How do biosocial theories of crime differ from early biological theories? What is the central feature of biosocial theories?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Biosocial criminology, a contemporary biological perspective, sees the interaction between biology and the physical, cultural, and social environments as key to understanding human behavior, including criminality. Traditional biological theories of crime posit a genetic or a physiological basis for deviant and criminal behavior. The notion of a “weak” gene that might predispose some people toward criminal activity has been expanded to include the impact of environmental contaminants, poor nutrition, and food additives on behavior. As research in this area grows, there is the potential that biosocial theories could influence crime-reduction strategies. The focus of a crime-reduction strategy that aligns with these theories would increase the role of the medical field in making diagnoses about particular “criminal problems” and recommending specific drug treatments and other types of procedures to potentially cure offenders. However, since research in this area is still in the process of being developed, these theories should play a minimum role in the development of crime-reduction strategies, and the focus should be on more research to refine our understanding of the relevance of these theories.