what is crime
Chapter 1
What is Criminology?
“Criminology” Frank Schmalleger
What is Crime?
Four definitional perspectives
• Legalistic
• Political
• Sociological
• Psychological
What is Crime?
• Perspective is important because it determines the assumptions we make and the questions we ask
• This book uses the legalistic perspective
Legalistic Perspective
• Crime is defined as:
Human conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction that has the power to make such laws
Shortcomings of the Legalistic
Perspective
•
Yields moral high ground to those with power who ensure they escape the label of “criminal”
•
Insists that the nature of crime and the nature of law cannot be separated – not all immoral acts are contravened by statute
•
Fails to recognize that formal law did not always exist
Political Perspective
• Crime - the result of criteria that have been built into the law by powerful groups and are then used to label selected undesirable forms of behavior as illegal • Laws serve the interests of the politically powerful
• Crimes are behaviors those in power perceive as threats to their interests
Sociological (Sociolegal)
Perspective
• Crime – an antisocial act of such a nature that its repression is necessary or is supposed to be necessary to the preservation of the existing system of society • Crime is an offense against human relationships first, a violation of law second
Psychological (Maladaptive)
Perspective
• Crime - problem behavior, especially human activity that contravenes the criminal law and results in difficulties in living within a framework of generally acceptable social arrangements
• Includes any harmful or potentially harmful behaviors Crime and Deviance
• Deviant behavior – any activity that violates social norms
• Deviance and crime overlap – not identical
– Unusual dress styles = deviance – Indecent exposure
What is Criminology?
“Criminology” Frank Schmalleger
What is Crime?
Four definitional perspectives
• Legalistic
• Political
• Sociological
• Psychological
What is Crime?
• Perspective is important because it determines the assumptions we make and the questions we ask
• This book uses the legalistic perspective
Legalistic Perspective
• Crime is defined as:
Human conduct in violation of the criminal laws of a state, the federal government, or a local jurisdiction that has the power to make such laws
Shortcomings of the Legalistic
Perspective
•
Yields moral high ground to those with power who ensure they escape the label of “criminal”
•
Insists that the nature of crime and the nature of law cannot be separated – not all immoral acts are contravened by statute
•
Fails to recognize that formal law did not always exist
Political Perspective
• Crime - the result of criteria that have been built into the law by powerful groups and are then used to label selected undesirable forms of behavior as illegal • Laws serve the interests of the politically powerful
• Crimes are behaviors those in power perceive as threats to their interests
Sociological (Sociolegal)
Perspective
• Crime – an antisocial act of such a nature that its repression is necessary or is supposed to be necessary to the preservation of the existing system of society • Crime is an offense against human relationships first, a violation of law second
Psychological (Maladaptive)
Perspective
• Crime - problem behavior, especially human activity that contravenes the criminal law and results in difficulties in living within a framework of generally acceptable social arrangements
• Includes any harmful or potentially harmful behaviors Crime and Deviance
• Deviant behavior – any activity that violates social norms
• Deviance and crime overlap – not identical
– Unusual dress styles = deviance – Indecent exposure