Crime and Criminology

Chapter 1

What is Criminology?

Criminology and Criminal Justice

S Criminology
Etiology (origin), extent, and nature of crime in society

S Criminal justice
Study of agencies of social controlpolice, courts, and

corrections

What is Criminology?
Criminology and Deviance
S Many crimes are not unusual or deviant S Many deviant acts are neither illegal nor criminal

What Criminologists Do
The Criminological Enterprise

S Criminal Statistics and Crime Measurement:

Formulate techniques
Develop survey instruments Identify victims Develop data Accurate methods Measuring trends Crime prevention

What Criminologists Do
The Criminological Enterprise

S Sociology of law, law and society, socio-legal studies

The history of legal thought

How social forces shape the definition and content of the law The impact of legal change on society

The relationship between law and social control

The effect of criminalization/legalization on behaviors

What Criminologists Do

The Criminological Enterprise

S Theory Construction and Testing:

Explain Hypothesize Test

What Criminologists Do

The Criminological Enterprise

S Criminal Behavior Systems and Crime

Typologies:
Violent crime Theft crime Public order crime Organized crime

What Criminologists Do

The Criminological Enterprise

S Punishment, Penology, and Social Control

Evaluation research

What Criminologists Do

The Criminological Enterprise

S Victimology Victims and Victimization

Crimes not reported to police Actual costs of victimization Factors increasing likelihood of victimization Victims role in causation and precipitation Designing services for victims

How Criminologists View Crime

1) The CONSENSUS View of Crime

S Criminal behavior is repugnant to all society S Substantive criminal law

Values, beliefs, and opinion of society

S Social harm
Victimless crimes

How Criminologists View Crime

2) The CONFLICT View of Crime
S Society as a collection of diverse groups S Law and criminal justice system used to advance

economic and political position

S Street crime vs. white collar crime

How Criminologists View Crime

3) The INTERACTIONIST View of Crime

S Criminal law depends on human interactions and

perceptions
S Determination of individual acts as criminal depends

upon interaction and labeling

S Moral entrepreneurs

How Criminologists View Crime

Crime and the Law

A Brief History of the Law

S The Code of Hammurabi S Mosaic Code of the Israelites S The Dark Ages
Oath of innocence Trial by ordeal

Crime and the Law

Common Law

S Norman conquest of England

Royal judges

S Henry II

Publication of decisions

S Mala in se
S Mala prohibitum

Carriers (1473)

Crime and the Law

The Law in Contemporary Society

S Substantive criminal law S Procedural criminal law S Civil law S Public or administrative law

Crime and the Law

Crime and the Law

Shaping the Criminal Law
S Common law S Criminal codes

S Legislative statutes
S Judicial decision making S Constitutional limits

Crime and the Law

The Substantive Criminal Law

S Defines crime and punishment

Felonies Misdemeanors

Crime and the Law

The Substantive Criminal Law

S Goals:

Enforcing social control

Discouraging revenge Expressing public opinion and morality Deterring criminal behavior Punishing wrongdoing Maintaining social order Provide restoration

Crime and the Law

S Stalking laws S Assisted suicide laws S Registering sex S Controlling

technology

S Protecting the

offenders

environment

S Clarifying rape

S Legalizing marijuana S Responding to

terrorism

Ethical Issues in Criminology

What to Study?
S Scholarly interests S Social needs

S Availability of accurate data

S Funding S Potential conflict of interest

Ethical Issues in Criminology

Whom to Study?
S Poor S Minorities S Middle class

Ethical Issues in Criminology

How to Study?

S Should subjects be told about the true purpose of a survey?

S Would such disclosures make meaningful research impossible?

S How far should criminologists go when collecting data? S Is it ever permissible to deceive subjects to collect data?

S Protecting subjects from harm