Task 1: How Would You Define Criminology?
Task 1 - How would you define criminology?
I would define Criminology as a body of knowledge that focuses on behaviour that violates the criminal law and seeks an explanation for that given behaviour, aimed principally at clarifying the connection between crime and the personal characteristics of the offender and/or his environment with special reference to the origin of the offence itself. The Criminologists major role is to provide a general background in the causes of crime, which is in itself closer to the science of psychology rather than to the justice system in force. Areas that are studied in this science of crime include all criminal activities including young offenders, theories of prevention, policing of crime and the effects
it has on victims and in so produces findings that can support the work of legal professionals including judges, solicitors, police officers, prison officials, social services and probation services, giving them a better understanding of crime and those that choose to break the laws and in turn helps to serve more appropriate sentences for the criminal behaviour.
Crime is ever evolving and with it the task for dealing with crimes is getting ever difficult to study, so it is hard to define what a crime is and what is not, so that is where criminologists come in and try to deal with the knowledge regarding criminal behaviour and crime as a social phenomenon. This includes in its scope the process of making and upholding the laws of the land as well as reacting to those breaking the law. It is also important to note that criminology is the study of how certain activities have become defined as crime where others have not or rather how an act can be defined as a crime in one circumstance and then defined as a justifiable act in another circumstance – for example, killing someone one in the street whilst defending yourself can be construed as murder or manslaughter, whereas on the battle field during a war or conflict it is construed as an act of heroism. I would like to add a note that as I am ex forces, and having been in a combat situation, I do not have a particular opinion on this matter.
I believe that criminology in its broadest sense covers the whole of criminal science, but the specific objective of criminology is to focus on the development of knowledge regarding laws and the reaction to crime which is a contributory factor in understanding social behaviour in general.
I would define Criminology as a body of knowledge that focuses on behaviour that violates the criminal law and seeks an explanation for that given behaviour, aimed principally at clarifying the connection between crime and the personal characteristics of the offender and/or his environment with special reference to the origin of the offence itself. The Criminologists major role is to provide a general background in the causes of crime, which is in itself closer to the science of psychology rather than to the justice system in force. Areas that are studied in this science of crime include all criminal activities including young offenders, theories of prevention, policing of crime and the effects
it has on victims and in so produces findings that can support the work of legal professionals including judges, solicitors, police officers, prison officials, social services and probation services, giving them a better understanding of crime and those that choose to break the laws and in turn helps to serve more appropriate sentences for the criminal behaviour.
Crime is ever evolving and with it the task for dealing with crimes is getting ever difficult to study, so it is hard to define what a crime is and what is not, so that is where criminologists come in and try to deal with the knowledge regarding criminal behaviour and crime as a social phenomenon. This includes in its scope the process of making and upholding the laws of the land as well as reacting to those breaking the law. It is also important to note that criminology is the study of how certain activities have become defined as crime where others have not or rather how an act can be defined as a crime in one circumstance and then defined as a justifiable act in another circumstance – for example, killing someone one in the street whilst defending yourself can be construed as murder or manslaughter, whereas on the battle field during a war or conflict it is construed as an act of heroism. I would like to add a note that as I am ex forces, and having been in a combat situation, I do not have a particular opinion on this matter.
I believe that criminology in its broadest sense covers the whole of criminal science, but the specific objective of criminology is to focus on the development of knowledge regarding laws and the reaction to crime which is a contributory factor in understanding social behaviour in general.