NCJ Number
156106
Date Published
1994
Length
395 pages
Annotation
This introductory text on criminology examines crime as an event that can best be understood as having precursors and aftermaths that influence its occurrence.
Abstract
The authors distinctively view crime as a social event that involves interaction between human beings. The nature and form of this interaction shapes the course of the event, determines the stages through which it proceeds, and defines how serious it is judged to be in terms of harm done. Actors involved in these events include the offender, the victim, bystanders and witnesses, the police response to the event, and the conditions under which the interactions occur. This text examines how each of the elements of a criminal event combine and interact with other elements. A major section contains three chapters on crime theories. They focus on social conditions and criminal motivations; offending, social control, and the law; and opportunities, lifestyles, and situations that contribute to crime and victimization. Another major section considers methods for researching criminal events; topics addressed include the observation of crime, reporting crime, and crime rates. In examining the domains of crime, three chapters focus on the contexts of the family and the household, leisure pursuits, and employment and related issues. The concluding section examines various strategies for responding to antisocial behaviors, notably the public health and public safety approach, preventing crime through social development, and the use of community policing as a strategy for preventing and responding to crime. 588 references and name and subject indexes