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FAMILY BACKGROUND - ORIGINAL AND SOCIAL DEVIANCE

NCJ Number
64443
Journal
RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 6 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1975) Pages: 187-200
Author(s)
C PASQUI; A ZUCCATOSTA
Date Published
1975
Length
14 pages
Annotation
WITH REGARD TO THE IMPORTANCE OF BIOLOGICAL VERSUS ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS IN THE DEVIANT AND CRIMINAL PERSONALITY, ITALIAN CRIMINOLOGISTS SURVEYED 366 MALE AND FEMALE SUBJECTS CHOSEN AT RANDOM FROM POLICE FILES.
Abstract
SURVEY RESULTS WERE TABULATED ACCORDING TO VARIOUS DESCRIPTIVE VARIABLES. THE CATEGORIES OF DEVIANT AND CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR EXAMINED WERE PROSTITUTION, VAGRANCY, HOMICIDE, BURGLARY, ARMED ROBBERY, SEXUAL OFFENSES, AND ILLICIT TRAFFICKING. THE PRESENCE OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABNORMALITIES IN THE SUBJECTS AN THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY ALSO EXISTED IN OTHER MEMBERS OF THE SUBJECTS' FAMILIES, THEIR SOCIOCULTURAL AND FAMILY MILIEU, AS WELL AS THE RESPECTIVE PROPORTION OF MALE AND FEMALE OFFENDERS IN ALL TYPES OF DEVIANCY AND CRIME, AND OTHER CATEGORIES, WERE EXAMINED AND QUANTIFIED. ALL SUBJECTS WERE FOUND TO COME FROM FAMILIES IN WHICH ONE OR MORE CRIMES HAD BEEN COMMITTED IN ADDITION TO THE SUBJECTS' OWN CRIMES. BIOLOGICAL CAUSES (HEREDITY FACTORS) WERE ASCERTAINED IN ALL CRIME CATEGORIES, WITH THE LOWEST INCIDENCE FOR PROPERTY CRIMES AND TRAFFICKING. MENTAL ILLNESS AND LONG CRIMINAL HISTORIES WERE PRESENT IN ALMOST EQUAL PROPORTION IN 50 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS. TWO-THIRDS OF THE DEVIANTS WERE MALE. WITHOUT MINIMIZING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS (SOCIOCULTURAL INFLUENCES AND FAMILY MILIEU) AS CRIME CAUSES, THE RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT BIOLOGICAL (HEREDITY) FACTORS PLAYED AND PREDOMINANT ROLE IN THE COMPOSITION OF THE CRIMINAL PERSONALITY, ESPECIALLY RECIDIVISTS WHO REPRESENTED 70 PERCENT OF THE SUBJECTS SURVEYED . TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED IN THE TEXT AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)