Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, said, “The healthy man does not torture others. Generally, it is the tortured who turn into torturers.”. Then – are criminals born or made this way? Biological explanations of crime assume that some people are ‘born criminals’ and are physiologically, biologically, or genetically distinct from non-criminals, while sociological approaches suggest that crime is shaped by external factors like the family (Miller, 2009; Bostaph et al., 2010). Here, we will explore the ‘Nature’ of criminals.

Early works of criminology included the concept of ‘moral insanity’ which experts believed to be hereditary, and specified a type of criminal – remorseless, incapable of resisting impulses to harm others, and morally savage but in other respects normal (Rafter et al., 2016). Lombroso, an Italian criminologist, then suggested that most criminals commit crimes due to their innate organic nature and not of their free will (Bostaph et al., 2010). He also believed that criminals can be identified from their physical traits like the length of ear lobes and the bone structure of the head (Bostaph et al., 2010).

Other key ideas included the throwback concept of atavism that Lombroso explained as “biological and primitive instincts that, although smoothed over by education, the family, and fear of punishment, resurface instantly under given circumstances.” (Rafter et al., 2016). These “regressions” result in acts acceptable in the times of our ancestors, but not in current society. 

Contemporary approaches to criminology found that criminals do differ from non-criminals in terms of personality features. Common differences include psychopathy and low self-control (Sinha, 2016; Tharshini et al., 2021). 

Psychopathy is associated with emotional and behavioural disturbances – risk factors for criminal and antisocial behaviour, criminal reoffence, and violence (Tharshini et al., 2021). These individuals may be aggressive, manipulative, egocentric, and unable to empathise and feel remorse (Sinha, 2016; Tharshini et al., 2021). For instance, Ted Bundy. Bundy had the core characteristics of antagonism and extraversion. However, different from others, Bundy had high conscientiousness and lower neuroticism, making him more thoughtful and organized, have glib charm and fearlessness (Plercy, n.d.).

Multiple studies also found low self-control to predict various maladaptive behaviours like violence, substance abuse, and others. These individuals are less meticulous, self-centred, prone to risky behaviour, display volatile temperament, and have a low tolerance for frustration and conflicts. They are more likely to engage in computer-related crimes or associate with gangs (Tharshini et al., 2021).

Overall, the ‘nature’ of criminals may involve biological influences like personality. Although one might have the look of a criminal, their abnormal thought patterns are what makes them a criminal. Though differentiating among individuals from their physical traits were severely criticised, Lombroso’s work remains crucial in the developments of criminology due to its alignment with evolutionary theories of human development. 

Of course, this does not mean that all criminals are born bad. Like the villains with backstories in movies, criminals may also be made. Stay tuned to the next part of this series exploring the ‘Nurturing’ of criminals.

 

Written by:

Karis Liow

Murdoch University (under Kaplan Singapore)

 

References

Bostaph, L. G., Bolen, J. D., & Hudson, M. (2010). Encyclopedia of Criminological Theory. In SAGE Publications, Inc. eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412959193 

Miller, J. (2009). 21st Century Criminology: A reference Handbook. In SAGE Publications, Inc. eBooks. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412971997 

Plercy, L. (n.d.). A&S psychology researcher unravels serial killer Ted Bundy’s mental health. University of Kentucky College of Arts & Sciences. https://psychology.as.uky.edu/psychology-researcher-unravels-serial-killer-ted-bundys-mental-health 

Rafter, N. H., Posick, C., & Rocque, M. (2016). The criminal brain: Understanding Biological Theories of Crime. 

Sinha, S. (2016). Personality correlates of criminals: A comparative study between normal controls and criminals. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 25(1), 41. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-6748.196058 

Tharshini, N., Ibrahim, F., Kamaluddin, M. R., Rathakrishnan, B., & Nasir, N. C. M. (2021). The Link between Individual Personality Traits and Criminality: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16), 8663. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168663