Parallels between Victimology and Criminology

Experiencing the Parallels between Victimology and Criminology

All too often, society is inclined to allow criminals to receive leniency for their crimes as a result of the environment in which a person may have existed. Even if the criminal was not influenced by their environment to commit the crime, the criminal is liable to adopt the persona of the victim in order to gain sympathy. This is often successful because when more well-off individuals are in the presence of those that are considered to be less fortunate, they may feel guilt. In many cases, this guilt is not necessary. However, if an individual begins to express their opinion that by adopting the role of a victim the criminal is dodging the responsibility of the crime, they will likely be criticized greatly for their thoughts.

Victimology, even if it is sincere, is often a way in which individuals justify a crime to themselves and to others. For example, one of the most commonly held beliefs within the United States of America is that of the great American dream, in which everyone is happy, living in a nice house and the parents have stable occupations making a comfortable living for their families. This does not at all reflect the reality of inner city slums and poor rural areas. By clinging to the belief that no matter what, even without trying in some cases, individuals deserve to experience the American dream, they may be inclined to take what they feel they deserve rather than try to work for it. Some people will rationalize that they have no means to work for this dream, and they had no choice but to act out in the way that they did. However, this blaming of society does not change the reality of the situations. By allowing one person to get away with a crime because of a victim mentality would be a slap in the face to the people that do work to succeed.

Herein lays the most important parallel between victimology and Criminology. While it is simple to blame society for one’s troubles, this does not begin to solve the problem. Individuals from all sides need to think about how the society may impact the role of the criminal and to take steps in order to change things. This way, when an individual tries to adopt a victim mentality, we can state as a society that there were other options. By outlining the different options in such a setting, even more people can be exposed to the ways in which society is working to stabilize equality between different categories of individuals and work to reduce crime as a product of environment or surroundings. Criminology works to examine how society and the criminal interact, and this needs to be looked at under extreme scrutiny in order to find the causes of problems and work towards successful solutions.

There are also instances in which those who are perceived to be in a seat of power will become corrupt. It is important to look at this too. Individuals may attempt to adopt a victim role in this scene as well in order to appeal to the sympathetic public. Aside from sociopaths, individuals have moral standards that will tell them what is wrong and what is right. For anyone to adopt the role of the victim in order to gain sympathy is a ploy against the considerate nature of others. When it comes to crime, the people that should be playing the role of the victim are those who were victimized during the act of the crime. For individuals that live, they are many times much stronger than people may have believed them to be, and it is nauseating that the criminal will then try to adopt a role that the person they violated will not even take on in the court room.

Exploring Criminology Lesson Plans

In order for anyone to get a degree in Criminology, it is important that they pass a series of tests that have been standardized and mandated by the specific college which the student attends or in which the student partakes. In order to ensure that men and women struggling to receive a criminology degree know the important basics of criminology and the relationship between crime and the public, it is important for the students to learn the same basic elements of the field. For example, there are three widely held beliefs that define different causes of crime and the criminal. These are known as the schools of thought for Criminology. The lesson plan at any college would then likely, if not undoubtedly, include an exploration of these different schools of thought in order to examine how people viewed the field over time. It is also important to note the differences that take place over time. Many people may not know it, but more schools of thought opened up after it was revealed that there might be some kind of link between an individual and their chemical or genetic makeup. Even hormones have been speculated to make a difference in this field.

By looking at the different schools of thought, an individual can understand how time and scientific advances lead to a more individual understanding of how crime is produced. Many theories also arose in order to try to help explain what affected an individual and enticed them to commit a crime, including how society in general may have contributed to this calling. Lombroso believed that a criminal is born with the particular defect, and that a man or woman that possessed the chemical and biological makeup of a criminal will have no choice but to succumb to that lifestyle. Supporters believe that this is the nature of the criminal, and no amount of nurturing can change the outcome. Initially, crime was expected, by individuals such as Cohen and Felson, to be a choice. These people believe that criminals could choose to make a different decision but due to indifference or lack of knowledge, these individuals do not want to choose morality over the instant gratification that is rewarded by crime. These different theories would test and be attributed to the different criminologists, all done while students are engaged in a criminology class, and preparing for the life that awaits them after graduation.

A look at the criminal mind and the rational mind would also likely help individuals to establish their own personal beliefs about criminology and the reactions of society and deviance. It is important to allow individuals to examine these things individually in order to encourage students taking part in a lesson plan for the material to be able to form their own opinion, without it being the suggestion of someone else. In this way, it can be suggested that bias does not affect the lives of the individuals that are studying criminology, or influence the way in which they think about or relate to crime.

Criminology and Psychology

How to Notice the Difference between Criminology and Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of an individual’s behaviors and thoughts as a basis for their personality and reactionary processes. There are many reasons that a person may be studied by a psychologist. Sometimes, the people who are being studied are simply trying to find ways to move past a particular feeling or longing that they cannot seem to let go of on their own. By using psychology and investing in the help that they can receive from a psychologist, a person can be shown the different ways in which they approach situations and learn to react differently and redefine their approaches to problems or stressors. In learning different habits as reaction processes, a person can learn to overcome different problems or feelings that they may have not been able to do at an earlier time, before being studied in the psychology field. Psychologists tend to amass the information that they are able to gather from different subjects in order to learn about how the human mind operates in a general sense. The information can be used also to notice the similarities and differences that exist between the individual mind and assessment of life.

While Criminology is also the study of an individual’s behavior and thought process, there is a specific outcome that is being sought by the criminologist. The individual’s actions and thoughts are being investigated in order to learn how that individual is able to either overcome or succumb to the different elements of crime that exist within an environment. There are many different thoughts surrounding how a criminal comes to be. Some believe a criminal is born with the natural instinct to be deviant while others believe that the criminal element is nurtured within an individual by specific environmental aspects. Criminologists are often in the pursuit of why and how a person is able to act out in a way that is either hurtful to themselves or others. They use their knowledge in order to provide a safe and comforting environment for the general public.

Psychological criminology is a specific branch of criminology that combines these two perspectives. By using psychology as the only basis for the invention of the individual, criminologists are able to generate a profile of the perpetrator. In looking at an individual’s actions or behavior patterns, psychological criminologists are able to see into the personality of the individual that is being tracked or studied. This can help criminologists to analyze the pattern in order to cut the perpetrator off before they are able to perform their next criminal act, if the individual is still on the loose, or it can help the criminologist to understand how the crime came to be, in effect determining the motive for the crime. However, psychological criminologists are typically not the ones who will help criminals to move beyond their behavioral or mental deviants. Instead, they generally use their knowledge in order to help others understand what the criminal did and why, effectively helping to get answers out of the criminal that may be useful or necessary.

By analyzing the mind, both criminologists and psychologists are attempting to gain insight into the individual. While in some instances this is being done for the benefit of the individual, in other instances this is being done in order to keep the public at large safe from the individual.

Canadian Journal of Criminology

Why Consult the Canadian Journal of Criminology

Undergraduates are required to take a number of different courses during their schooling. Before the students can graduate with a degree in Criminology, certain criteria needs to be met. While the specific criteria can vary from school to school, there are some minimum requirements that the students need to meet regardless of where the go to school in order to receive their degree. Many people may end up being surprised by the number of different fields in which the Criminology major must spend time, but this is all part of the learning process that will eventually allow the individual to become well rounded in many areas, perfectly suited for the many roles in which criminologists function by combining insights about different categories in order to piece together a puzzle. Criminal elements are unique a fair amount of the time, and it is through the schooling process involving the individual in fields that extend past comfortable boundaries in which the student will be able to learn the most. In addition to taking classes about law, government, politics, sociology, anthropology and psychiatry, many students will also need to take classes in chemistry or some other science.

Over the course of their studies, students will come to realize that there are a number of papers that they will need to write and turn in to their professors. This will require them to come up with a compelling thesis and have enough evidence to support the thesis. As a method of support, many professors encourage or demand the use of outside sources. For over a decade, the internet has been a very popular choice as a resource for material to use when students have papers due. In college and graduate programs, however, many professors will allow some internet sources, but not all. There are a number of journals that an individual can use in order to expertly back up their thesis. The Canadian Journal of Criminology is one such effective journal. It is widely available in most libraries due to the fact that it is a particularly useful source for articles and documents outlining the theories, concerns and solution ideas of the authors that contribute to the journal. There are a number of articles that focus on Canada and the crime element in the specific county, but there are some more far reaching articles as well. Looking at different environments and results helps individuals to look at the scenarios objectively in order to come up with ideas as to why crime exists in certain geographical locations and what contributes to the criminal element within the individual mind.

By enabling many people to contribute to the Canadian Journal of Criminology, the publishers are able to enjoy their journal being used as a reference source much more. It expands the environment to which the journal is describing, effective expanding their target audience. By using such journals as the Canadian Journal of Criminology, students can be assured that they are using a reputable source as a supplier of information for their term papers. Unfortunately in too many cases, sources on the internet do not have the same kind of reputable backing as the Canadian Journal of Criminology has.

British Journal of Criminology

Exploring the British Journal of Criminology

There are a number of studies and journals that are involved in the discussion of criminology. One of the most widely read and well reputed journals that study and examine criminology would be the British Journal of Criminology. Quality pieces and articles that are contributed from sources from around the world are gathered in issues of the British Journal of Criminology. It is very easy for individuals, either from a scholarly or academic perspective or even those from a researcher’s perspective, to use the British Journal of Criminology as a reference source because of the reputation that the Journal has. However, it does not just expose the work of different academics, but also publishes articles that peers write and have reviewed, as well as a book review segment within the Journal.

The British Journal of Criminology has its publishing basis within the United Kingdom, but its shipment range is much more expansive and in fact spans the entire globe. Regardless of their place of residency in the world, individuals can subscribe to the British Journal of Criminology. Even if an individual does not wish to subscribe to the British Journal of Criminology, it is also fairly easy to locate the Journal at libraries. Many back issues are supported in the libraries because of the notoriety that it receives in the literary world as well as in the world of the criminologist. Regardless of whether or not an individual is able or willing to secure a subscription to the British Journal of Criminology, the many different articles that are featured can have a profound effect on the individuals that read them. There are a number of different topics that are explored with each issue, and this allows the reader to learn about various aspects of the human mind when it is exposed to crime, and crime’s effect on the community. Some of the perspectives that the articles deal with include criminology’s relationship with sociology, anthropology, law, social fields and social work, and economics. By exploring the different ways in which these varying and equally important aspects play out in crime and within the criminal mind, individuals are able to broaden the ways in which they relate to and experience crime and the individual criminal, at least on an intellectual level.

Many instances exist in which an individual would want to reference the different thoughts and feelings expressed within the British Journal of Criminology. Sometimes a student will need to cite different sources in order to back up a particular thesis or type of thought which can be improved by some of the articles that have been published in the Journal. In other instances, the thoughts and ideas of others can be built upon in order to further define an individual’s belief of crime and the criminal element. By establishing a theory with supporting elements, it is possible for an individual that was published in the journal to be contacted and asked to help in a criminal case. In many instances, this is done on the part of the author by elaborating on the conclusions that they have come to in their article or journal pieces.

Critical Criminology

What are the Basics of Critical Criminology?

While criminology is the scientific study of the interactions that inherently occur between criminals and the public or the criminal elements and society, critical criminology is slightly different. This concept of criminology has a solid foundation in the belief that a singular crime is considered to be criminal due to the historical and social beliefs at the time. For example, one famous illustration of this is that homosexuality was considered to be illegal for individuals in the United Kingdom. This type of interaction between individuals was declared legal for men over 21, but this was not until 1967. Since there is nothing within the act that changed over the years, the only thing that changed was the judicial government at the time and what they believed was morally right or wrong. Overall, there is nothing deemed inherently wrong about the act itself. One of the main questions that individuals interested in critical criminology need to ask themselves whether or not an act is a crime because it is wrong or whether it is merely a crime because someone with the elected power decided to make it so.

Within critical criminology, there are a number of theories that have been formed. Conflict theories were never very popular within the United States, in part due to the fact that during the late 1970’s, when critical criminology was more popular, there were many criminology departments that were closed due to political reasons. Other critical criminologists were concerned that conflict theories did not properly address the different issues that faced society. Critics of conflict theories that exist in criminology maintain that these individuals ignored some important differences in the level of criminal activities between socialist and capitalist societies. Japan and Switzerland are two countries that are socialist in nature, but they have extremely low rates of crime in their countries, as compared to capitalist societies like the United States of America.

In feminist theories, individuals attempt to give another dimension to criminology, in the form of gender. The supporters of these theories are for the most part trying to bring a new form of awareness to the way crime is viewed. Instead of focusing on criminals who are male performing crimes against other males, it is argued that criminologists need to investigate more how the female affects this preconceived approach to crime. Many parties concerned with this type of critical approach to criminology also try to educate other female criminologists. This is important to this group of individuals because too many times, female criminologists will adopt the male perspective and perpetuate the same cycle of applying male concepts on females in the world of crime.

While there are other theories that are applicable in the field of criminology, such as postmodern and peacemaking theories, the conflict and feminist theories are the most prevalent ones within the world of criminology at large. By looking at the way that different theories can be applied to criminology and the different areas that fall under the term, individuals are able to learn more about the society in which they live. Another point that can be explored would be how the criminal relates to the society in which the crime is committed.

History of Criminology

Exploring the History of Criminology

To many people interested in the roots and origin of Criminology, Lombroso is considered to be the father of the science, meaning that he explored it and examined it from many angles in order to expose it. It was first used by a law professor in Italy, Raffaele Garofalo, who actually used the Italian term for the word, criminologia. A French anthropologist also used the term around the same time as Garofalo, who referred to the term as criminology. There are some who believe that it is possible that the study of bumps on an individual’s skull, referred to as Phrenology, is a better mark of representation when it comes to the scientific origins of the term. Lombroso is considered to be the father of criminology because of the many advances that he attempted to make in the field. If not for him, criminology might not be as developed as it is today.

Over time, many different theories were composed as to what caused criminal behavior. These theories have their roots in biology, psychology, and society, to name a few. Over time, by using these foundations for new theories, different schools of thought began to emerge. Through these different schools of thought, the theoretical science of the criminal element could be rationalized. Individuals often debate in order to attempt to define the reason for crime, so that it may then be eliminated by solving the problem of what causes crime. By identifying and responding to the motivator for crime and deviant behavior, more effective measures of social control could be put into action. Currently, we are able to take care of the symptoms of crime. For example, we have police officers who catch criminals. When found guilty by a panel of their own peers, the criminal will go to jail. That takes the criminal out of society. However, there are new criminals emerging every day. We have learned to treat the symptoms, the individual criminals, but we have not yet been able to determine the instigating factor in these developments.

Throughout the history of criminology, this is the main goal of the science. Since it is a theoretical science, all of the theories that correspond to the topic cannot immediately be proven as accurate or inaccurate, merely theoretical. However, the continuous effort of individuals to idealize the workings of the individual and society have been transformed and re-defined since the beginning use of the term. If the history of criminology shows us anything, it is that the human nature to establish right from wrong and the differences between individuals distinguishing the difference is virtually a timeless theme, at least since its birth. By continuously researching and documenting the variables and changes within society and crime, people who are interested in criminology can line up the theories with the established facts. After this is done, it is possible to sit down and analyze the coinciding factors in order to determine the best course of action when it comes to evolving society so as to limit crime and intolerance as much as possible.

American Society of Criminology

What is the American Society of Criminology?

The American Society of Criminology is one of the best references and sources of information regardless of where an individual lives and what country is maintained as their place of residence. Contrary to the implication in the name of the organization, the American Society of Criminology is actually an international organization that is open to many people. Annually, the organization hosts a general meeting, and topics are discussed that seem appropriate in which everyone can take part. The themes are generally vague, but still give way to important topics. Recently, the meeting has had the theme of “Criminology, Justice and Public Policy in the 21st Century”. Since this type of conversation topic does not limit itself geographically, anyone is free to express their concerns or issues when it comes to these matters, as they feel the public will be affected by them in this coming century.

In addition to offering annual talks for professors, legal minded individuals and other academics interested in the various aspects of criminology, the law and sociological effects as a result of crime, the American Society of Criminology is also geared towards helping these people. There are employment opportunities at the meetings as well, and on their website the American Society of Criminology actively updates their position and employment posting boards. As a result, individuals that are going to be graduating from college with a Criminology degree can find on their website a wealth of information pertaining not only to available jobs and markets, but also a resource in the form of networking with likeminded individuals.

Members of the American Society of Criminology are able to enjoy different criminology journals and a newsletter. The reading materials are helpful for all interested parties because they transmit the information that is changing and being expanded on in the legal and criminology arenas, and will often feature segments on various countries around the world. There are some specialized regiments within the Society, and members sometimes interact with each other on these specialized levels. This is again helpful for students looking to break into a specific niche after graduating and those who are particularly interested in specific areas of criminology. One of the main functions of the Society is to educate people and investigate the many ways in which crime, the criminal element and society are related and dependent upon one another in various manners. They are open to all willing individuals and encourage interested parties to join or investigate their organization at any point in time.

Within the Society there is an Executive Board. This is made up of the President, the President Elect, the Immediate past President, as well as the Vice President and the Vice President Elect. Those positions are elected. There are also appointed officers, and these positions are made up of the executive secretary, as well as the treasurer and the editor for one of the Criminology Journals, known as Criminology: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Six Executive Counselors are also added to the board. These are the individuals that run the society on the whole; those who form policies, determine the specifics of the Annual Meeting, and ratify the Society’s budget.

Criminology Theory

Exploring Criminology Theory

When it comes to the science of exploring how crime and society interacts, there are number of different theories that have been developed with the attempt to explain what causes such reactions in individuals. Over time, there have been many different theories that have been established and in most cases these theories have been developed as a reaction to the social or judicial challenges or changes that have been created. Criminology theory is important. While there are many theories that cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt in every single society and cultural setting, it is very important for individuals to keep looking and keep developing different theories. By understanding past theories that have failed or not be able to be applied successfully to different crime settings, it is more likely that individuals will be able to work up to theories that can be applied in these different settings.

Criminology is a very broad science. It covers many different types of crimes and cultures or societies in which the crimes take place. Another area that is covered by the scientific study would be the laws that are created by society in response to the various crimes that have been committed in the area. While criminology itself as a science was not created and defined as a term until the end half of the 1800’s, there were many theories that were almost instantaneously created in order to promote the science. Some of the theories were based around the individual and their role in crimes, but others were more interested by taking the role of society into consideration as the cause for certain crimes in different areas. Over time, these theories were elaborated on and re-defined in order to make sense in the time period which would be applying the theory to their studies of the social setting in a set time frame.

It is very important for individuals to understand that criminology is a theoretical science. In effect, this means that criminology will likely not be able to have a set definition of cause and effect when it comes to crime and the society in which the criminal is brought up. At the very most, we have these theories that are constantly being improved upon in order to try to understand crime in a specific society for a specific period of time. Some of the most popular theories that have come forth so far include the conflict theories, in which the individual criminal alone is held responsible for their reactions, as well as the rational choice theory in which it is maintained that the criminal is able to come up with the pros and cons of an action or crime before they perform the action, and that they ultimately decide that there are more pros than cons when it comes to that criminal decision. Certain theories cannot be applied across the board. For example, these theories may be applied to both females and males, but the feminist theories in relation to criminology will maintain that this approach cannot be used and that females need their own theories when it comes to criminology and what motivates women to commit crimes.






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