NCJ Number
183677
Date Published
1997
Length
572 pages
Annotation
This textbook aims to introduce students to the theories of criminology; the discussion emphasizes frequently encountered issues, including the definition of crime, crime causes theory, and crime prevention and control.
Abstract
The text focuses on crime and criminal justice in England and Wales and also includes information about other parts of the United Kingdom, the United States, and other countries. Individual chapters examine definitions, terminology, and criminal justice processing; problematic misconceptions about crime; public attitudes toward crime; the influence of media coverage; sources of official crime statistics and other statistics, crime’s impacts on victims, and whether victims can be blamed for their own victimization. Additional chapters focus on three types of theories developed to account for the characteristics of criminals or of criminality. These include theories that argue that criminality results from factors beyond the individual’s control, theories that allow for free choice in taking part in crime, and the new criminologies that focus on the way society decides what and whom to control and how it goes about these functions. The final two chapters examine positivist and feminist explanations of female criminality. Tables, index, and chapter reference lists