Before the twentieth century,criminals were thought to

A) have certain familial characteristics that noncriminals did not.
B) be feebleminded,psychotic,neurotic,psychopathic,or otherwise mentally disturbed.
C) have the same mental and physical characteristics as noncriminals.
D) be the result of different social factors.

Before the twentieth century, criminals were often thought to be mentally disturbed, such as feebleminded, psychotic, neurotic, psychopathic, or having some other mental condition. This belief led to the development of eugenics programs and the idea of inherited criminality. It wasn't until later in the century that social factors, such as poverty and lack of access to education and job opportunities, were recognized as contributing to criminal behavior.