Chapter 1 Crime and Criminology. What is Criminology? The definition of Criminology is: The...
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Transcript of Chapter 1 Crime and Criminology. What is Criminology? The definition of Criminology is: The...
Chapter 1
Crime and Criminology
What is Criminology?
The definition of Criminology is: The scientific approach to studying criminal
behavior Important areas of interest for criminologists
Crime as a social phenomenon The process of making laws The breaking of laws and the reaction towards
breaking the laws Development of principles
Criminology and Criminal Justice
The terms are often interchanged Sometimes the information can overlap
There are major differences between them Criminology
Explains the origin of crime Explains the extent and nature of crime in society
Criminal Justice The study of the agencies of social control
Police Courts Corrections
Criminology and Deviance Deviance is defined as:
Behavior that departs from the social norm but is not always criminal
A Crime is defined as: An act deemed as socially
harmful or dangerous that is specifically defined, prohibited, and punished under criminal law
A Brief History of Criminology
Emergence of the Classical School During the Middle Ages (1200-1600) people who
broke the “rules” or “laws” were looked at as being possessed by the devil
By the 1700s social philosophers started to think with reason Bentham and utilitarianism – pain of punishment
should exceed the benefit of crime Believed that crime and punishment needed to be
more balanced and fair Influence penal practices for more than 200 years
Basic Elements of Classical Criminology
People have free will and criminal or lawful solutions to meet needs
Criminal solutions can be attractive
A person will not commit crime if they believe that
the pain expected from the punishment is greater
than the promised reward (deterrence)
Punishment needs to be severe, certain, and swift to
be effective
19th Century Positivism
New way to look at crime that challenged the validity of the classical school
In other areas of study (biology, chemistry, and astronomy) scientists started using the scientific method Careful observation and analysis of natural
phenomena
Basic Elements of Positivism
All true knowledge is acquired through direct observation Statements that could not be backed up by direct
observation are invalid The scientific method must be used if research
findings are to be considered valid. Includes steps Identifying problems Collecting data Formatting hypotheses Conducting experiments Interpreting results
Biological Positivism
Physiognomists Studied facial features of criminals to determine if
the shape of ears, nose, and eyes were associated with antisocial behavior
Phrenologists Studied the shape of the skull and bumps on the head to
determine whether they were associated with criminal behavior
Cesare Lombroso
Believed that serious offenders were born criminals They had an inherited set of primitive physical
features that he called atavistic anomalies Considered these individuals genetic throwbacks Specific features:
Large jaws and cheekbones Strong canine teeth
Others expanded on his works Biological determinism Criminal anthropology Biosocial theory
The Chicago School and Beyond
Formed by a group of scientists who looked at crime from a sociological perspective
Believed there was a relationship between the environment and crime Neighborhood conditions influence the shape and
direction of crime rates Challenged the positivists who argued that
crime was a biological or psychological condition
Social-Psychological Views
1930s and 1940s Individuals began to link social-psychological
interactions to criminal behavior Believe that human interaction and
relationships effect crime Group dynamics Relationships to social processes
Education, family, peers Socialization
Conflict and Crime
Developed by Karl Marx (economic and political forces)
Believed human behavior is due to conflict between those who have all the power and money (bourgeoisie)
They use this power to further their own needs Believed that the working class (proletariat) was
exploited and eventually they would lead a revolt and ultimately end a capitalistic society
Developmental Criminology
Emerged in the 20th Century Began to look at crime from all angles
including sociological, psychological, and economic (multiple forces)
Believe that crime is a dynamic process that is influenced by our social experiences and individual characteristics Can look at the life course of a career criminal to
determine the issues as to why people begin to commit crime
Contemporary Criminology
The various schools of criminology have developed and evolved over the past 200 years
Each continues to impact the field of criminology Rational choice theory
Deterrence theory Trait theory Social structure theory Social process theory
How Criminologists View Crime
Consensus View Believe the law defines crime; Society agrees about what
should be outlawed and the law should apply equally to all Deviant behavior causes social harm
Conflict View Society is a collection of diverse groups and they are in
constant conflict Owners, workers, professionals, students
Interactionist View People act according to their own interpretations of reality They observe the way other react They reevaluate and interpret their own behavior according
to the meaning they have learned from others
Definition of Crime
Because of all these views of crime we need a general (integrated) definition of crime; which is: A violation of societal rules of behavior as
interpreted and expressed by a criminal legal code created by people holding social and political power
Individuals who violate these rule are subject to sanctions by state authority, social stigma, and loss of status
Crime and the Criminal Law Criminal behavior is tied to criminal law Criminal Law has been around for thousands of
years Code of Hammurabi
First written criminal code developed around 2000 B.C. Based on retribution
“An eye for an eye” Mosaic Code
Laws of the Old Testament including the Ten Commandments
Foundation of Judaism and Christianity Bases for the U.S. legal system
Common Law Early English law (around 1100s) Developed by judges who would travel around and decide what
to do for specific crimes Courts were bound by the judges decisions Eventually judges published their decisions in local cases Other judges began to use these written decisions as a basis for
future procedure They eventually became precedent and the basis for common
law Common law is just the standard law of the land in England
which eventually formed the basis of criminal law in the U.S. Mala in se Mala prohibitum
Contemporary Criminal Law
All U.S. laws are listed in statutes or Acts Divided into felonies and misdemeanors
Government says people who commit these unacceptable acts need to be sanctioned; there are social goals Enforce social control Discourage revenge Express public opinion and morality Deter criminal behavior Punish wrongdoing Maintain social order
Evolution of Criminal Law
Criminal law is constantly changing Some acts are being decriminalized while other
penalties are increasing Must always reflect social values and
contemporary issues/problems Our court system allows for exposure of laws
that may need to be changed Trial, appellate, supreme
Ethical Issues in Criminology
There are political and social consequences from results of criminological research
Need to be aware of ethical issues What to study
Cannot let funding dictate what you choose to study Whom to study
Should not just focus on poor and minorities How to conduct studies
Need to inform subjects of the purpose of research Keep records confidential Selection of research subjects need to be random and
unbiased