INDIVIDUAL PROJECT (RESEARCH PROPOSAL) 1. Identify a topic and conduct a literature search (Topic - Are Criminals Born or Bred: Is It as Simple as One or the Other?) 2. Complete an annotated bibliogra

Are Criminals Born or Bred?: Is It as Simple as One or The Other?

Iresha Simmons

Department of Criminal Justice, Jackson State University

CJ 326 Issues & Procedures

Gina Hamilton, MA

March 30, 2021

Literature Review

Each article I read about whether or not criminals are being made or are born agreed with one side or the other. They differed in their reasonings for the side of the argument they chose. Some even proposed the idea that the answer to the question was both. Each of the articles holds crucial facts about determining which side the criminal justice system should try to spot early. In essence, if criminals are made, what can be done about it, and if criminals are born, how can we stop them from committing crimes?

The first article came from the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research. Theories and Causes of Crime explain the various ideas of crime. The report focuses on biological and sociological theories. It also explains the different deterrents of crime and what it takes to curb criminal behavior. I also believe that this article gives the necessary information for pre-research. It has a fantastic amount of data. It helped determine whether I believed in an existing theory or if I had my own.

The next article came from the New York Times and is titled Are Criminals Made or Born? It highlights that some sociologists believe that both options can be viable depending on the criminal's situation. In the article, the authors clarify that their stance on the subject remains that different criminals are subjected to varying variables in their lives. Whether those variables are biological or social, we can predetermine what makes a criminal become a criminal. This article explains how the two theories can coincide. I think this article explains the inclusiveness of sociological research questions. There is never one answer.

Next, we have Criminals - born or made an Irish Times article which focuses on whether or not the behavior of troubled children and teenagers is innately biological and inherited. The report also pens the question of whether criminal behavior the result of social withholding and ethical turmoil. It moves on to further analyze physical theories on the development of criminal behavior. Dr. Richard Lynn, Professor of Psychology at the University of Ulster and director of the Ulster Institute for Social Research, argues that criminal conduct has been increasing virtually throughout the Western world for 50 years because such behavior is passed on from father to son and the genetically deprived criminal underclass is breeding faster than the rest of society. I chose this article because it focuses on genetics and the possibility of criminal behavior being hereditary.

Born to Be Criminal? What to Make of Early Biological Risk Factors for Criminal Behavior focuses on the "born criminal" aspect of my research question. It explains various theories' deduction, but it focuses on whether criminology's biological theory explains criminal behavior development. Sterzer references many other studies throughout this article that refer to the precursors of criminality. In the end, he puts forth the idea that some children and adolescents are made out to be criminals because of identifiers that may or may not explain the source of their deviance. I chose this article because it relates to other theories I have been exposed to, like labeling theory from Juvenile Justice and Corrections & Rehabilitation.

Authors break down the various myths that are associated with the theories of criminology in Genetic Factors and Criminal Behavior. I think the article does a great job explaining that even if biological factors that indicate criminality are found, it doesn't necessarily mean the person holding the characteristics will become a criminal. This article gives an insight into how the various theories can be both proven and disproven. This furthers my hypothesis that criminal behavior can be sourced through multiple avenues. Mednick and Tehrani helped me for the basis of my argument.

Generics and Crime: Integrating New Genomic Discoveries Into Psychological Research About Antisocial Behavior focuses on the hypothesis that criminal behavior can derive from menial education levels. It poses the suggestion that improving school experiences might prevent genetic influences on crime from unfolding. It gives an alternative to precursors for criminal behavior. I chose this article to explain how criminal behavior can be curbed. I think it shows that even when genetic factors are present, a "criminal mind" can be molded to stick to the straight and narrow. I believe it helps in my proposal.

Methods

All data in this research proposal came from the following sources: an article found through the google scholar database, “The Cause of Crime,” written by Anthony Holzman-Escareno, various crime reports from the FBI via their Crime Data Explorer tool, and a study from the Industrial Psychiatry Journal Personality - Correlate of criminals: A comparative study between normal controls and criminals. I found these articles and data while researching criminals' backgrounds and why they committed the crimes they committed.

As I stated before, there is not much statistical data on this topic, so I had to make do with what I had. Most of the information I was able to gather was case by case, so they didn’t correlate in any way. I compiled a list of an even number of famous serial killers, thieves, and other criminals and used that for my percentages besides the ones I found already established. Each source has its bearing of information. Each source brought an alternative set of characteristics to look at.