Criminology Class Notes
Criminology - Class Notes for Chapters 1 through 10, and 12 (Full Course Materials)
Chapter 1 - Crime and Criminology
What is Criminology?
An academic discipline that uses scientific methods to study the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior.
What Do Criminologists Do?
Criminal Statistics/Crime Measurement involves calculating the amount and trends of criminal activity and focuses on creating valid and reliable measures of criminal behavior.
This is done by an analysis of the activities of police and court agencies.
Measuring criminal activity not reported to the police by victims.
Identifying the victims of crime.
Developing Theories of Crime Causation
Criminological orientations:
Psychological - crime as a function of personality, development, social learning, or cognition (understanding).
Biological - antisocial behavior as a function of biochemical, genetic, and neurological factors.
Sociological - criminal behavior as a product of social forces including neighborhood conditions, poverty, socialization, and group interaction.
Criminologists may use innovative methods to test theory. For example, the use of magnetic resonance imaging to assess the brain function of male batterers.
The true cause of crime is still problematic - given similar conditions, why do some people choose crime while others do not?
Understanding and Describing Criminal Behavior - Research of Specific Criminal Types and Crime Patterns
50 years ago, researchers focused on perceived major crimes including rape, murder, and burglary. Today, some researchers focus on crimes including stalking, cyber crime, terrorism, and hate crimes.
Example: Terrorism and the terrorist personality
a. Mental illness is not a critical factor in explaining terrorist behavior, most terrorists are not "psychopaths."
b. There is no "terrorist personality."
c. Histories of childhood abuse/trauma and themes of perceived injustice and
Chapter 1 - Crime and Criminology
What is Criminology?
An academic discipline that uses scientific methods to study the nature, extent, cause, and control of criminal behavior.
What Do Criminologists Do?
Criminal Statistics/Crime Measurement involves calculating the amount and trends of criminal activity and focuses on creating valid and reliable measures of criminal behavior.
This is done by an analysis of the activities of police and court agencies.
Measuring criminal activity not reported to the police by victims.
Identifying the victims of crime.
Developing Theories of Crime Causation
Criminological orientations:
Psychological - crime as a function of personality, development, social learning, or cognition (understanding).
Biological - antisocial behavior as a function of biochemical, genetic, and neurological factors.
Sociological - criminal behavior as a product of social forces including neighborhood conditions, poverty, socialization, and group interaction.
Criminologists may use innovative methods to test theory. For example, the use of magnetic resonance imaging to assess the brain function of male batterers.
The true cause of crime is still problematic - given similar conditions, why do some people choose crime while others do not?
Understanding and Describing Criminal Behavior - Research of Specific Criminal Types and Crime Patterns
50 years ago, researchers focused on perceived major crimes including rape, murder, and burglary. Today, some researchers focus on crimes including stalking, cyber crime, terrorism, and hate crimes.
Example: Terrorism and the terrorist personality
a. Mental illness is not a critical factor in explaining terrorist behavior, most terrorists are not "psychopaths."
b. There is no "terrorist personality."
c. Histories of childhood abuse/trauma and themes of perceived injustice and