1. Chapter 1
Crime and Criminology

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. A Brief History of Criminology
Emergence of the Classical School
During the Middle Ages ( ) 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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