Somatotype Criminology and Psychoanalysis

Somatotype School of Criminology

• Ernst Kretchmer correlated body build and constitution with character, temperament, and mentality.

  • Asthenic: Lean, narrow shoulders, associated with petty thievery and fraud.
  • Athletic: Medium to tall, muscular, associated with crimes of violence.
  • Pyknic: Medium height, rounded, associated with deception, fraud, and violence.

• William Sheldon formulated his own somatotype theory:

  • Endomorphic: Round body, short limbs, associated with viscerotonic temperament (relaxed, extroverted, loves luxury).
  • Mesomorphic: Muscular, strong bones, associated with somatotonic temperament (active, assertive, aggressive).
  • Ectomorphic: Fragile bones, thin, associated with cerebrotonic temperament (introverted, sensitive, prone to allergies).

Psychoanalytic Theory of Criminality (Sigmund Freud)

• Sigmund Freud, known as the Father of Psychoanalysis, attributed criminal behavior to an overbearing conscience (causing guilt) or a weak conscience (unable to control impulses).
• Personality consists of three components:
  • Id: Represents instinctual drives, governed by the "pleasure principle."
  • Ego: The sensible and responsible part, governed by the "reality principle."
  • Superego: Represents internalized moral values and social expectations.

Social Milieu School of Thought

• This school focuses on the criminal's social environment.
• Two psychosocial approaches:
  • Social Structure Theory: Believes in the fundamental strength of the social system.
  • Social Process Theory: Focuses on how individuals become lawbreakers through social interactions.
• Key principles:
  • Crime is defined by law (juridical conception).
  • Social environment is the key factor.
  • Improved social conditions will prevent crime.
  • The criminal and victim are largely ignored.
  • There is no focus on punishment or rehabilitation.

Postmodern Criminology

• Developed in the late 1980s, focusing on understanding new ways of knowing and universal factors that contribute to crime.
• Views "criminality" as a product of the power structure limiting the behavior of marginalized individuals who attempt to overcome social inequality.
• Universal determinants of crime and victimization:
  • Economic inequality and income disparities.
  • Low educational qualifications.
  • High prevalence of firearms.
  • Rapid urbanization without sufficient infrastructure.
  • Risky lifestyle choices (outgoing, etc.).
  • Multicultural populations.
  • High rates of alcohol and drug abuse.
  • Large youth populations.
  • High rates of repeat victimization, particularly among young people in urban areas.

Italian School of Criminology

• Founded by Cesare Lombroso, Enrico Ferri, and Raffaele Garofalo at the end of the 19th century.
• Categories of Criminals:
  • Born criminals or Atavism: Exhibit physical stigmata suggesting a reversion to animalistic characteristics.
  • Criminaloids: May not have physical stigmata but exhibit antisocial conduct.
  • Insane Criminals: Suffer from mental disorders, leading to crime.

Differential Association Theory (Edwin Sutherland)

• Criminal behavior is learned through social interactions and communication.

Strain Theory (Robert King Merton)

• Failure to achieve societal goals due to limited opportunities leads individuals to commit crime (e.g., seeking higher status through illegal means).

Cartographical School of Criminology (Adolphe Quetelet)

• Crime patterns vary seasonally:
  • Crimes against person increase in summer.
  • Crimes against property increase in winter.

General Inferiority Theory (Earnest Hooton)

• Criminals are biologically inferior, with crime resulting from their environment.

Important Figures in Criminology and Related Fields

• Cesare Lombroso: Founder of the Italian School of Criminology, known for the concept of "born criminals."
• Edwin Sutherland: Developed the Differential Association Theory.
• Robert King Merton: Formulated Strain Theory.
• Adolphe Quetelet: Founded cartographical school of criminology, highlighting geographic and demographic patterns in crime.
• Earnest Hooton: Proponent of the General Inferiority Theory.
• Goddard: father of "modern ballistics."
• Alexander John Forsyth: Father of "percussion system".
• John M. Browning: Wizard of "modern firearm"
• Albert S. Osborn: Father of "questioned document examination".
• Jean Hippolyte Michon: Grandfather of "modern graphology"
• William M. Marston: Father of "old polygraphy"
• Leonard Keeler: Father of "modern polygraphy"
• Paulus Zacchias: Father of "legal medicine"
• Sixto "Angelo" Reyes: Father of "legal medicine in the Philippines"
• Hippocrates: Father of "medicine"
• Honorato S.: (no further details provided in the text)

Explore the fascinating links between body types and criminal behavior through the theories of Ernst Kretchmer and William Sheldon. Additionally, delve into Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory of criminality, which attempts to explain the underlying psychological factors influencing criminal actions.