The Flaws of Trait Theory in Criminality

Born this way? Not as fun as you’d think. In the late 1800s, white straight male

Italian criminologist Cesare Lombroso created trait theory as a justification of racial profiling

in policing in Italy. He blamed violence in southern Italy as a result of Asian and African people

being introduced to white populations, looking at certain physical features to determine who

was more likely to be a criminal. Trait theory is the view that criminality is a product of

abnormal biological or psychological traits, essentially stating that criminal behavior

is a result of genetics- looking at individuals to take the blame off of systemic issues.

It’s much easier to say “that’s your problem!” Instead of addressing the real causes and