Criminology, Its Nature Andscope

1. (a) Define criminology and examine its nature and scope.
Definition of Criminology
Criminology can be simply defined as the study of the crime.
Webster defines the criminology that "the scientific study of crime and criminals.”
Edwin Sutherland has offered what remains a more or less acceptable definition of criminology, one
that is quoted with approval by Wolfgang and Ferracuti:
“Criminology is the body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within
its scope the process of making laws, of breaking laws, and of reacting toward the breaking of laws.
The objective of criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles and
other types of knowledge regarding this process of law, crime, and treatment”.
To this definition, Wolfgang and Ferracuti appenda note that "the term criminology should be used
at designate a body of scientific knowledge about crime (emphasis in original).
Some might raise the question whether criminology is the body of knowledge on the phenomenon
of crime or the study of it. Thorsten Sellin suggests that the term be used to designate both "the
body of scientific knowledge and the deliberate pursuit of such knowledge." However criminology
is a science which is widely studied for its' own sake, just like other sciences; crime and criminals
are not a bit less interesting than stars or microbes.
But this point of view is secondary as compared with the practical aspect, just as in the case of
medical science. Indeed, comparison with the latter repeatedly suggests itself.
Criminology is an academic discipline that makes use of scientific methods to study the nature,
extent cause and control of criminal behaviour.
Edwin Sutherland and Donald Cressey define criminology as the body of knowledge regarding
crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within its scope the processes of making laws, of
breaking laws and or reacting toward the breaking of laws. The objective of criminology is the
development of a body of general and verified principles and of other types of knowledge regarding
this process of law, crime and treatment.
Criminology is an academic discipline that makes use of scientific methods to study the nature,
extent cause and control of criminal behaviour. Edwin Sutherland and Donald Cressey define
criminology as the body of knowledge regarding crime as a social phenomenon. It includes within
its scope the processes of making laws, of breaking laws and or reacting toward the breaking of
laws. The objective of criminology is the development of abody of general and verified principles
and of other types of knowledge regarding this process of law, crime and treatment. From the
definition given by Edwin Sutherland and Donald Cressey, the most important areas of criminology
include:
1. The development of criminal law and its use to define crime

2. The cause of law violation and
3. The methods used to control criminal behaviour.
Criminology is essentially an interdisciplinary science. Criminologists have been trained in diverse

fields most commonly sociology, but also criminal justice, political science, psychology, economics
and the natural sciences. Criminology is also sometimes confused with the study of deviant
behaviour. While Deviant behaviour is behaviour that departs from social norms, criminal
behaviour has to do with violation of law. To understand the nature and purpose law, criminologist
study both the process by which deviant acts are criminalized and become crimes.
Nature and Scope of criminology
Criminology draws on the range of human and social science disciplines. The subject is evolving in
its theoretical and methodological development, reflecting the rapid social changes it tries to capture
and the increasing cross-fertilization of ideas and methods between the human sciences. In its
modern forms, it is characterised by robust debates over how to:
 conceptualize and explain its subject matter

 operationalize its theories in conducting research
 inform debates over crime control policy, the scope of human rights, the links between
criminal and social justice, and the expanding knowledge bases of the crime prevention,
security, policing and justice-related professions
 develop and enhance its methodological and technical expertise
 Manage the sensitive ethical issues arising from empirical research.
Criminology is both a theoretical and an empirical discipline.At the heart of criminology are
theoretical debates about a wide range of perspectives. Criminology emphasises the importance
both of theoretical work and of a firm evidence base for its theories. It also engages in formal and
critical evaluation of crime prevention, security and crime control policies, as well as of other
responses to crime and deviance. However, in furthering these values, it needs to nurture a lively
debate and dialogue between a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives, employing
both quantitative and qualitative data. It must guard against attempts to foreclose this dialogue with
the premature creation of theoretical or methodological protocols favouring particular sub-discipline
fields, whether endorsed by state officials, by the mass media, or by fashions of academic thought.
Empirically, criminology is concerned with:
 processes of criminalization and victimization

 the causes and organization of crime and deviance
 processes of preventing and managing crime and victimization
 official and unofficial responses to crime, deviance and social harm
 Representations of crime, offenders, victims and agents and agencies of control.
Given its strong policy orientation and close relationship with the criminal justice professions,
many of criminology's most significant theoretical advances have been made through empirical
studies. Criminology also contributes to and benefits from continuous theoretical debates within the
social sciences. The vitality of the discipline also requires a continuous interchange between theory
and analytic and evaluative research, and attention to increasingly salient ethical debates about
crime, security, and human rights at international, national, regional and local levels.
Criminology is intrinsically a reflexive discipline, involving an understanding of contested values in

the constitution and application of criminological knowledge.

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1. (a) Define criminology and examine its nature and scope.

Criminology can be simply defined as the study of the crime.

1. The development of criminal law and its use to define crime

Criminology is essentially an interdisciplinary science. Criminologists have been trained in diverse

Nature and Scope of criminology

 conceptualize and explain its subject matter

Empirically, criminology is concerned with:

 processes of criminalization and victimization

Criminology is intrinsically a reflexive discipline, involving an understanding of contested values in

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