Preparing for High Technology Crime: An Educational Assessment of Criminal Justice and Criminology Academic Programs

• NCJ Number: 197847
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Justice Education Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 2002 Pages: 251-271
• Author(s): Larry J. Myers; Laura B. Myers
• Date Published: 2002
• Length: 21 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article examines whether criminal justice and criminology academic programs are exposing students to knowledge elements necessary to the investigation of high technology crimes.

Abstract

According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, computer-related security breaches have increased 250 percent during the past few years. The rapid advancement of computer technology and computer-related crime has spurred the need for criminal justice education that exposes students to high technology crime investigation techniques. The authors conducted a national survey of criminal justice and criminology academic programs in the United States during spring 2000 to examine whether high technology crime investigation was offered as part of the curricula. More specifically, the survey measured whether four specific areas of knowledge were introduced to students during the course of their criminal justice studies: (1) computers and electronics, (2) public safety and security, (3) economics and accounting, and (4) law, government, and jurisprudence. The findings reveal that many academic programs are not exposing their criminal justice and criminology students to the essential knowledge elements necessary to the investigation of high technology crimes. While most students were exposed to law, government, jurisprudence, sociology, and psychology, they were not introduced to advanced knowledge of computers and electronics, economics and accounting, and telecommunications. More surprising was the finding that relatively few of these academic programs had plans to integrate such knowledge into their curricula. In conclusion, the authors suggest that in order to effectively investigate increasingly technologically sophisticated crimes, academic programs in criminal justice and criminology must update their curricula to include knowledge elements necessary for high technology investigation. Tables, references