The use of low intelligence as a predictor of criminal behaviour has been the cause of considerable controversy within criminal justice discourse across a range of societies and cultures for many centuries. The downtrodden of society, for the most part those of low socio-economic status, have often been victims of labelling theories that associate their desperation for survival with low intelligence, along with their associated frequent mistreatment as miscreants. The source of such labelling and definitions originates in all societies with those in positions of power imposing laws, policies and stigmas on those without power. A self-fulfilling prophecy often follows, perpetuating the belief, or lending credence to the theory. Even with the evolution of largely Western societies over the centuries, there is still a widely held view that low intelligence and low socio-economic status are often synonymous, and the fact that crime is far more prolific in neighbourhoods of this demographic, supports the link, no matter how misguided.

The works of Greek and Roman philosophers, along with many biblical quotes, all show the exploitation of lower classes with their regard often being less than human. The thinking of the times subsequently followed that a less than humanistic existence equated to low intelligence and unlawful behaviour would sooner or later be exhibited by these masses. Lack of education and access to autonomy, as well as the ability to make decisions that would lead to a better life, were not regarded as a birth right for the lower classes. Their basic purpose was to support the lifestyle of those with power, which was often exploited and the cause of uprising and criminal behaviour from peoples driven to acts of desperation merely to survive.

By the 1800s, a more modern line of thinking had evolved, and is evident in the work of Italian criminologist