Biology and Criminal Behaviour

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Biology and Criminal Behaviour

• Biological Perspectives Relevant to Forensic
  Psychologists

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Session Aims

• Introduce the main ways Biol used in Crim.
• Assess value of Biol in Crim.
• Discuss a few examples.
• Leave you able to develop your own knowledge to
  evaluate Biol claims.

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Using Biology Purposes

• Why (all) young males at high-risk?
• Why does some sub-group commit crime?
• Why did some person commit crime?
• Find intervention points methods.
• Understanding process leading to crime.

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Using Biology Approaches

• Evolutionary Evolutionary Psychology
  Behavioural Ecology Sociobiology.
• Developmental.
• Brain structures.
• Neurotransmitter systems.
• Genetics.
• Biosocial Interaction
• Hormones ANS Toxins etc, etc.

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Is Biology Relevant to Crime?

• Big controversy, some say 100 no.
• BUT, we are animals biological things that have
  evolved to be as we are.
• Critics often misrepresent biol. crim.
• Biol been misused often.
• All we do has biol basis, not only factor, best
  people say Biosocial Interaction top.

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Evolution and the Male Age-Crime Curve

• MACC most accepted fact in criminology.
• See same curve for art, jazz, science, etc.
• All fall off after marriage family.
• Fair match to Testosterone levels.
• Rise as puberty ends, falls from 25yrs.
• M compete for status, f prefer high status.
• Any practical use? (YES!)

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Age-Crime Curve
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Fig. 1. The age of peak scientific achievement,
280 scientists.
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Fig. 6. The benefits and costs of competition and
the agecrime (and agegenius) curve. (a)
Reproductive benefits of competition. (b)
Reproductive costs of competition. (c)
Propensity toward competition benefit - costs.
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The Brain and Crime 1

• See diffs in brains of some groups of crims.
• Prefrontal Cortex Temporal Cortex.
• TC for sexual crimes?
• PFC for control of self empathy morality.
• 11 yrs better than 17yrs at reading emotion.
• PFC controls basic emotion centres.
• Raine less active PFC in murderers, ppths.
• 500 Ps, AS, violent, murders PFC low.

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The Brain and Crime 2

• Criminal psychopaths emotional brain is less
  active in TC linked areas.
• Fits lower heart-rate of antisocial young. Fits
  fearlessness stimulation seeking.
• Over-active FC TC, using more to control
  behaviour?
• PFC vulnerable to injury insult.

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Genes and Criminality

• Twin/adoption/twins reared apart/molecular
  genetics Gs affect AS aggressive behav.
• Impact depends on environment.
• Cloninger m petty crime, just G12, E7,
  GE40. All adoptees.
• 140 M twins, 11yrs, tested every 3yrs, early
  crim links to chronic adults, low IQ, ADHD.
  Mz55 vs Dz29. G key.
• Twins Gs critical for CD. (Slutske, W. et al
  1997)
• Twins Gs critical in early aggressive bullies.

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Genes, Transmitters Crime

• Genes work via some biol change.
• Serotonin (5-HT) Dopamine Gs key?
• 5HT down gt aggression ( depression)
• MAO key enzyme, Dutch family.
• gt Stephen Mobley (Dominos Pizza)
• MAO A3gtgreater aggression/impulsivity.
• HTR 2A G builds 5-HT receptor,link to ADHD.
• ADHD link to D4 7 repeat G, novelty seeking

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Some Other Biology

• Hormones T in m PMS defence.
• Hypoglycaemia (Twinky defence).
• ANS less responsive in AS, Ppths.
• Maternal smoking.
• Epilepsy.
• Diet

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And so to bed

• Forensic Psych needs to be informed by biol.
• Stupid to reject without understanding.
• Need to read for selves over the years.
• Be aware of limits risks.
• Look at number of Ps, methods, confounding
  factors and interactions.
• (To get notes save to your PC or similar. Has
  great refs.)

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Basal Ganglia
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Phineas Gage
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Medial Brain
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Medial Brain - Lifelike
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Serotonin Diagram
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Dopamine Diagram
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Norepinephrine Diagram
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Neuron Diagram
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Da 5-HT Pathways
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Prefrontal Cortex Parts
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Polish Whole Brain