Lombroso (Cesare Lombroso)

Cesare Lombroso was an Italian criminologist in the 19th century who believed that criminal behavior could be partly inherited and associated with physical traits, such as certain facial features or skull shapes. He proposed that some people are "born criminals" with biological differences from non-criminals. His ideas were influential but are now considered outdated and criticized for lacking scientific rigor and promoting biological determinism. Lombroso’s work was an early attempt to understand crime through physical and biological factors, though modern criminology emphasizes a combination of social, psychological, and environmental influences.