Are Criminals Born or Made? The Long-Standing Debate
What drives criminals? Is it something embedded into their biology at birth? Or the result of the environment they were brought up in? The question of whether nurture or nature influences criminal behaviour has been one of the most debated topics in criminology and psychology. However, the overall answer is equivocal, but it doesn't stop many scientists from exploring further into this debate as it has far- reaching effects for understanding the psychology of serial killers and helps people prevent future crimes as they can understand how the criminal’s brains work.
Nature refers to our genetics, including the genes we are born with and other factors that may impact our personality and how it is formed and the way we develop.
Nurture refers to the environmental factors that may affect our character, including things such as our early childhood experiences, our social relationships, and our surrounding culture.
One of the most compelling pieces of evidence is from studies examining the biological and neurological traits of serial killers and how our behaviour reflects both genetics and environmental conditioning. Numerous studies have taken place, such as the MAOA gene (warrior gene), which has been linked to aggressive behaviour in men when combined with environmental stressors. This shows that some individuals are born with brain abnormalities, which makes them more prone to aggression, impulsivity and a lack of empathy. This kind of behaviour can be found in serial killers' brain areas, leading them to be responsible for controlling emotions, making moral decisions and inhibiting violent impulses.
Prominent figures in criminology have contributed diverse perspectives to this nature vs nurture debate, such as:
Cesare Lombroso: Emphasised biological traits as indicators of criminality.
Sigmund Freud: Introduced psychoanalytic perspectives that accounted for nurture, focusing on familial influence and early life experiences.
Edward Wilson: Promoted sociobiology, blending genetics with social behaviour and showing how both inherited traits and environmental contexts drive actions.
Additionally, there have been numerous studies that indicate genes can play a role in influencing predispositions towards criminal behaviour, such as neurotransmitters, showing low levels of serotonin have been proven to be associated with impulsivity and aggression, leading to criminal actions. Whereas, high levels of dopamine can enhance risk-taking behaviour, drawing individuals down offending pathways.
Many people argue that a child is born as a “tabula rasa”, meaning a blank slate. This means that a child learns ways of behaving as they develop, suggesting the mind is a blank slate and our experiences shape our personality and character.
The idea that criminals had distinct features was first proposed by Lombroso in the 1870s, as he became convinced that criminals are an earlier evolutionary version of humans and that you could tell a criminal by their distinct features, such as larger ears or an upturned nose. He suggested thieves were more likely to have a flattened nose, and murderers are likely to have an aquiline nose. Sigmund Freud suggested that 3 components shape our personality, which include the ID, the ego and the Superego. The ID represents our instinctual needs, our ego represents our morals and the social norms we need to abide by, and the superego is our moral reasoning. According to psychodynamic theory, criminal behaviour is due to an imbalance between the 3 components.
However, this debate is still ongoing in psychology and criminology as there is no real answer due to the many arguments and findings that have been found in many case studies over time. This debate can be traced back decades, with people such as Lombroso and Freud, who are the most famous researchers and whose work are still used today. Most experts recognise there is no stronger factor; however, they co-exist, and both play a crucial role in who we are and who we become. What do you think? Do you think one plays a more crucial role in shaping our personality, or are they both equally critical?
Leah James
Sources: https://psyforu.com/nature-vs-nurture-exploring-biological-theories-in-criminology/
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-nature-versus-nurture-2795392
