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Atavistic Form
A historical explanation for criminal behaviour that suggests criminals are biological throwbacks to a more primitive evolutionary stage. Proposed by Lombroso, this theory argues that criminals can be identified by distinct facial and cranial features, such as a sloping brow, pronounced jaw, and large ears.
Cesare Lombroso
An Italian physician and psychiatrist who laid the foundations for modern criminology. He believed criminals were born, not made, and identified physical differences between criminals and non-criminals, such as facial features, body type, and a reduced sensitivity to pain.
"Born Criminals"
Lombroso argued that criminals were physically different from non-criminals and that they could be identified by their features. He studied the heads and faces of thousands of prisoners and published findings suggesting that criminals had features such as a pronounced jaw, high cheekbones, sloping brow. He believed criminals were pre-social, impulsive, had a reduced sensitivity to pain, which explained their tendency to get tattoos.
Lombroso's Study
Lombroso examined the facial and cranial features of 383 dead criminals and 3,839 living criminals. He concluded that 40% of the criminals he studied had atavistic features, supporting his theory that some people are born criminals.
Lombroso's Criminal Types
Lombroso suggested different criminals had distinct physical features: murderers had bloodshot eyes, curly hair and aquiline noses; sex offenders had thick lips and protruding ears; thieves had flattened noses.
Other Traits of "Born Criminals"
In addition to physical characteristics, Lombroso claimed criminals exhibited other key behaviours and traits, including insensitivity to pain, use of criminal slang, tattoos, and unemployment.
Insane Criminals
Individuals with intellectual or moral defects, such as psychopaths and habitual offenders. Lombroso classified them as criminals due to mental abnormalities rather than atavistic features.
Epileptic Criminals
Those who committed crimes during seizures and were considered legally insane. Lombroso argued they should be committed to psychiatric hospitals rather than prisons.
Criminaloids
People whose criminal behaviour was influenced by environmental factors rather than biology. Unlike "born criminals," they were not inherently predisposed to crime but became criminals due to circumstances.
Recent Study - AI and Criminal Identification
A recent Chinese study used ID photos of 1,856 men (half with criminal convictions) in an AI programme. The AI correctly identified 83% of real criminals but wrongly flagged 6% of innocent men, raising concerns about using facial features to predict criminality.
