Hans Eysenck’s biosocial theory of crime centres on the genetic and environmental factors that direct human behaviour, especially towards crime. Eysenck stated that genetic factors present in people contribute towards behaviour; however, it only manifests itself through environmental influences.
Definition of key terms
Biosocial theory: Biosocial theorists believe that influences such as physical, environmental and social conditions, work together in order to produce human behaviour.
Personality: Personality describes a person temperament and emotion attributes that are consistently influential on behaviour.
Psychoticism: Eysenck developed a third personality dimension which explained psychopathic behaviour. This dimension explained behaviour characterised by aggression, cruelty and coldness. Eysenck related extreme cases of psychoticism with criminality.
1) Genetic factors and their contribution towards crime
Eysenck theory had genetics as a fundamental feature and supported the assumption that it was an inherited component to crime. Eysenck postulated that research done within adoption studies clearly showed a link between genetics and criminality. Studies completed in the field of adoption showed that there was a inherited characteristic of crime passed on from the parents to their children that increase the likelihood of their involvement in crime (Joubert, Joubert & Ovens 2009:41). These studies showed that genetics affords people with particular predispositions which, under certain conditions, could lead them to a life of crime. Eysenck also looked at the physical attributes of criminals and argued that there was a physical difference between criminals and non-criminals. Biological factors shape the development of traits that are more contributing to crime than others. Eysenck was particularly interested in the influence of body shapes, which is further illustrated through the work of Lombroso. Lombroso conducted a study...