NCJ Number
60229
Journal
Deviance et societe Volume: 1 Issue: 1 Dated: (MAY 1977) Pages: 95-108
Date Published
1977
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THE PRESENT STATE OF CRIMINOLOGY IS CRITICIZED, AND A NEW, COMPREHENSIVE KIND OF CRIMINOLOGY IS PROPOSED.
Abstract
PRESENTLY, CRIMINOLOGY IS FRAGMENTED INTO NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AND APPROACHES, SOME OF WHICH ARE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. IF THE TERM 'CRIMINOLOGY' IS TO HAVE ANY MEANING AT ALL, THE FINDING OF A LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR IS IMPERATIVE. IT IS THEREFORE SUGGESTED THAT CRIMINOLOGY BE UNDERSTOOD AS 'THE STUDY OF DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR' DEALING WITH SUCH QUESTIONS AS: WHAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS CRIMINAL? WHERE AND HOW DOES DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR DEVELOP? AND WHAT ARE POSSIBLE REACTIONS TO IT? IN ASKING THESE QUESTIONS, CRIMINOLOGY MUST LOOK FOR MORE DIFFERENTIATED ANSWERS THAN ARE OFFERED NOW. RATHER THAN ELABORATING A SINGLE, BROAD THEORY DESIGNED TO EXPLAIN 'EVERYTHING,' EXPERTS SHOULD CONCENTRATE ON THE FOLLOWING FACTORS WHICH VARY FROM OFFENDER TO OFFENDER: SOCIAL BACKGROUND, AGE, SEX, AND INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP CHARACTER OF THE OFFENSE. AS A BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE, CRIMINOLOGY SHOULD STUDY DELINQUENT BEHAVIOR AS A FUNCTION OF THE DELINQUENT'S PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SITUATION (IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT OF THE OFFENSE, SOCIAL BACKGROUND, OVERALL SOCIAL CLIMATE). CLEARLY, SUCH AN APPROACH REQUIRES CLOSE COOPERATION WITH OTHER RELATED DISCIPLINES. A THREE-STEP MODEL FOR AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY OF DELINQUENTS AND NON-DELINQUENTS IS RECOMMENDED. THIS COMPARATIVE STUDY WOULD REVEAL 'VARIABLES OF PREDISPOSITION,' I.E., DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS WHICH MAKE ONE GROUP MORE DISPOSED TO CRIME THAN THE OTHER. THE ANALYSIS OF THESE FACTORS WOULD NATURALLY INCLUDE THE PARTICIPATION OF RELATED DISCIPLINES AND LEAD TO A NEW CRIMINOLOGY WHICH IS TRULY COMPREHENSIVE. THE ARTICLE INCLUDES SEVERAL DIAGRAMS OF THE MODEL. --IN FRENCH. (SAJ)