NCJ Number
145931
Journal
British Journal of Criminology Volume: 33 Issue: 4 Dated: (Autumn 1993) Pages: 541-554
Date Published
1993
Length
14 pages
Annotation
International comparisons of criminology inevitably involve the collection of data from diverse social, economic, making the issues of linkage and relevance pertinent to the evaluation of crime data and trends.
Abstract
Comparative criminology has recently become a growth area and has raised concerns and issues that suggest future directions of comparative criminological research. Four recent approaches in comparative criminology are identified: (1) attempts to link crime trends or problems to common social, economic, or political denominators, either across a wide range of countries or within the third world; (2) directly comparative focus in relation to a particular question and two or three countries; (3) attempts to produce broad generalizations and generate policy recommendations; and (4) comparative focus on particular regional developments. Linkage and relevance should be taken into account in comparative studies of crime and criminal justice, even though the range of issues and theoretical concerns encompassed by comparative criminology can be very wide. Future comparative criminological research should look at specific factors that affect criminality in different regions and the extent to which criminal justice policies and programs work. 58 references and 15 footnotes