Directions: Answer the questions below. Your response to each should be at least one paragraph in length.
1. What are the central assumptions of biological theories of crime? How do such theories differ from other perspectives that attempt to explain the same phenomena?
2. What biological factors does this lesson suggest might substantially influence human aggression?
3. What have research studies in the field of genetics had to say about the possible causes of crime?
4. What is sociobiology? How do sociobiologists explain criminals?
5. What are some of the constitutional factors that this lesson identifies as linked to criminality?
6. What are the social policy implications of biological theories of crime? What U.S. Supreme Court case discussed in this lesson might presage a type of policy based on such theories?
7. Why have biological approaches to crime causation encountered stiff criticism? Do you agree or disagree with those who are critical of such perspectives? Why?
8. What were the central concepts that defined the Classical School of criminological thought?
9. Name the various preclassical thinkers identified in this lesson. What ideas did each contribute to Enlightenment philosophy? What form did those ideas take in classical criminological thought?
10. Identify the central figures in the Classical School and explain the contributions of each.
11. What form does classical thought take today? What implications does such thought hold for crime control policy?
12. What role does punishment play in classical and neoclassical thinking about crime and crime prevention? According to this way of thinking, what kinds of punishment might work best to prevent crime?
13. What are the policy implications of the Classical School? What kinds of crime prevention and crime control programs might be based on classical principles?
14. What are the shortcomings of the Classical School? What about the shortcomings of neoclassical thinking about crime and crime control?