...How would you define criminology? Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes and control of criminal behaviour in both the individual and to society. The term criminology is used for the study of criminal behaviour including factors and causes of crime. There is also the social impact of any crime on the criminal himself and on the victims and their families. People have free will and have the ability to choose how they act, they have the ability to understand the costs to themselves, their surroundings and the environment they live in, through doing a criminal act, and the consequences of potentially being caught and seeing if the benefit of the action is worthy of the end punishment. The term criminology was first ‘invented’ as such in 1885 by an Italian Law Professor who used the word ‘criminologia’, a little later in France, this was changed to the term ‘criminologie’ In turn being changed again into the modern version of ‘criminology’. (Ref from: Criminology – The Art & Popular Culture) Criminology is the body of knowledge regarding delinquency (an offence or misdeed, usually of a minor nature) and crime such as social phenomena (which include all behavior which influences or is influenced by the surrounding area or through people responding to one another.). It includes within its scope the process of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting Page 2 towards the breaking of laws. It is aimed at finding the connection between crime...
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...crime This paper focuses on the information about the crimes. Different theories about the criminology are described. Main focus will be on the criminology and its two theories. Criminology is the study of factors about the crimes that lead to its phenomena. This crime may be of individual or social nature. It includes making laws, breaking laws and attempts to break the laws. Criminology focuses on the social, cultural and individual causes of the illegal behavior. Criminology is directly related to sociology and psychology in all disciplines that deal with a group or individual behavior. However an act that is immoral or indecent can be criminal act unless it is not outlawed by the state. Criminology consists of our organized ways of thinking and talking about crime, criminals and crime control (Garland and Sparks, 2000, 192). Personal and neighborhood income are the strongest predictors of violent crime" (cited in "Wasting America's Future (Arloc Sherman, 1994, p88). Demonstrates that glaring social and economic inequalities in our society impose correspondingly high costs in the form of street crime. (John Hagan & Ruth D. Peterson, Crime and Inequality, 1995, Stanford U, p4) Causes of Crimes: Causes of crime may be environmental, hereditary or psychological. Environmental causes are ruled out as independent causes of crimes. But psychological conditions are said to be determinant of an individual’s reaction to persuasive environmental influence. Criminologist...
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...Skip to NavigationSkip to Content TermPaperWarehouse.com - Free Term Papers, Essays and Research DocumentsThe Research Paper Factory JoinSearchBrowseSaved Papers Search Criminology In: Social Issues Criminology Task 1: How would you define criminology? Criminology is a social science; its main aim is to research crime and individuals who commit crime, while also looking at the criminal justice system in the hope that this information can be transformed into policies that will be effective in handling, or even eliminating crime. Although it is a specialty, it's not a single discipline. It combines the efforts of sociologists, psychologists, psychiatry, biology, law and statistics. It produces findings that can support, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers, and prison officials, giving them a better understanding of crime and criminals, and to develop improved and more appropriate sentences and treatments for criminal behaviour. Criminology centres its attention on the criminal as a person, his or hers behaviour, and what has led him or her to a life of crime. It also looks at society's reaction towards breaking laws. Task 2: Explain the difference between macro and micro theories used by Criminologists. Macro theory and Micro theory are both detailed theories that pay close attention to different aspects of crime and criminal behaviour. The Macro theory of crime and criminal behaviour explains the larger scale of crime across the world...
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...Task 1: How would you define Criminology? Criminology is a social Science and One definition of Criminology is, ”knowledge concerning the etiology, prevention, control and treatment of crime delinquency, this includes the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and practice of criminal law, as well as the law enforcement, judicial and correctional systems”. However the research I have done on different Theorists such as DR. Ayman Elzeiny (Egypt), Webster (1959) and Edwin Sutherland, I have learnt that Criminology is hard to define because there are several ways of looking at it. DR. Ayman Elzeiny stated “Criminology can be simply defined as the study of the crime”. He also stated the “Criminology ought before anything to show humanity the way to combat, and especially, prevent, crime”. Another definition I learnt stated “Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals” (Webster 1959). An example of scientific study of crime and criminals is using scientific theories such as, Concrete theories which explain observable and verifiable facts. Another Definition I researched and found was one by Edwin H. Sutherland and he stated, “Criminology is the body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within its scope the process of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting toward the breaking of laws. The objective of Criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles and other types of knowledge...
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...Criminology is the scientific approach to studying criminal behavior. Like any other –ology there is ethical issues and concerns. Psychology has ethical concerns on some studies due to the factor of research subjects being lied to about what they are participating in or the harming of animals for research. With psychology certain ethical standard committees have been created to help deter the unethical behavior. In criminology the ethical issues are: what they should study, whom they should study, and how they should study. What should criminologist be studying? Some criminologist are working for Universities and Colleges that are only interested in the scholar aspect of criminology, while some have a type of political interest. During the studies it has to be funded by someone and the ethical issue that comes into play is when a police force is funding the study of bad cops for review of the police force the data may be pointed in a certain direction to bring better results for the police force. Criminologist have to study accurate data in order to have valid results but putting them a situation of investigating who is funding them could cause problems and ethical dilemmas. Whom should criminologist study? If you want to achieve the most accurate data available then every aspect should be studied, not just the poor and middle class who is what most criminologist concentrate on. Concentrating only on one aspect of the crime in a city will leave out the major crimes...
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...CRIMINOLOGY Linda Martinez AIU-CRJS105 November 14, 2011 ABSTRACT In the following paper I will discuss and define the differences of criminologist, criminalist and forensic psychologist. With describing the three we will be able to understand the differences amongst them and the role they play in the Criminal justice field. We will also explain the differences of White and Blue collar crimes. We will also see how it is measured in the Uniform Crime Reports of the FBI. As we go and study the world of Criminal Justice there are many fields that one decides to study. There are three that I will define and give an explanation on the role they take. Each takes an important role as the other to prevent, solve and investigate criminal acts and their behavior. The first one we will define is crimionolgy which is the scientific study that is within the confines of sociology that studies the cause and prevention of crime and the rehabilitation and punishment of offenders. The important role for criminalists is known as a specialist in the collection and examination of the physical evidence of crime. The last important definition of the three is forensic scientist which is the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems; especially: scientific analysis of physical evidence (as from a crime scene). The importance of the three is very important when you come to understand the definitions of what their roles are. As stated in GALE White-collar crime is a broad term...
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...those of the powerful: discuss. Today’s news society is so diverse and challenging, that many and nearly all contemporary issues receive daily coverage by all façades of the media. Some of the most highly debated and discussed coverage topics, including drugs, violence and crime reporting have taken over in incessant media reporting. Criminology without a doubt is obsessed with the crimes of the powerless at the expenses of the crimes of the powerful. “Law governs the poor and rich rules the law” (Criminology in Pakistan, 2011) intensely portrays the separation in the selective procedure of law to the advantage of certain sections without respect to others. A study of the criminology literature generates a possible outcome that much more emphasis has been placed on the crimes, committed by the marginalized groups and individuals (thus the poor), than those perpetrated by the powerful. In this essay, we will try to analyse how far this notion is true, and if true what are the reasons for this uneven approach on the part of the criminologists. Marxists and critical criminologists argue that traditional criminology focus on the ‘crimes of the streets’ and ignores ‘crimes of the suits’, committed by big businesses. Before moving on to analyse the situation let us have a look at various categories of offences committed by the powerless and the ones executed by the powerful. Assault, theft, robbery, burglary, homicide, wounding, rape, extortion and intimidation...
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...Criminology AIU Online CRJS105 March 25, 2016 In today’s society there is a general lack of understanding to the field of criminology. There is a lack of understanding to what a criminalist does and how it differs from what a criminologist does. There is a common misconception to how the public views the differences between crime. The public may not realize that there are national databases that the FBI has that offers statistical information of state and national crimes. Furthermore, the media plays a large role in the misconception of the severity and frequency of crimes, choosing to sensationalize those which they feel will bring in more views. Criminalists have an important part in the justice field. They collect, preserve, and interpret evidence found at crime scenes. Their job is to reconstruct the crime from the evidence. To become a criminalist one must obtain a Bachelor’s degree in biological, physical, or forensic sciences, as well as have accumulated a minimum of twenty-four semester hours of chemistry, biology and math. (Becoming a Criminalist: How to become a Criminalist, n.d.) Criminalist can work in the public sector in local police departments or sheriff departments, on a regional level at state crime labs and medical examiners offices and at the federal level for the FBI, DEA, and CIA. They may also teach at public colleges and universities. If I were to choose to work in the public sector, I would choose a state lab to be able to sort through evidence...
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...Dave Salzano November 29, 2011 Professor Barnes Criminology 11am Term Paper Part 2 In the beginning of the year I believed that criminals who committed the same type of crimes did so for similar reasons. While I still agree that there is a correlation, through the semester I have changed my view a bit. There are many different theories that can explain the possibilities of why two criminals who have committed the same crime have done so. There isn’t one theory that can explain the causation of any particular crime, but instead each crime and each criminal differs on a case by case basis. Without realizing it I believed heavily in the strain theory as the best explanation for the causation of crime, mainly the belief that people in poverty would overlook the consequences in order to attain what others in their community have. Now I see this was an extremely narrow view point and believe each crime and each criminal can be explained through a diverse and often multiple groups of theories. I underestimated the impact of biological issues that contribute to crime explained by trait theorists. They argue the individual is not the only one responsible for crime in society, but that we must look at their environment, neighborhood, economic opportunities, and family life. The focus is on how different biological factors like high testosterone levels and a person’s diet combined with their environment effects crime (Siegel, 2000). I would have agreed that higher testosterone...
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...The book is organized around three components to facilitate the integration of criminological knowledge: (1) how social context can be criminogenic, (2) how risk factors influence the individual development of criminal behavior; (3) mechanisms by which social context and individual development interact to explain crime. Because this is an edited book, the chapters are written by different authors who focus on specific questions. M. Bunge presents the limitations of holistic and individualist perspectives on crime and the benefits of a systemic (i.e. integrative) perspective. R. J. Sampson discusses whether there are contextual effects on individual development; and what causal mechanisms are involved in order to explain community variations in crime rates. P. O. H. Wikström emphasizes the importance of identifying what moves individuals to commit acts of crime when investigating explanations of individual differences in crime involvement, area and place variation in crimes rates, and changes over time in the crime rate of a geographical location. T. Moffitt and A. Caspi review studies using behavioral-genetic designs to address the interplay between measured environmental risks and genetic risks in the origins of antisocial behavior: evidence about gene-environment interactions suggests that environmental risks can affect some people more strongly in genetically vulnerable segments of the population. R. Loeber, N. W. Slot, and M. Stouthamer-Loeber uses unconventional three-dimensional...
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...Criminology Newspaper article October 22, 2013 During criminology class, we have covered many different aspects of criminal behavior. Why do people commit crimes? What motivates them to do it? Does one crime lead to other more heinous crimes? There are many questions that we have come across throughout this course. In the article “Student Kills Math Teacher, Then Himself, at a Middle School in Nevada” a 12 year old middle school student opened fire on classmates and killed his math teacher, before shooting and killing himself. People believe that there are many different reasons as to why people commit crimes, and how victims are chosen. Some theories believe that if you are a certain race or in a certain social class, you will either be the one committing the crime or you will be a victim. Also it depends on where you may reside or even just how you go about your everyday life. I learned that the control theory was a strict product of social interactions. Therefore people who tend to have low self-esteem are more at risk to commit a crime, and if they had a higher self-esteem and felt good about themselves are less at risk. While reading the article, I learned that the reason as to why the boy began shooting was because he might have been bullied. Bullying will definitely play a role in how someone feels about themselves due to the fact that they are constantly being put down and being forced to feel like they are nothing. I do feel that what the boy did was wrong...
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...Task 1: How would you define criminology? Criminology is a social science; its main aim is to research crime and individuals who commit crime, while also looking at the criminal justice system in the hope that this information can be transformed into policies that will be effective in handling, or even eliminating crime. Although it is a specialty, it's not a single discipline. It combines the efforts of sociologists, psychologists, psychiatry, biology, law and statistics. It produces findings that can support, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers, and prison officials, giving them a better understanding of crime and criminals, and to develop improved and more appropriate sentences and treatments for criminal behaviour. Criminology centres its attention on the criminal as a person, his or hers behaviour, and what has led him or her to a life of crime. It also looks at society's reaction towards breaking laws. Task 2: Explain the difference between macro and micro theories used by Criminologists. Macro theory and Micro theory are both detailed theories that pay close attention to different aspects of crime and criminal behaviour. The Macro theory of crime and criminal behaviour explains the larger scale of crime across the world or across a society; they attempt to answer why there are variations in group rates of crime, for example Macro theory may provide and explanation as to why one neighbourhood has a higher crime rate than another local neighbourhood...
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...UNIT FIVE: Criminology Text Questions 1. What are the two types of white-collar crimes? Two types of white-collar crimes are Occupational crimes are those crimes committed by an individual for personal gain and pro Ft during the course of their occupation and Corporate crimes are crimes committed by companies and businesses. 2. What are three of the four types of occupational crime? Describe each type. Three of the four types of occupational crime are Individual Occupational Crime; these are crimes by individuals as individuals for pro Ft or other gain. Stealing company equipment or Fling false expense reports would fall into this category. Professional Occupational Crime, these are crimes done by professionals in their professional occupation. State Authority Occupational Crime, these are crimes by officials through the authority of the office. This category of crimes is restricted to those holding public office and their employees. Accepting bribes in return for political favors would be an example in this category. 3. What is pilferage? Why do people engage in this activity? Theft, e.g. shoplifting or theft from workplace. Reasons range from simple dishonesty, wanting /needing something they can't afford, taking to sell on for profit. 4. What is organized crime? What typical activities are included in organized crime? Organized crime is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals. For example, Drug trafficking ...
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...It’s a hot humid day in July. The neighborhood is quiet except for a few teenagers playing around near the fire hydrant. They keep getting louder and louder and the old lady in the house across the street is trying to rest. The boys open up the hydrant and get even louder. The lady yells out to them to keep it down, she is not feeling well. They start calling her names and one boy throws a rock at her and hits her in the head. The day before the same boys were out doing the same thing, except this time a middle aged, well built man told them to scat and they did. Why did those kids listen to man, but not the old lady? Why did they resort to violence with her and obedience with him? Why were they on the street in the first place? These and many other questions come to mind when we read this scenario. This is where a Criminologist comes in. Criminologists are trained professionals who look at the individual as well as the society when studying crime. A good starting point for an aspiring Criminologist is a bachelor’s degree in psychology or sociology. Earning a bachelor's degree in psychology, sociology or criminal justice is a logical place to start gaining the skills needed to succeed in a career as a criminologist. People currently in law enforcement, corrections or related field, earning a bachelor's degree may be the only additional education needed to pursue a career as a criminologist. Those looking to do research or teach the profession will need either masters...
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... Prison and punishment is a part and parcel of the criminal jurisprudent. Prisons play a vital role in the administration of criminal justice system by aiding the courts in the due execution of the sentences awarded by them. Prison is like a tree of which criminal jurisprudent is a root and punishment is the branches of that tree and the fruit of that tree is the consequence of punishment on the offender. To punish criminals is a recognized function of all civilized States for centuries. From age-old traditionalism to recent modernism, broadly speaking four types of concept of punishment prevail, which modern penologists prefer to call “ theories of punishment”, are as follows:Deterrent Theory: Deter means to abstain from doing at act. The main objective of this theory is to impose severe penalties on offenders with a view to deterring them form committing further crime. This theory claims that people will avoid committing a crime if they believe the potential punishment for that crime outweighs the potential reward. The theory makes four major assumptions. First, the public is assumed to be aware of potential penalties. Second, it is assumed that there is a belief in the near-certainty of arrest and immediate penalization. Third, this penalty is assumed to be perceived as too unpleasant to justify any potential gains. Finally, it is assumed that people act rationally at all times.1 Retributive Theory: Reattribute means to give in return. This theory justify and follow Jeremy...
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