Scholars have written more about Lombroso and his ideas than any other criminologist, meaning that he has had a great influence in both traditional and modern criminology. The intensity of his investigations authorises a post-lombrosian modern approach crime etiology. In contrast, his emphasis on certain biological traits of criminal identification has fueled attacks from many critics who do not take time to read his works. Lombroso’s biological and environmental approaches mirror different historical results of his works.[Ibid] [Ibid]
Studies show that Lombroso attempted to discern probable link between criminal psychopathology and physical or legal defects. He primarily contended on the existence of a hereditary or atavistic class of criminals. According to Lombroso, offenders demonstrate high rate of physical and mental anomalies compared to non-criminals. Lombroso’s theories of crime were widely influential during the nineteenth and twentieth century. However, most modern criminologists strongly rejected his emphasis on hereditary causes of crime, but accepted the environmental factors. Despite critics in Lombroso’s work, criminologists continue to acknowledge him as the father of criminology based on his influence and contribution in this field.[History Extra, ‘The ‘born criminal’? Lombroso and the origins of modern criminology’ History Extra (February 14, 2019) accessedApril 14, 2021]
Elwood noted that Lombroso’s work is still very effective in the teaching of criminology despite criticisms in his theories. Many people are aware of the most basic principles of Lombroso’s theories and the controversies around them. He developed the frameworks of criminological sciences by introducing a biological theory of delinquency, which was later rejected and replaced by the sociological approach. The theory of ‘‘born criminal’’ raised controversy in its formulations, assumptions and predictions.[Ellwood, Charles. "Lombroso's theory of crime." Journal of the American Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology 2, no. 5 (1912): 716-723.] [Ibid]
Present research in behavioural genetics and neuroscience has re-introduced some Lombroso’s ideas by proving the connection between biological factors and criminality. Heredity is a principal concept in Lombroso’s criminology work. This concept influenced genealogical studies for antisocial behaviour. He dedicated a section of the criminal man to heredity but focused less on how it operates.[Ibid]
Lombroso suggested that the man had a particular kind of deviance like moral insanity he inherited from familial lineages. Lombroso’s ‘‘born criminal’’ dominated thinking about criminal behaviour in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Believing primarily that criminals have inherited traits and that physical attributes could be used to identify lawbreakers, Lombroso paved way for scientific study of crime. During the late nineteenth century, the idea that one could tell a criminal by just observing them gained traction. Early criminologists critically argued whether criminals have specific identifying facial characteristics that separate them from non-criminals.[Sirgiovanni, Elisabetta. "Criminal heredity: The influence of Cesare Lombroso’s concept of the “born criminal” on contemporary neurogenetics and its forensic applications." Med Secoli 29, no. 1 (2017): 165-188.] [Ibid]
Researchers have found some scientific evidences to support the claim, meaning Lombroso’s idea of ‘‘born criminal’’ has shaped the field of criminology. Lombroso developed the idea that criminals are born after he observed the dead body of Giuseppe Villella, man convicted of theft and arson, and found the criminal had features like enormous jaws, indented skull at the back, and high cheek bones that corresponded to a love of orgies and the irresistible craving for evil. Lombroso’s research explained why his subject had weird characters like extraordinary agility and cynicism as well as his propensity to boast of his abilities and escapades. From this evidence and other previous criminals he had studied, Lombroso concluded that some people were born with a tendency to offend.[History Extra, ‘The ‘born criminal’? Lombroso and the origins of modern criminology’ History Extra (February 14, 2019) accessedApril 14, 2021]
In this study, Lombroso combined phrenology and physiognomy to explain an individual’s personality and behaviour based on the skull and facial features of the person. White men before Lombroso had applied these pseudosciences to develop racist theories, and Lombroso used them to advance criminology field. This idea changed the view of scholars and authorities about crime. Previously, many civilized thinkers believed law breaking was an individual’s choice. However, Lombroso hypothesized that some criminals have an irresistible inherent criminality. Followers of this school of thought emphasised on eliminating inborn criminals from society instead of seeking to reform them. Even though experts have discredited the link between physical features and criminality, its influence is still felt in the contemporary debates regarding the role of nature vs. nurture.[Wolfgang, Marvin. "Pioneers in Criminology: Cesare Lombroso (1825-1909)." Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology 52, no. 4 (1961): 361-390.] [Ibid]
Since Lombroso was among the first people to use scientific methods to investigate crime, he contributed to the scientific investigation of the causes of some criminal behaviours like serial killing. Although some criminologists initially rejected Lombroso’s biological measure of crime, these scientific evidences have proved to be effective in determining the motive towards serial killing. Studies have found that extreme forms of violence may be caused by a highly complex interaction of biological, sociological and psychological factors.[Allely, Clare. "Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass murderers." Aggression and violent behavior 19, no. 3 (2014): 288-301.] [Ibid]
In this context, researchers believe that many serial killers may have experienced neurodevelopment disorders such as Autism, which is highly heritable. Neurophysiology has uncovered neurological and physical abnormalities, and has aligned them to serial killings. Many serial killers around the world have been labeled with some sort of neurological disorder. Therefore, it is believable that these serial killers may be reacting to chemical and hereditary factors in their brains. Lombroso’s work in connecting heredity with crime is therefore applicable in reality. For instance, other than the mental assessment of an offender, detectives may consider the lineage of the convict to determine if the person’s criminal behavior has family connections. In other words, Lombroso’s idea has led to the practice of forensic genealogy in criminology.[Allely, Clare. "Neurodevelopmental and psychosocial risk factors in serial killers and mass murderers." Aggression and violent behavior 19, no. 3 (2014): 288-301.]
Sometimes, Lombroso used his expertise to provide advice in criminal cases. In a sexual assault case, where a man raped and infected a three-year-old girl, Lombroso boasted of identifying the criminal from among six suspects through his appearance. He simply recognised the man with a sinister physiognomy and obscene tattoos in his arm as his key suspect. According to Lombroso, this person later confessed to the crime. Crime investigators use the same method today. In a crime scene, anybody that looks suspicious or has unique physical appearances can be singled out as the suspect. Some of these people turn out to be the real perpetrators, and this corresponds to Lombroso’s idea which means that his work has influenced modern investigators in identifying crime suspects.[Rafter, Nicole. "Cesare Lombroso and the origins of criminology: Rethinking criminological tradition." Publifarum 6, no. 6 (2005): 1-7.] [Ibid] [Ibid]
Ellwood also stated that Lombroso’s work heavily influenced the present criminology. According to Elwood, Lombroso’s work demonstrated that it was worth investigating the criminal including the reasons for committing a crime. This idea helped in developing individual penalties. Ellwood further said that Lombroso articulated a new theory of punishment. He suggested penalties for born criminals for social defence reasons even if they do not have free will and mental capac...