One result of early investigations into the role of the brain, body, and mind in criminality was the idea that “inferior” people could be eradicated from society. Prejudice combined with poor and/or deeply biased methodologies produced research results that upheld white supremacy and patriarchal ideals. English anthropologist Francis Galton argued that “criminal nature tends to be inherited,” citing Richard Dugdale’s study of the Jukes family as justification. Galton coined the term eugenics, which refers to manipulation of the human gene pool by controlling reproduction and/or eliminating populations deemed inferior. By preventing individuals of “degenerate” stock from procreating, he believed that eugenics could reduce crime and other social ills in later generations (figure 4.11).

The eugenics movement was largely fueled by the idea that we could identify the inferior people through IQ testing. For a more modern comparison, think of standardized tests. Initially, these may appear fair since they are standard and given to everyone. However, there are a variety of factors that these tests fail to account for. For example, learning disabilities that have nothing to do with innate intelligence or critical thinking capabilities, but that impact individuals’ ability to read or respond quickly, can affect test scores. General anxiety or anxiety related to testing may also impact test scores. Furthermore, language abilities can impact test scores. If you are an American who speaks English, you probably wouldn’t score as high on an exam given in French or on an exam that you took in Ireland, where cultural differences have filtered into the English spoken there. Any time we see differences between populations in society, we have to look at the entire picture to understand those differences because they do not occur independently of culture, social structure, and legal systems (especially those meant to oppress certain groups).

The idea of eugenics grew popular throughout American society with alarming ease. It led to the passage of laws permitting forced institutionalization and sterilization of low-income individuals, particularly women. This practice was upheld in the U.S. Supreme Court decision Buck v. Bell (1927), which allowed the forced sterilization of Carrie Buck. Buck, a woman with an intellectual disability, was held in a state institution for the “feeble-minded.” Her case followed Goddard’s work on Deborah Kallikak that was described earlier in this chapter. Citing the rationale for the decision, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes famously stated “three generations of imbeciles are enough.” Many people at the time believed the claims of Goddard, Dugdale, Lombroso, and others about the dangerous potential of undesirable genetics and had no qualms about infringing on reproductive rights. Some of these ideas were even read by Adolf Hitler and used as justification for many of the atrocities committed by the Nazi Party.

Learn More: Is Crime Really Abnormal?

Crime has long been considered the abnormal choice or the result of abnormal individual characteristics. By default, the study of offending behavior and violence typically asks, “Why do these people commit crime?” rather than “Why do these people not commit crime?” But is criminal behavior really abnormal? Is it really only committed by people who are somehow significantly different from the rest of us?

Psychologist Abraham Maslow (1943) looked at what he determined to be our most vital needs in connection with what motivates our behavior. For example, consider how hard it is to concentrate on anything else when you are really hungry. He introduced the hierarchy of needs table in 1943 (figure 4.12).

In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, he argued that humans are motivated by goal accomplishment and that our needs are mentally prioritized in order of importance, from basic needs to self-fulfillment needs. However, the hierarchy is not a strict sequence, meaning our focus does not move directly from food to security to friends. Rather, people focus on generally satisfying their lower-priority needs before they focus on reaching for the higher-priority needs.

That being said, physiological needs must be satisfied first. Food, clothing, shelter, and sleep are basic needs of survival. For example, people experiencing homelessness have unmet basic needs for shelter and often food and water, which affects their motivations and behaviors.

Safety needs are usually tied to your environment, such as home, school, or wherever you are currently. If students are experiencing problems at home, such as arguments, addiction, or abuse, or if they live in a neighborhood that is dangerous or noisy to the point that it disrupts their physiological need for rest, they will likely have a hard time concentrating on their education.

Love and a sense of belonging apply to family and friend relationships. Research has shown that we need face-to-face interactions to accomplish a sense of love and belonging. One of the biggest issues faced by individuals in prison, for example, is not violence but rather the loss of freedom and connection to family. Self-esteem centers on respect for others, confidence, respect from others, and accomplishment. Self-esteem can be found in our need to succeed, but it also can be fostered by being appreciated or acknowledged by others.

The needs that have been discussed so far can be viewed as deprivation needs. Basically, if these needs are not met, then the individual will not be motivated to focus on the highest needs in the pyramid. Self-actualization is a need that is tied to the ability of an individual to realize their own potential through self-improvement. Maslow suggests that very few individuals ever attain this level.

Consider how the hierarchy of needs applies to the study of crime. We can view any undesirable behavior, including crime, as a response to an unmet need. In other words, someone has found an alternative route to meet a need that is not being met in a prosocial manner. For example, if someone does not have consistent and reliable access to food, they may steal some. Food is a basic need that must be met; thus, crime becomes part of survival. Certain approaches to crime control, such as the eugenics movement, fail to acknowledge factors like physiological needs that might impact criminal behavior.

Check Your Knowledge

Licenses and Attributions for Eugenics as Crime Policy

Open Content, Original

“Eugenics as Crime Policy” by Mauri Matsuda and Jessica René Peterson is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

“Learn More: Is Crime Really Abnormal?” by Curt Sobolewski and Taryn VanderPyl is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Revised by Jessica René Peterson.

“Eugenics as Crime Policy Question Set” was created by ChatGPT and is not subject to copyright. Edits for relevance, alignment, and meaningful answer feedback by Colleen Sanders are licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Open Content, Shared Previously

Figure 4.11. “Eugenics congress logo” is in the Public Domain.

Figure 4.12. Graphic adapted from “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” by Chiquo, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Modification by Katie Losier, Open Oregon Educational Resources, includes improving resolution.