Introduction to Criminology

• Completion of the unit on criminology should enable you to discuss criminology as a science.
• It will also assist with identifying major criminology milestones, and the different criminological paradigms.
• It will allow for discussing criminology's different fields, and defining criminology as a professional discipline.

Key Concepts

• Criminology gathers and analyzes empirical data from actual events to explain criminal behavior, offenses, and the community's reaction.
• A criminologist is someone whose professional training, occupation, and earnings relate mainly to the scientific study and analysis of crime phenomena and criminal behavior.

Defining Criminology

• Criminology is the scientific approach to studying crime and criminal behavior.
• Raffaele Garofalo, an Italian law professor, coined the term criminology in 1885.
• Criminology explores all aspects of crime phenomena.
• The classic definition involves a body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon.
• Scope involves the processes of making laws, breaking laws, and the reaction toward the breaking of laws
• Criminology studies unlawful conduct and the culpable offender.
• Criminology also studies causes of crime and societal reaction.
• Criminology focuses more on causal explanations of crime, while criminal justice is occupied with practical, applied concerns.
• Criminology analyzes phenomena, performs scientifically accurate studies, and develops theoretical explanations.

The Criminologist

• A criminologist studies the causes of crimes, treatment, and prevention using approved scientific methods.
• Criminologists explore how social, economic, and political conditions cause criminal behavior.
• They apply research discoveries to develop crime prevention strategies.
• Criminologists evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs, victims for assistance and offenders for capacity, rehabilitation, and suitable sentence options.
• This is done through victim impact statements, victim and offender mediation, and debriefing.
• A joint effort is carried out between individuals.
• Policy research is both within and outside the criminal justice system.
• Professionals apply criminology in criminal justice agencies ranging from police officers and lawyers to probation or corrections officers.
• They also work as community development workers for NGOs like Khulisa and NICRO.
• Opportunities within criminology and criminal justice are constantly growing, creating important roles in the future.

Subfields in Criminology

• Victimology is the study of victimization.
• Penology is the study of the punishment of crime.
• Criminal Justice is the study of the delivery of justice.
• One subfield of criminology is the study of criminal acts committed by children.

Related Disciplines

• Psychology
• Political Science
• Social Work
• Sociology
• Law

Criminology in South Africa

• Formal teaching began in 1949 at the University of Pretoria.
• The field went through various changes.
• There was also the era of pre-apartheid, apartheid, and post-apartheid.
• At one point, there was a turn towards more socio- and psycho- criminological approaches.
• Course content focused on victimology, penology, economic crime, and crime prevention.
• In the 2000s, a new focus on crime management and reduction began after a plethora of new policies were introduced in South Africa.

Code of Hammurabi

• The Code of Hammurabi was Issued around 2500 BC by King Hammurabi of Babylon.
• The code has 282 laws.
• This is the first known document in which a manifesto was established in a complete set of rules.
• The code was the first sample of laws that regulated a government.
• It assigns accused and victims equal rights to present their reasons and claims.
• The articles contain manual instructions to judges, police officers, and witnesses.
• They have rights and obligations of spouses, women, and children.
• Code also outlined regulations of wages and prices.
• The Code established the definition for the exact obligations that existed and the punishments to be administered.
• Aims of the code are to strengthen the state by forbidding self-righteous action and blood vengeance.
• the Code also protected weak, pregnant slaves and widows.
• The Code was focused on restoring relations between offender and victim, most likely through the lex talionis principle, which is revenge.