NCJ Number
67575
Date Published
1979
Length
551 pages
Annotation
AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENCE OF CRIMINOLOGY FOR LAW SCHOOL SENIORS SPECIALIZING IN CRIMINOLOGY, THIS SCHOLARLY BOOK OFFERS A STATE-OF-THE-ART REVIEW OF CRIMINOLOGICAL THOUGHT.
Abstract
THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF CRIMINOLOGY ARE ADDRESSED, WITH ATTENTION TO CRIMINOLOGY'S COGNATE DISCIPLINES (CRIMINAL ANTHROPOLOGY, BIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, CRIMINALISTICS, AND PENOLOGY). THE SCIENTIFIC METHODOLOGIES EMPLOYED IN CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, INCLUDING CRIME STATISTICS, ARE DETAILED. THE VARIOUS BRANCHES OF PENOLOGY (CRIMINAL LAW, CRIMINALISTICS, FORENSIC MEDICINE, FORENSIC PSYCHIATRY, AND CRIMINOLOGICAL POLITICS) ARE STUDIED. CRIMINOLOGICAL POLITICS IS DEFINED IN TERMS OF ITS OBJECTIVES, SUCH AS SOLVING THE CURRENT CRIMINAL JUSTICE CRISIS AND DEVISING NEW STRATEGIES OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE LARGER CONTEXT OF INTEGRAL SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. AN HISTORICAL OVERVIEW LOOKS AT THE SCIENCE OF CRIMINOLOGY (AS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE HISTORY OF CRIME AND CRIMINALITY) FROM THE STONE AGE TO THE DAY ON WHICH IT BECAME OFFICIALLY A SCIENCE (THE DATE OF THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CRIMINAL ANTHROPOLOGY, HELD IN TURIN, ITALY, IN 1885). A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS TOUCHES ON THE MAJOR CURRENTS OF JURIDICAL-PENOLOGICAL THOUGHT (CLASSICAL, POSITIVIST, ECLECTIC, AND SOCIAL DEFENSE SCHOOLS), FUTHER SUBDIVIDED BY APPROACH (ANTHROPOLOGICAL, BIOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, CLINICAL, AND CRITICAL OR RADICAL CRIMINOLOGY). ATTENTION IS DEVOTED TO THE APPLICATIONS OF THE SCIENCE OF CRIMINOLOGY, TO AN INDEPTH EXPLORATION OF CRIME CAUSES, TO CRIMINALITY IN MEXICO, AND TO MAJOR CONTEMPORARY CRIMINOLOGICAL PROBLEMS (E.G., JUVENILE DELINQUENCY; CRIMINALITY AND MOTOR VEHICLES; MACROCRIMINALITY, OR COLLECTIVE VIOLENCE, SUCH AS TERRORISM OR RACIAL DISCRIMINATION; INSTITUTIONALIZED VIOLENCE; WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES; ABUSE OF AUTHORITY; DRUG TRAFFICKING AND ADDICTION; VIOLENCE IN THE MASS MEDIA; TORTURE; VICTIMOLOGY; AND THE FAILURE OF PRISONS AS CRIME DETERRENTS). CONCLUSIONS COVER THE AFFIRMATION OF THE TOTAL FAILURE OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF REPRESSION AND A RECOMMENDED NEW CRIME FIGHTING STRATEGY, CALLED VICTIMOLOGICAL PREVENTION, WHICH CONSISTS OF AN INTENSIVE EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO ALERT THE PUBLIC ON WAYS TO AVOID VICTIMIZATION. AN EXHAUSTIVE INTERNATIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN SPANISH.