Which statement aptly defines the concept of atavism?
A.a desire to commit a crime, which stems from severe brain damage
B.an inclination toward crime due to an abusive childhood
C.a tendency to return to an ancestral phase and animalistic characteristics
D.a personality disorder that makes a person overtly aggressive and violent
C.a tendency to return to an ancestral phase and animalistic characteristics
Atavism is actually an evolutionary term that means to return of traits that had disappeared generations before. In criminology this can apply to people who share characteristics of an individual from a long, long time ago.
