What exactly Criminology is ?
It appears as though there is always a criminal show accessible to watch on TV at all hours around the clock, ranging from CSI to Law and Order, and this is the case around the clock. In addition, there is an endless supply of thrillers and horror films to keep us entertained and enthralled. On the big screen, our serial killer protagonists are so captivating that we just can't get enough of them.
In addition, the media is consistently providing us with crime stories that are updated in real time. True crime anecdotes and problems may be found just about anywhere, and they continue to face us. In the end, we find ourselves looking for answers and explanations regarding the offender's reasons for their actions. How, for instance, is it possible for a murderer to kill his victim and then abandon him by the side of the road without feeling the slightest bit of remorse? Why did a murderer behave the manner that they did? These are the kinds of questions that fall under the purview of the academic discipline of criminology.
So, let's put ourselves in your shoes for a second and pretend that you're a criminologist. Imagine that you have been asked to provide your expert opinion on a murder investigation. The body of the victim, a young woman, was discovered in a marshy area that was close to a river. She had a number of knife wounds to her chest as well as her neck. In addition to that, she is clutching a note in her hand that says, "My spouse did this to me." You are being solicited for your viewpoint regarding the matter. Let's delve a little more into criminology in order to get a better sense of your perspective on the subject.
The Four Viewpoints That Are Common in Criminology
The study of crime, or criminology, looks at the phenomenon from four distinct angles. Legal, political, social, and psychological considerations are all included in this category.
At its core, criminology is a study of criminal behaviour from a legal perspective. This indicates that the illegal action is being investigated due to the fact that it is in violation of the law. Sometimes this implies that criminologists will review the laws themselves, and other times this means that criminologists will investigate how criminal laws are formed by criminal behaviours. In either case, though, this means that criminologists will analyse the relationship between the two.
The victim in this instance was a victim of homicide. The numerous stab wounds that were found on her neck and chest make this quite clear. After reviewing the law pertaining to murder, you come to the conclusion that this case appears to fit within the parameters of the law pertaining to first-degree murder because the note suggests that her husband was the person who carried out the murder. As a result, looking at this from a legal perspective, your viewpoint is that the appropriate statute to apply is murder in the first degree.
The study of criminology then moves on to examine crime from a political prespective. According to this view, criminal behaviour is attributed to the violation of laws that were drafted by influential political parties. These laws imply that certain behaviours are illegal. Those who hold this point of view argue that laws were enacted to protect the interests of those in positions of political power, and that criminal behaviour consists of engaging in activities that those in political power see as posing a risk to those interests. As a consequence of this, the rules do not necessarily correspond to what a person might intuitively consider to be morally right or evil.
In your situation, you believe that the laws that were written for murder were in fact written by the politically elite; nevertheless, after reviewing the facts, you also believe that these laws are appropriate for this particular instance of murder. [Case in point]
The sociological viewpoint is another one of the perspectives that are used in criminology. The sociological perspective centres its attention on the social, political, and economic issues that contribute to the development of criminal behaviour. For instance, in order to determine the reasons behind an offender's criminal behaviour, this viewpoint takes into account the offender's family life, employment, race, level of education, social condition, and other relevant factors.
In your instance, you investigate the woman's spouse to see what you can learn about him. You find out that the spouse has a history of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and that he had just lately stopped taking his medicine for these conditions. You also found out that he was no longer in contact with the victim and that he had been fired from his job. You have a strong suspicion that the aforementioned variables were involved in the murder of the victim.
The psychological viewpoint is the final of the criminology perspectives to be discussed. According to the psychological point of view, criminal behaviour is seen as a sort of issue behaviour that arises from an offender's failure to live in harmony with their surroundings. This idea stems from the problem behaviour model.
In your situation, you take a look at the husband's prior actions and behaviours. After reviewing his mental papers, you discover that he has a history of violence, which includes the victim being abused in the victim's own home. You can also see that he has been committed to and treated at many psychiatric facilities in addition to serving time in jail due to his schizophrenia. You arrive at the conclusion that the psychological history of the husband played a role in the crime.
Congratulations! Your duties as a criminal profiler are now finished. Your report, which touches on all four facets of criminology, is now complete and ready to be handed in. Great job!
The Historical Facet of Criminology
Let's shift our focus now to the evolution of criminal behaviour and how that has influenced the field of criminology.
America has always had a problem with criminal activity. As a direct consequence of this, the work and focus of criminologists has been influenced by the history of crime. The modern system of criminal justice has seen a substantial amount of change over the course of the past half century. Beginning in the 1850s, there was a surge in criminal activity that could be traced back to the social instability that resulted from the Civil War. This rash of criminal activity was made worse by the increase in the number of immigrants. Things remained mostly unchanged from the 1880s until the 1920s, when the introduction of Prohibition led to a rise in the crime rate. From the middle of the 1920s through the 1930s, organised crime presented a particularly difficult challenge. After that, in the 1940s, there was a notable drop in the crime rate. According to criminologists, this decline can be attributed to the significant number of men who fought in the military during World War II.
The civil rights movement of the 1960s resulted in the creation of new legislation, the filing of new cases, and an increasing engagement of the courts. During this time period, there was a rise in the number of incidents of criminal behaviour that were reported. As in the previous decade, the 1970s saw an increase in the number of violent crimes like rape, murder, and assault. Criminologists who research this time period have a theory that greater freedoms contributed to the growth in crime during this time period. Then, in the 1980s, there was a considerable increase in the amount of medicines that were brought into the United States from other countries. Because of this, there was a rise in the number of crimes involving drugs. As a direct result of this, President Ronald Reagan declared the beginning of the 'War on Drugs.' During this time period, criminologists' primary attention was on determining why the rate of drug-related crime was growing so rapidly.
The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City was targeted in the 1990s by an antigovernment fanatic who was a resident of the United States. This attack resulted in the deaths of adults as well as children who were participating in an on-site daycare programme. In addition, rioting broke out in Los Angeles, California, in the 1990s, and it was at this time that Rodney King was beaten by the police. The general population in the United States had the impression that the rate of crime was escalating out of control and that drastic action was necessary. During this time period, this topic was the primary focus of criminologists.
Then, on September 11, 2001, there were the terrorist attacks that took place in New York City and Washington, D.C., which led to the collapse of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the explosion that took place at the Pentagon. The importance of taking preventative measures against terrorism was brought into sharp relief by these events. The Department of Homeland Security was established as a direct consequence of this event.
In 2009, white-collar crime became an important focus for federal prosecutors as well as criminologists in the field. For instance, Bernard Madoff, who managed investment funds, pleaded guilty to various charges related to illegal financial activity. Most notably, Madoff was renowned for running a Ponzi scheme that resulted in the theft of more than fifty billion USD from unsuspecting investors.
Traditional types of criminal activity, such as robbery and rape, are on the decline in the United States at the present time. On the other hand, there has been an increase in both new types of crime, like cybercrime, and other types of crime, like random mass shootings. Cybercrime can be defined as any illegal activity that involves the use of computers and other forms of technology for the purpose of committing a crime. Therefore, this topic is of primary interest to criminologists who research the most recent patterns of criminal activity in the United States.
Conclusion
Let's take a moment to go over what we've studied in this reading. To begin, criminology is the study of criminal behaviour and the quest to understand why people engage in criminal activity. It attempts to provide satisfactory explanations for such perplexing problems as "why do criminals participate in criminal activity?" The next thing to take into consideration is that criminology is founded on four distinct points of view, namely the legal, the political, the sociological, and the psychological. Each of these viewpoints presents a different angle on the subject of criminal behaviour. Additionally, there is a long tradition of criminal activity in the United States. It has had a significant impact on the modern criminal justice system, which is where criminologists find themselves working today.
Outcomes of Reading
When you are finished, you should be able to the following:
- Describe what it means to study criminology.
- Identify and explain each of the four viewpoints that are utilised in the study of criminal behaviour.
- Provide an overview of the development of criminology.
- Discuss some of the changing patterns of criminal activity that have had an impact on criminology.
What Is Criminology?
From CSI to Law and Order, there's always a crime show on TV. Crime and horror films always thrill and entertain. We love serial killer movie protagonists. The media frequently reports real-time crimes. Crime stories and issues are everywhere. We hunt for offender motivations. How can a murderer kill and abandon his victim without remorse? How did a murderer act? This is what criminology examines.Imagine you're a criminologist. Imagine consulting on a murder case. A young woman was found in a riverside swamp. She has chest and neck wounds. She's holding a message that says,My spouse did this to me. You're asked for your verdict. Let's examine criminology to form your opinion.
What Are the Four Choice Theories of Crime?
Four perspectives are used to investigate criminology. Legal, political, sociological, and psychological.
What is the legal perspective in criminology?
Criminology starts from a legal perspective. This means illegal behaviour is examined. Criminologists evaluate the laws themselves and how criminal acts establish criminal laws. You murdered the victim. Her neck and chest were stabbed many times, proving it. You analyse the murder legislation and determine that this appears to be first-degree murder because the note implicates her husband. Your legal judgement is that first-degree murder is appropriate.
What is the political perspective in criminology?
Political criminology examines criminality. In this view, breaching laws set by powerful political parties causes crime. This is illegal. Those who accept this view say that laws exist to advance the interests of the powerful; crimes are activities that threaten their interests. The laws don't always reflect what's good and wrong. You believe the murder laws were devised by the political elite, but after studying the evidence, you believe they are appropriate for this case.
What is the sociological perspective in criminology?
Sociological criminology is another viewpoint. Sociology focuses on social, political, and economic conditions that cause crime. This perspective evaluates an offender's household, employment, race, education level, social condition, and more to assess why they committed a crime. You research the victim's husband. The husband had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and had stopped taking his prescriptions. He lost his job and was estranged from the victim. You suspect these things contributed to the murder.
What is the psychological perspective in criminology?
Last, criminology's psychological standpoint. Crime is seen as a problem behaviour caused by an offender's incapacity to live in harmony with the environment. You review the husband's behaviour. You study his psychiatric papers and learn he abused the victim domestically. He's spent time in jail and psychiatric centres for his illness. You conclude that the husband's mental health influenced the crime.
What is the history of 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.