The systematic scientific study of crime, criminals, and criminal justice

Definition: A program that focuses on the systematic study of crime as a sociopathological phenomenon, the behavior of criminals, and the social institutions evolved to respond to crime. Includes instruction in the theory of crime, psychological and social bases of criminal behavior, social value systems and the theory of punishment, criminal law and criminal justice systems, penology, rehabilitation and recidivism, studies of specific types of crime, social attitudes and policy, and applications to specific issues in law enforcement administration and policy.

Criminology is an academic discipline devoted to the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior. Although contemporary criminology is multidisciplinary, encompassing a variety of fields such as anthropology, biology, economics, law, political science, psychiatry, and psychology, the sociological approach to criminology is especially dominant. While the central focus of criminology is to examine the causes and consequences of crime and criminal behavior, contemporary criminology also contains a number of other subareas of inquiry. The sociology of law is a subarea concerned with the role of social forces in the creation, modification, and application of laws. The specialty area of criminal statistics and crime measurement focuses on developing reliable measures of criminal activity. Victimology is a specialty area concerned with the role of the victim in the criminal process, and especially how society responds to the needs of victims. Finally, criminologists are also...

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  • DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1298
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References

  • Baier, C. J., & Wright, B. R. E. (2001). “If you love me, keep my commandments”: A meta-analysis of the effect of religion on crime. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 38, 3–21.

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  • Barlow, H. (2007). Dead for good: Martyrdom and the rise of the suicide bomber. Boulder: Paradigm Publishers.

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  • Cullen, F. T., & Agnew, R. (2011). Criminological theory: Past to present. New York: Oxford University Press.

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  • Miller, M. K. (2006). Religion in criminal justice. New York: LFB Scholarly.

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  • Miller, H. V. (Ed.). (2008). Restorative justice: From theory to practice. Bingley: JAI Emerald Group.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice, Canisius College OM-016 C, 2001 Main Street, Buffalo, NY, 14208, USA

    Prof. Patricia E. Erickson J.D., Ph.D.

Authors

  1. Prof. Patricia E. Erickson J.D., Ph.D.

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia E. Erickson J.D., Ph.D. .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Systematic Theology, Faculty of Theology, Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Anne L. C. Runehov

  2. Pontificia Universita Antonianum, Roma, Italia

    Lluis Oviedo

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Erickson, P.E. (2013). Criminology. In: Runehov, A.L.C., Oviedo, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sciences and Religions. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-8265-8_1298

What is the scientific study of criminal behavior?

Criminology is a subdiscipline of sociology that focuses on the scientific study of the non-legal aspects of crime and criminal behavior.

Who defined criminology as a scientific study of crime?

Cesare Lombroso (1835–1909), an Italian sociologist working in the late 19th century, is often called "the father of criminology".

What is scientific in criminology?

criminology, scientific study of the nonlegal aspects of crime and delinquency, including its causes, correction, and prevention, from the viewpoints of such diverse disciplines as anthropology, biology, psychology and psychiatry, economics, sociology, and statistics.

What is the scientific study of crime called quizlet?

-Criminology is the scientific study of crime, including its causes, responses by law enforcement, and methods of prevention. -It is a sub-group of sociology, which is the scientific study of social behavior.