Criminology Explanation and Definition
Criminology is the scientific study of crime, including the causes of crime, the measures taken by law enforcement, and the different methods that can be used to prevent crime. Sociology, which is the scientific study of social behaviour, has a sub-group called social psychology. The study of criminology draws from a wide variety of academic disciplines, some of which are biology, statistics, psychology, psychiatry, economics, and anthropology.
In the same way that criminology is a subfield within sociology, the field of criminology itself is broken up into various subfields, including the following:
- Penology is defined as the study of correctional institutions and correctional systems.
- The study of the biological factors that contribute to criminal behaviour is referred to as biocriminology.
- The study of women and criminal behaviour is referred to as feminist criminology.
- The science of detecting criminal activity is known as criminalistics.
The Past and Its Hypotheses
There are numerous distinct theories of criminology that have been established over the course of about the previous 250 years, and while some of these theories have lost appeal, others are still regarded to be relevant in the present day. It is possible to trace the origins of criminology all the way back to the 18th century, when two social theorists, Cesare Beccaria in Italy and Jeremy Bentham in England, each pushed the idea that the punishment should be so severe that the criminal would decide that the pleasure of the criminal act would not be worth the pain of the punishment. This is what led to the development of criminology as a field of study. The term for this school of thought in criminology is the "classical school."
For the crime of stealing a piece of pizza, a judge in California imposed a sentence of 25 years to life in prison on a man as recently as the year 1995. The judge explained that he was unable to check into the exact offence since the law only allowed him to consider whether or not the defendant had previously been convicted of a crime. This illustration adheres to the principles of the classical school of criminology, which was established more than 200 years ago.
Criminologists first began to claim that the traditional school of criminology did not differentiate between different levels of crime around the beginning of the 19th century. Positivists were the name given to this group of criminologists. The positivists held the belief that the punishment should be appropriate to the offender rather than the offence.
Cesare Lombroso, an Italian psychiatrist and physician, was a pioneer in the positivist movement (Positivist theory). He was of the opinion that criminals were born, not formed, and that deviant behaviour was an inborn trait rather than the result of environmental factors. After conducting extensive research on the cadavers of criminals who had been executed, he came up with the argument that certain facial features, such as extremely large jawbones and strong canine teeth, were obvious signs that an individual was or would be a criminal. He came to this conclusion after conducting research on the cadavers of executed criminals. However, as time went on, other theories that focused on environmental factors that contributed to criminal behaviour gained traction, and this one began to lose favour for ethically questionable reasons.
In the latter half of the 19th century, criminologists first started to include biological research and statistical analysis into their overall body of work. The field of genetics was utilised in order to ascertain whether or not criminal conduct might be transmitted from one member of a family to another, and the field of statistics was utilised in order to investigate the relationship between population and criminality. An academic and scientific organisation that was founded in 1946 under the name Society for the Advancement of Criminology and which later changed its name to the American Society of Criminology is an institution that is concerned with the study of the treatment of criminals as well as the prevention of crime and its underlying causes.
In the field of criminology, two additional ideas were formulated throughout the 20th century. The terms for these schools of thought are social-process criminology and social-structural criminology. The field of study known as socio-structural criminology examines how social events and/or social structures can influence criminal behaviour. The basic premise of this school of thought is that improperly functioning social institutions are to blame for criminal behaviour.
The study of how certain people develop criminal tendencies is the focus of the theory known as social-process criminology. This theory also examines criminal activity as a learned behaviour. For instance, a younger brother might learn how to shoplift from an older sibling, or younger members of gangs might acquire criminal behaviour from more experienced members of the gang.
In an effort to educate individuals to engage in conduct that was in accordance with the law, the control theory was conceived of and developed during the 1960s and 1970s. Those who subscribed to the control hypothesis believed that if people's basic requirements were met, there would be no reason for them to engage in illegal behaviour.
Conclusion
Criminology is the scientific study of crime, including the causes of crime, the measures taken by law enforcement, and the different methods that can be used to prevent crime. The origins of the classical school of criminology may be traced back to the 18th century. At that time, two men named Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham held the belief that the penalties for committing a crime should be so severe that no one would desire to commit a crime.
Penology, biocriminology, criminalistics, and feminist criminology are the four sub-fields of criminology that are most frequently researched by academics. At the beginning of the 19th century, the positivists, who were led by Cesare Lombroso, started to assume that some people have a predisposition toward criminal behaviour from birth. The 20th century saw the development of three additional ideas in the field of criminal justice: social-structural criminology, social-process theory, and control theory. With the exception of the positivist theory, all of the other theories that have been covered in this article are utilised in various parts of the United States today. This is true regardless of whatever part of the country or which jurisdiction the crime in question occurred in.
Outcomes of Reading
After you have finished this, you need to be able to accomplish the following:
- Define criminology
- Determine four distinct subfields that fall under the umbrella of criminology.
- Describe how criminology evolved over time.
- The many criminology theories should be discussed.
Which definition of criminology is the most accurate?
The study of criminal behaviour falls within the umbrella of sociology. Criminology is the study of criminal conduct, including an analysis of why criminal acts are performed, how criminal acts are committed, and how criminal acts might be prevented by taking into consideration personal, societal, and systemic elements.
What part does criminology play in society?
The primary objective of criminology is to decrease criminal activity. Criminologists are in a position to advocate for societal shifts that can restrict the variables that contribute to crime and make life better for everyone as the field gains a deeper understanding of the reasons crime happens and the factors that play a role in it.
What is Penology?
Penology is defined as the study of correctional institutions and correctional systems.
What is Biocriminology?
The investigation of the psychological and physiological factors that underlie criminal behaviour.
What is Feminist criminology?
The investigation of the relationship between women and criminality
What is the Criminalistics?
The study of methods used to detect crimes.
What is classical school of thought in criminology?
US criminality is ancient. Criminology's work and focus are inspired by history. 50 years ago, the criminal justice system was very different. 1850s crime surged due to Civil War instability. Crime epidemic fueled by immigration. 1920s Prohibition boosted crime. The 1920s and 1930s saw organised crime. 1940s crime fell. Because of WWII, say criminologists. 1960s civil rights movement spurred new laws, lawsuits, and court action. Crime soared then. Violent crime rose in the 1970s. Criminologists say more freedoms encourage crime. In the 1980s, medication imports soared. Drug criminality increased. Reagan's 'War on Drugs' Why is drug crime rising? Antigovernment radicals bombed Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in the 1990s, killing adults and childcare children. Rodney King was beaten during 1990s Los Angeles riots. Crime was spreading unrestrained, thus the public wanted strict limits. Then, criminologists studied this. 9/11 terrorist strikes in New York City and Washington, D.C. demolished the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. These incidents prompted rigorous anti-terrorism measures. DHS was created. Prosecutors and criminologists prioritised white-collar crime in 2009. Bernard Madoff admitted fraud. Madoff defrauded $50 billion. Rape and robbery are reducing in the U.S. Increased cybercrime and mass shootings. Cybercrime is illicit computer use. This is what criminologists who study U.S. crime do.
What is classical school of thought in criminology?
US criminality is ancient. Criminology's work and focus are inspired by history. 50 years ago, the criminal justice system was very different. 1850s crime surged due to Civil War instability. Crime epidemic fueled by immigration. 1920s Prohibition boosted crime. The 1920s and 1930s saw organised crime. 1940s crime fell. Because of WWII, say criminologists. 1960s civil rights movement spurred new laws, lawsuits, and court action. Crime soared then. Violent crime rose in the 1970s. Criminologists say more freedoms encourage crime. In the 1980s, medication imports soared. Drug criminality increased. Reagan's 'War on Drugs' Why is drug crime rising? Antigovernment radicals bombed Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in the 1990s, killing adults and childcare children. Rodney King was beaten during 1990s Los Angeles riots. Crime was spreading unrestrained, thus the public wanted strict limits. Then, criminologists studied this. 9/11 terrorist strikes in New York City and Washington, D.C. demolished the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. These incidents prompted rigorous anti-terrorism measures. DHS was created. Prosecutors and criminologists prioritised white-collar crime in 2009. Bernard Madoff admitted fraud. Madoff defrauded $50 billion. Rape and robbery are reducing in the U.S. Increased cybercrime and mass shootings. Cybercrime is illicit computer use. This is what criminologists who study U.S. crime do.
What is classical school of thought in criminology?
US criminality is ancient. Criminology's work and focus are inspired by history. 50 years ago, the criminal justice system was very different. 1850s crime surged due to Civil War instability. Crime epidemic fueled by immigration. 1920s Prohibition boosted crime. The 1920s and 1930s saw organised crime. 1940s crime fell. Because of WWII, say criminologists. 1960s civil rights movement spurred new laws, lawsuits, and court action. Crime soared then. Violent crime rose in the 1970s. Criminologists say more freedoms encourage crime. In the 1980s, medication imports soared. Drug criminality increased. Reagan's 'War on Drugs' Why is drug crime rising? Antigovernment radicals bombed Oklahoma City's Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in the 1990s, killing adults and childcare children. Rodney King was beaten during 1990s Los Angeles riots. Crime was spreading unrestrained, thus the public wanted strict limits. Then, criminologists studied this. 9/11 terrorist strikes in New York City and Washington, D.C. demolished the Twin Towers and the Pentagon. These incidents prompted rigorous anti-terrorism measures. DHS was created. Prosecutors and criminologists prioritised white-collar crime in 2009. Bernard Madoff admitted fraud. Madoff defrauded $50 billion. Rape and robbery are reducing in the U.S. Increased cybercrime and mass shootings. Cybercrime is illicit computer use. This is what criminologists who study U.S. crime do.
What is the Positivists school of thought in criminology?
Beginning in the 19th century, criminologists claimed that classical criminology did not differentiate between levels of criminality. Criminologists called positivists. Positivists believed punishment should fit the perpetrator, not the crime. Cesare Lombroso was a pioneer of positivism (Positivist theory). He believed criminals were born, not made, and that abnormal behaviour was an inborn trait. After studying the cadavers of executed criminals, he concluded that broad jawbones and robust canine teeth were markers of criminality. After studying executed offenders' cadavers, he reached this conclusion. As other theories focused on environmental elements that contributed to criminal behaviour, this one lost favour for ethically problematic reasons.
What is social process and social structural criminology?
In 20th-century criminology, two new theories emerged. These are social-process and social-structural criminology. Socio-structural criminology explores how societal events and institutions affect criminal behaviour. This school of thinking holds that poorly functioning social structures cause crime.
What is control theory in criminology?
The control theory was established in the 1960s and 1970s to teach lawful behaviour. If people's basic needs are addressed, they won't participate in illicit behaviour, according to the control hypothesis.