Running head: BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR 1

Biological Criminal Behavior

Amber Beavering !avid "adloc# Emil$ %e&ell Eu'Chandra Elli(on
C)A*+1,
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Mr/ !avid "a$lor
BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR -
Biological Criminal Behavior
In 0he 1a(0 man$ 1eo1le did no0 acce10 biological 0heorie( o2 criminal behavior/ "he(e
1eo1le believed more 0ha0 criminal behavior &a( a re(ul0 o2 (ociological cau(e( 3%chmalleger
-.1-4/ One o2 0he earlie(0 biological 0heorie( &a( 0ha0 o2 5ran6 )o(e1h Gall 31789*19-94/ Hi(
0heor$ o2 1hrenolog$ (ugge(0ed 0ha0 an e:1er0 could di(cover one;( 1er(onali0$ b$ (0ud$ing 0he
(ha1e o2 one;( (#ull/ "hi( could aid in 1redic0ing 0he 1o((ibili0$ o2 2u0ure criminal behavior
3%chmalleger -.1-4/ A20er $ear( o2 re(earch in 0he 2ield (cien0i(0( no& con(ider 1hrenolog$ a
1(eudo(cience/ Ho&ever unconvincing 1hrenolog$ ma$ be i0 &a( 0he beginning o2 a (0ud$ 0ha0
ha( aided man$ (cien0i(0( in e:1laining &h$ (ome 1eo1le e:hibi0 criminal behavior/ "he li(0 o2
biological 0heorie( i( long/ In -..1 0he de2en(e 0eam 2or Andrea <a0e( u(ed 0he biological
0heorie( o2 1o(0*1ar0um de1re((ion and 1($cho(i( a( an e:1lana0ion o2 &h$ (he dro&ned her 2ive
children/
!uring 0he 0rial de2en(e di(cu((ed 0he (co1e o2 Mr(/ <a0e(;( men0al illne((/ %ince 0he
bir0h o2 her 2ir(0 child Mr(/ <a0e( &a( (ho&ing (ign( o2 men0al illne(( hallucina0ion( involving a
(0abbing and (uicide a00em10( 3McLellan -..=4/ A20er being ho(1i0ali6ed and relea(ed a20er
onl$ a 2e& da$( (he a00em10ed (uicide again/ A0 one 1oin0 her hu(band (1o#e 0ha0 he had
concern( 0ha0 (he &a( no0 &ell enough 0o come home $e0 (0ill 0he in(urance com1an$ &ould no0
1a$ 2or a longer (0a$ 3CNN -..-4/ %he al(o claimed (he heard voice( 0elling her 0o u(e a #ni2e
0o (el2*mu0ila0e and (u22ered 2rom ca0a0onia 3McLellan -..=4/ Andrea <a0e( 0e(0i2ied in her 0rial
0ha0 b$ dro&ning her children (he &a( (aving 0hem 2rom burning in hell/ "he(e behavior( and
0he (ub(e>uen0 murder o2 her children could have been cau(ed b$ a (evere 1($cho(i( 0ha0 began
(hor0l$ a20er Andrea <a0e( became a mo0her/
BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR +
Andrea <a0e( &a( accu(ed o2 dro&ning her 2ive children in 0he ba0h 0ub/ ?o(01ar0um
de1re((ion i( 0he rea(on 2or Andrea #illing all 2ive o2 her children/ "he on(e0 o2 1o(01ar0um
de1re((ion ha11en( &i0hin , &ee#( and la(0ing u1 0o = mon0h( a20er giving bir0h 0o $our child/
3Roche -..-4 Mo0her( &i0h 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion can uncon(ciou(l$ (ho& 2e&er 1o(i0ive
emo0ion( and more nega0ive emo0ion( 0o&ard 0heir children/ 3Roche -..-4 "he mo0her( are le((
re(1on(ive and le(( (en(i0ive 0o in2an0( cr$ing le(( emo0ionall$ available have a le(( (ucce((2ul
ma0ernal role a00ainmen0 and have in2an0( 0ha0 are le(( (ecurel$ a00ached@ and in more e:0reme
ca(e( (ome &omen ma$ have 0hough0( o2 harming 0heir children/ 3Roche -..-4
On )une 1= 1AAA Andrea called her hu(band Ru(0$ and begged him 0o come home/ Ru(0$
2ound Andrea (ha#ing and che&ing on her 2inger(/ 3Mon0aldo -..=4 "he ne:0 da$ Andrea &a(
ho(1i0ali6ed a20er (he a00em10ed 0o commi0 (uicide b$ overdo(ing on (ome 1ill(/ Andrea &a( (en0
0o Me0hodi(0 Ho(1i0al 1($chia0ric uni0 &here (he &a( diagno(ed &i0h maBor de1re((ive di(order/
Andrea &a( 1re(cribed an an0ide1re((an0 and relea(ed again/ 3Mon0aldo -..=4
CAndrea 2illed 0he 0ub &i0h &a0er and beginning &i0h ?aul@ (he ($(0ema0icall$ dro&ned 0he
0hree $ounge(0 bo$( 0hen 1laced 0hem on her bed and covered 0hem/ Mar$ &a( le20 2loa0ing in
0he 0ub/ "he la(0 child alive &a( 0he 2ir(0 born (even*$ear*old Noah/ He a(#ed hi( mo0her &ha0
&a( &rong &i0h Mar$ 0hen 0urned and ran a&a$/ Andrea caugh0 u1 &i0h him and a( he (creamed
(he dragged him and 2orced him in0o 0he 0ub ne:0 0o Mar$'( 2loa0ing bod$/ He 2ough0 de(1era0el$@
coming u1 2or air 0&ice bu0 Andrea held him do&n un0il he &a( dead/ Leaving Noah in 0he 0ub
(he brough0 Mar$ 0o 0he bed and laid her in 0he arm( o2 her bro0her(/D 3Roche -..-4
BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR ,
Biological !i(order
"here i( no e:ac0 (cien0i2ic da0a 0o 1roo2 &ha0 cau(e( 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion/ Ho&ever
individual( &ho (u22er &i0h 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion have al0ered hormone level(/ "he(e
hormone( include 1rolac0in 1roge(0erone e(0rogen and cor0i(ol/ "he(e level( ma$ be 0he (ame
a( individual( &ho do no0 (u22er 2rom 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion@ re(earch indica0e( a change in 0he
brain 0ha0 con0rol( 0he relea(e o2 cor0i(ol/ In addi0ion 0o higher level( o2 hormone( 1roduce(
gene0icall$ o0her charac0eri(0ic( could lead 0o 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion 3E?o(01ar0um !e1re((ionE
-.1-4/
"he(e charac0eri(0ic( can increa(e 0he ri(# o2 an individual develo1ing 1o(01ar0um
de1re((ion/ %ome o2 0he charac0eri(0ic( include unmarried lo& (el2*e(0eem 2amil$ hi(0or$ o2
de1re((ion (e1ara0ed 2rom one or bo0h 1aren0( a( a child and having 1oor rela0ion(hi1( &i0h
2amil$ and 2riend(/ "he(e charac0eri(0ic( normall$ go unno0iced along &i0h (1i#e( in hormone(
and can cau(e 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion/ "he ($m10om( can range mild de1re((ion or all 0he &a$ 0o
(evere de1re((ion 3E?o(01ar0um !e1re((ionE -.1-4/
"he ($m10om( li#e in Andrea <a0e( circum(0ance( evolved 2rom (evere 1o(01ar0um
de1re((ion in0o 1o(01ar0um 1($cho(i( &hich made her ac0 in 0he 0errible ac0ion (he did/ Andrea
<a0e( had develo1ed 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion a20er 0he bir0h o2 one her children in &hich (he
a00em10ed and 2ailed a0 commi00ing (uicide 0&o 0ime(/ "hi( i( a cla((ic ($m10om o2 1o(01ar0um
de1re((ion 0ha0 &en0 undiagno(ed 3Chaudhur$ -.1-4/ 5or an individual 0o 1ro1erl$ be diagno(e
o2 1o(01ar0um de1re((ion he or (he need( 0o undergo an e:0en(ive a((e((men0/ "hi( mu(0 be
1er2ormed 2rom a cer0i2ied 1($chologi(0 or 1($chia0ri(0( &ho can de0ermine all 0he 2ac0or( and
ri(#( 2or 0ha0 individual and diagno(e hi( or her condi0ion 3E?o(01ar0um !e1re((ionE -.1-4/
BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR 8
Re2erence
McLellan 5/ 3-..=4/ Men0al heal0h and Bu(0ice: "he ca(e o2 Andrea <a0e(/ The Lancet,
3683A8814 1A81*1A8,/ doi:1./1.1=F%.1,.*=7+=3.=4=A79A*,
%chmalleger 5/ 3-.1-4/ Criminology today: An integrative introduction 3=0h ed/4/ G11er %addle
River N): ?ren0ice Hall/
CNN/ 3March 19 -..-4/ Larry King Live/ In0ervie& &i0h Ru((ell <a0e(/ "ran(cri10 re0rieved
2rom h001:FF&&&/cnn/comF"RAN%CRI?"%F.-.+F19l#1/../h0ml
Mon0aldo C/ 3n/d/4/ Crime.About.com. Re0rieved )anurar$ + -.1-
Roche "/ 3-..- March 94/ Time.com. Re0rieved )anurar$ - -.1- 2rom
h001:FF&&&/0ime/comFna0ion
?o(01ar0um de1re((ion/ 3-.1-4/ Re0rieved 2rom h001:FF&&&/minddi(order(/comFOb*
?(F?o(01ar0um*de1re((ion/h0ml
Chaudhur$ N/ 3-.1-4/ Postartum !eression/ Re0rieved 2rom
h001:FF(erendi1/br$nma&r/eduFbbFneuroFneuro.+F&eb-Fnchaudhur$/h0ml
BIOLOGICAL CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR =