5.1 The pre-Darwinian theories such as craniometry and phrenology were focused on physical characteristics, such as skull size and shape, to determine a person’s propensity for criminal behavior. These theories were different from post-Darwinian theories, such as Lombroso’s theory of offending, which were based on biological and evolutionary concepts. However, both types of theories shared the idea that there were inherent physical or biological differences between criminal and non-criminal individuals.

5.2 Lombroso’s theory of atavism and the born criminal proposed that criminal behavior was a result of biological factors that caused individuals to be “throwbacks” to earlier evolutionary stages. He argued that these individuals had physical characteristics such as a sloping forehead, asymmetrical face, and unusual body proportions. Lombroso also believed that these individuals were primitive and could not control their behavior. However, the weaknesses of this theory include the lack of empirical evidence and its reliance on subjective observations of physical characteristics.

5.3 The shift to more psychological areas, namely IQ testing, affected the field of criminology by proposing that intelligence was a key factor in criminal behavior. This led to policies such as eugenics, which sought to limit the reproduction of those with lower IQ scores, and also impacted sentencing and parole decisions. However, the use of IQ testing has been criticized for its potential cultural bias and the questionable validity of IQ tests as a measure of intelligence.

5.4 Sheldon’s body type theory proposed that individuals with different body types were more prone to criminal behavior. He identified three main body types – endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph – and argued that mesomorphs were more likely to engage in criminal behavior due to their aggressive and impulsive nature. However, the weaknesses of this theory include the lack of empirical evidence and the potential for stereotyping based on physical characteristics.

5.5 The policy implications of Lombroso’s theory and IQ testing included the use of biological and psychological factors to determine an individual’s propensity for criminal behavior, which impacted sentencing, parole decisions, and policies such as eugenics. However, the use of these theories has been criticized for their lack of empirical evidence and potential for cultural and racial bias. Additionally, the use of physical and biological characteristics to predict criminal behavior has been deemed unethical and discriminatory.