NCJ Number
236725
Date Published
2012
Length
292 pages
Annotation
This book presents a brief primer on the causes and consequences of crime.
Abstract
This book is intended for use by both students and others interested in the field of criminology, and presents a broad, solid foundation on the causes of criminal behavior and the impact that crime has on society and the U.S. criminal justice system. The book is divided into 15 chapters that contain real world examples pertaining to issues and concepts covering criminology, criminal behavior, juvenile delinquency, deviance, and theories of crime. Chapter 1 defines crime and criminal behavior, while chapter 2 explores the extent and costs of crime, contrasts the various strategies for predicting and measuring crime, and presents typologies of crime and criminals. Chapter 3 discusses the five models of criminology and discusses the classical and positive schools of criminology, while chapters 4 and 5 present discussions of the classical and positive models, respectively. Chapter 6 presents the major psychological explanations for criminal behavior, while chapter 7 introduces the major class-based sociological theories; chapter 8 presents the major social psychological and sociological theories; and chapter 9 presents the political and economic theories of crime and criminal behavior. Chapter 10 looks at efforts to combine different theories explaining the causes of crime and criminal behavior, while chapter 11 examines the development of victimology as a new area of study. Chapter 12 examines laws and policies for dealing with offenders, while chapter 13 examines the treatment of victims of crime. Finally, chapter 14 examines how the criminal justice system affects and is affected by the law-abiding public, and chapter 15 discusses contemporary efforts at crime prevention and control. References