NCJ Number
157140
Date Published
1996
Length
794 pages
Annotation
Because the social context of crime has changed significantly in recent years, this text examines various criminology theories and explores crime causes.
Abstract
In defining crime and criminology, the authors focus attention on three important issues: relativity of crime, prevalence of the scientific method in the field of criminology, and impact of ideology on explanations of crime and on crime policies. Crime and criminology are discussed, as well as criminal law, the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and crime distribution. The review of crime theories focuses on deterrence, biogenic and psychogenic, social structure, social process, and social reaction theories, and recent developments in criminological theory are noted. Specific crime types are evaluated, including violent crimes, economic crimes, and crimes without victims. Contemporary issues in criminology are addressed, such as political and environmental crimes. A workbook accompanying the main text includes a series of exercises to help students better understand the material. References, tables, and figures