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



Instructor IntroductionInstructor Introduction

Jorge Pierrott

Mobile: (775) 232-7036Please text me for emergency only

Email: [email protected]



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”?



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.



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



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?



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.



What is Crime?What is Crime?

• Four definitional perspectives Legalistic Political Sociological Psychological

continued on next slide



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



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




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



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



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



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



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



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.



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



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).



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



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



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?



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



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





• Criminal Justice Professionals Do the day-to-day work of the criminal

justice system





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



Theoretical CriminologyTheoretical Criminology

• Subfield of general criminology mainly found in colleges and universities

• Assume explanations for criminal behavior





• 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





• 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



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



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



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



Figure 1-7 Interpreting the Criminal Event



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




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



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)



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



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



Crime and SocietyCrime and Society

Background• Legislation defining

crime• Generic social

practices and conditions

• Socialization process

Foreground• Distribution of

resources• Accessibility of

services



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



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




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



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




The Primacy of Sociology?The Primacy of Sociology?

• New and emerging perspectives being recognized, but sociological perspective dominates

Documents

Introduction to Criminology CRJ 270 Instructor: Jorge Pierrott