ABSTRACT
In this chapter we examine the controversy over attempting to explain criminal behaviour in biological terms. We consider the main types of biological explanation for human behaviour that are used within the subject of criminology and the evidence that underpins them. Typical biological theories are that some people are more likely to commit violent crimes because of the genes they have inherited; or that there is more chance of acting in an impulsive way that breaks the law if you have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), because it involves a reduction in activity in a part of the brain that helps us both to control our own actions and to see their consequences.
