Introduction to Criminology CRJ 270 Instructor: Jorge Pierrott.
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Transcript of Introduction to Criminology CRJ 270 Instructor: Jorge Pierrott.
Introduction to CriminologyCRJ 270
Instructor: Jorge Pierrott
Criminology TodayCriminology TodayAN INTEGRATIVE INTRODUCTIONAN INTEGRATIVE INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
SEVENTH EDITION
What Is Crime?
1
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Instructor IntroductionInstructor Introduction
Jorge Pierrott
Mobile: (775) 232-7036Please text me for emergency only
Email: [email protected]
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Chapter ObjectivesChapter Objectives
After reading this chapter, students should be able to answer the following questions:•What is crime? What is the definition of crime that the author of this textbook has chosen to use?•What is deviance? How are crime and deviance similar? How do they differ?•Who decides what should be criminal? How are such decisions made?•What is the theme of this book? Upon what two contrasting viewpoints does it build?•What does it mean to say that “criminal activity is diversely created and variously interpreted”?
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
IntroductionIntroduction
• Crime-related entertainment extremely popular today.
• Inexplicability of crime fascinates people.
• This text examines causative factors in effect when a crime is committed.
• It encourages an appreciation of the challenges of crafting effective crime-control policy.
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What are your favorites?What are your favorites?
22. Orange is the New Black – Prison Drama21. Luther – Crime Drama15. Homeland – Crime/Terrorist Drama14. Walking Dead – Violent Drama13. American Horror Story – Horror/Crime Drama12. Top of the Lake – Mystery/Crime Drama8. Boardwalk Empire – Crime Drama7. Archer – Crime/Spy/Comedy5. The Americans – Crime/Spy Drama4. Game of Thrones – Fantasy/Crime/Violent Drama3. Justified – Crime Drama2. Hannibal – Crime Drama1. Breaking Bad – Crime Drama List drafted by: Slant Magazine
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Impact of the Media on CrimeImpact of the Media on Crime
• What are the typical images on crime?• How are they distorted by the media?• What types of crimes are normally featured?• How “real” are reality TV shows?• Do you believe crime related shows and
information leave viewers with a mistaken impression of law enforcement?
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Activity 1Activity 1
• Gather up in your assign groups and discuss the following: Discuss TV shows such as Cops, NCIS, Blue
Bloods, Breaking Bad and provide the following information:• What is commonly the gender and race of the
suspects?• The gender and race of the police officers?• The type of crime?• The products being advertised during these programs.
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What is Crime?What is Crime?
• Four definitional perspectives Legalistic Political Sociological Psychological
continued on next slide
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What is Crime?What is Crime?
• Perspective is important because it determines the assumptions we make and the questions we ask
• This book uses the legalistic perspective
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Legalistic PerspectiveLegalistic Perspective
• Crime: 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
continued on next slide
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Legalistic PerspectiveLegalistic Perspective
• Key shortcoming Yields moral high ground to powerful
individuals who can influence lawmaking
• Laws are social products – crime is socially relative, created by legislative activity
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Political PerspectivePolitical 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
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Sociological (Sociolegal) Sociological (Sociolegal) PerspectivePerspective
• 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
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Psychological (Maladaptive) Psychological (Maladaptive) PerspectivePerspective
• 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
• Any behavior which is maladaptive would be considered crime
• Includes any harmful or potentially harmful behaviors
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Crime and DevianceCrime and Deviance
• Deviant behavior Human activity that violates social
norms
• Deviance and crime overlap – not identical
• Delinquency: Violations of the criminal law and other misbehavior committed by young people
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Figure 1-2 The Overlap between Deviance and CrimeSource: Schmalleger, Frank J., Criminology. Printed and Electronically reproduced by permission of Pearson Education, Inc., Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Should Be Criminal?What Should Be Criminal?
• Lack agreement about appropriate legal status of behaviors such as drug use, abortion, gambling, etc.
• Question answered differently by two contrasting perspectives Consensus Pluralist
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Activity #2Activity #2
• Make a list of five legal behaviors, which you consider deviant.
• Compare and contrast the items on your lists. Focus on the wide range of opinions present among a fairly homogenous group (university students studying criminal justice). Discuss possible reasons for differing opinions (e.g., religious beliefs, profession, prior experiences with the criminal justice system).
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Should Be Criminal?What Should Be Criminal?
Consensus• Laws enacted to
criminalize behaviors when members of society agree
• Homogeneous societies
• Shared consensus hard to achieve in diverse multicultural societies
Pluralist• Behaviors criminalized
through a political process, after debate over appropriate course of action
• Involves legislation, appellate court action
• Most applicable to diverse societies
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Is Criminology?What Is Criminology?
• Wide variety of definitions available• Text definition of criminology:
An interdisciplinary profession built around the scientific study of crime and criminal behavior, including their manifestations, causes, legal aspects, and control
• Includes consideration of possible solutions to crime problem
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Criminology’s Basic QuestionsCriminology’s Basic Questions
• Why do crime rates vary?• Why do individuals differ as to
criminality?• Why is there variation in reactions to
crime?• What are the possible means of
controlling criminality?
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Is Criminology?What Is Criminology?
• Criminology is interdisciplinary• Criminology needs to be integrated• Criminology contributes to criminal
justice: Application of the criminal law and study
of the components of the justice system Police, courts, corrections Focus on control of law-breaking
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Do Criminologists Do?What Do Criminologists Do?
• Criminologist Studies crime, criminals and criminal
behavior
• Criminalist A specialist in the collection and
examination of the physical evidence of crime
continued on next slide
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What Do Criminologists Do?What Do Criminologists Do?
• Criminal Justice Professionals Do the day-to-day work of the criminal
justice system
continued on next slide
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
What Do Criminologists Do?What Do Criminologists Do?
Academic criminologists
• Ph.D. in criminology, CJ, related field
• Teach in universities• Conduct research to
advance criminological knowledge
• Publish in journals
Other career tracks• Work in CJS• Private security or
private investigation• Law school• Work for legislative
bodies, provide expertise to civil organizations
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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Theoretical CriminologyTheoretical Criminology
• Subfield of general criminology mainly found in colleges and universities
• Assume explanations for criminal behavior
continued on next slide
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Theoretical CriminologyTheoretical Criminology
• Theory: Made up of clearly stated propositions
that affirm or assume relationships between events and things under study
• Criminologists have developed many theories to explain and understand crime
continued on next slide
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Theoretical CriminologyTheoretical Criminology
• General theory Tries to explain all/most forms of crime
through a single overarching approach
• Unicausal theory Assumes a single identifiable source for
all serious deviant and criminal behavior
• Integrated theory Tries to explain crime by merging
concepts from different sources
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Criminology and Social PolicyCriminology and Social Policy
• Translational criminology Focuses on translating research results
into workable social policy
• Sound social policy needs to be linked to objective findings of well-conducted criminological research
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
The Theme of This TextThe Theme of This Text
Social Problems• Crime a manifestation
of underlying social problems
• Public health model to deal with crime
• Macro approach
Social Responsibility• People responsible for
own behavior, choose crime over legitimate options
• Personalized crime-reduction strategies
• Micro approach
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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The Social Context of CrimeThe Social Context of Crime
• Crime does not occur in a vacuum – every crime has a unique set of Causes Consequences Participants
• Crime provokes reactions from many sources
• Reactions to crime may affect future criminal events
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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Figure 1-7 Interpreting the Criminal Event
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The Causes and Consequences of The Causes and Consequences of the Criminal Eventthe Criminal Event
• Crime is a social event, not an isolated individual activity
• Crime is socially relative
continued on next slide
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The Causes and Consequences of The Causes and Consequences of the Criminal Eventthe Criminal Event
• Crime results from the coming together of inputs provided by the offender, the victim, the criminal justice system, and society Foreground – features that immediately
determine the nature of the crime Background causes – generic
contributions to the crime
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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Crime and the OffenderCrime and the Offender
Background• Life experiences• Biology/genetic
inventory• Personality• Values/beliefs• Skills/knowledge
Foreground• Motivation• Specific intent• State of mind (drug-
induced)
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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Crime and the Criminal Justice Crime and the Criminal Justice SystemSystem
Background• CJS contributes to
crime through failure to: Prevent crime Identify/inhibit specific
offenders Prevent release of
recidivists
Foreground• Proper system
response may reduce crime Presence/absence of
police officers Availability of official
assistance Willingness of officers
to intervene pre-crime Response time
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Crime and the VictimCrime and the Victim
Background• Passive presence• Active contributions
through lifestyle
Foreground• Victim precipitation
Active victim participation in initial stages of criminal event
Victim instigates chain of events resulting in victimization
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Crime and SocietyCrime and Society
Background• Legislation defining
crime• Generic social
practices and conditions
• Socialization process
Foreground• Distribution of
resources• Accessibility of
services
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
The Consequences of CrimeThe Consequences of Crime
• Outputs/immediate consequences affect those parties directly involved
• Real impact mediated by perceptual filters Results in ongoing interpretations
before, during, after crime Everyone associated with a crime
engages in interpretations
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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Integrative Approach to CrimeIntegrative Approach to Crime
• Text takes 3-D integrative view of crime Try to identify, understand causes of
crime Highlight processes involved in the
criminal event Analyze interpretation of the crime
phenomenon
continued on next slide
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
Integrative Approach to CrimeIntegrative Approach to Crime
• Crime seen as emergent activity that Arises out of past complex causes Assumes a course building on
immediate interrelationships Elicits formal response from CJS, shapes
public perceptions, may lead to changes in social policy
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
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The Primacy of Sociology?The Primacy of Sociology?
• Many disciplines have made important contributions to criminology
• Many criminologists today operate primarily from a sociological perspective
• Many modern theories of criminal behavior based in sociology
continued on next slide
Copyright © 2015 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved
Criminology Today, 7th EditionFrank Schmalleger
The Primacy of Sociology?The Primacy of Sociology?
• New and emerging perspectives being recognized, but sociological perspective dominates