DON MARIANO MARCOS MEMORIAL STATE UNIVERSITY

MID LA UNION CAMPUS

San Fernando City, La Union

INSTITUTE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINOLOGY

1ST Semester SY 2020-2021

MODULE I
 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY

INTRODUCTION

Many professionals argue that criminology is not a discipline in its own right. The
argument pertains to criminology being something of a hybrid: it was a mixture of things, an
amalgamation of other fields – sociology, psychology; forensic medicine, legal theory,
anthropology and other areas of study.

When talking about whether criminology was a discipline in its own right, as
aforementioned, it was a hybrid of other disciplines and it continues to involve other
disciplines. Modern criminology is highly differentiated in its theoretical, methodological and
empirical concerns.” Most recently, for example, it has added victim studies or victimology.

The study of eugenics remained popular, especially in the United States. Eugenics is
the study of the improvement of the human gene pool through various forms of social
engineering. 1896 saw the first eugenic marriage laws in the USA. Connecticut prohibited the
marriage of anyone who was known to be “epileptic, imbecile or feeble-minded”.

In this module, the basic principles of criminology, as well as the underlying theories
and concepts that brought about its expansion from a simple field of studying criminals to a
complex study of all things related to criminological science will be discussed.

OBJECTIVES
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At the end of this module, the students should have:

1. Recognized the common terms such as criminology, crime, criminal, criminal law, and
other key terms used in studying this course
2. Classified the nature, scope, importance, and objective of Criminology;

Lesson 1

GENERAL CONCEPT OF CRIMINOLOGY

 This chapter will introduce the students to the basic concepts of the study of
criminology, its nature, and the most important areas of interest to criminologists, how
criminological enterprise aids the criminologist in understanding the causes of crimes and
criminal behavior. The chapter will also orient the students on the historical development in
the field of criminology. Most of all, this chapter provides a background on the importance of
research in the field of criminology in the quest for answers to crimes and criminal behaviors.

INTRODUCTION

In 1885, Italian law professor Raffaele Garofalo coined the term "criminology" (in
Italian, criminologia). The French anthropologist Paul Topinard used it for the first time in
French (criminologie) around the same time.

From then on, many enthusiasts who are coming from different fields of discipline
have attempted to define what is criminology.

A. The Many Definitions of Criminology

EDWIN H. SUTHERLAND & DONALD R. CRESSEY. “Criminology is the body of knowledge

regarding crime as a social phenomenon.” This definition exhibits sociological bias and
regards crimes to be a reaction to certain set of social factors and causes.

ELLIOT, M. A & MERILL, F. E. “Criminology may be defined as the scientific study of

crimes and its treatment.” This definition, besides emphasizing the scientific investigation
into the nature and etiology of crime, stresses the practical or utilitarian nature of this body
of knowledge, namely, devising, ways and means to prevent of or reduced the incidence of
crime and to rehabilitate criminals as normal members of the society.

DONALD R. TAFT. “Criminology is the study which includes all the subject matter
necessary to the understanding and prevention of crimes together with the punishment and
treatment of delinquents and criminals.” This is a comprehensive definition and describes
theoretical as well as practical aspects of the study. It brings out clearly the fact, which may
get overlooked usually, that criminology is concerned not with the offences committed by
adults only but also with juvenile offences.

WEBSTER’S DICTIONARY. Criminology may be described to be “the scientific study of

crime as a social phenomenon, or of criminals in their mental traits, habits and discipline
etc.” This definition has the merit of emphasizing equality the sociological as well as
psychological aspects of the crime and the criminal.

MARVIN WOLFGANG & FRANCO FERRACUTI. Criminology is the scientific study of crime,
criminals, and criminal behavior.
 GENNARO F. VITO & RONALD HOLMES. Criminology the study of the causes of crime.

B. Is Criminology a Science?

Edwin H. Sutherland and Donald R. Cressey, American authors of the book “Principles
of Criminology,” claim that criminology at present is clearly not a science, but it has hope of
becoming a science.

However, George L. Wilker, argued that criminology cannot possibly become a

science. Accordingly, general propositions of universal validity are the essence of science;
such propositions can be made only regarding stable and homogenous unit but varies from one
time to another; therefore, universal proposition cannot be made regarding crime, and
scientific studies of criminal behavior is impossible.

On the other hand, Cirilo M. Tradio humbly submits that criminology is a science. The
argument is that, crime is universally defined, is the commission and omission by a person
having capacity, of any act, which is either prohibited or compelled by law, and the
commission or omission of which is punishable by a proceeding brought in the name of the
government (or the people for that matter) whose law has been violated.

Criminology, however, at present, is not an absolute science, for anything, which is

absolute, is the same at all times in all places. What makes criminology therefore, at present,
not an absolute science is how a criminal or penal law of a particular country of state defines
crimes, treats of their nature and provides for their punishment. Thus, an act or omission may
be punishable in one country, but may not be punishable in another.

C. Nature of Criminology

Generally, criminology cannot be considered a science because it has not yet acquired
universal validity and acceptance. It is not stable and it varies from one time and place to
another. However, considering that science is the systematic and objective study of social
phenomenon and other body’s knowledge, criminology is a science in itself when under the
following nature.

1. It is an Applied Science

In the study of the causes of crimes, anthropology, psychology, sociology and other
natural science may be applied, while in the crime detection-chemistry, medicine, physics,
mathematics, ballistics, polygraphy, legal medicine, questioned document examination may
be utilized. This is called instrumentation.

2. It is a Social Science
 In as much as crime in social creation that it exists in a society being a social
phenomenon, its study must be considered a part of social science.

3. It is Dynamic

Criminology changes as social condition changes. It is connected with the advancement

of other science that has been applied to it.

4. It is nationalistic

The study of crimes must be in relation with the existing criminal law within the
territory or country.

D. Scope of Criminology

According to Edwin H. Sutherland and Donald R. Cressey, the science of criminology

“includes within its scope the processes of making laws, of breaking of laws, and reacting
towards the breaking of laws”. In the opinion of Sutherland, criminology has distinct aspects
or departments.

1. Criminal Etiology

It is an attempt at scientific analysis of the causes of the crime. In this department, a

systematic investigation into the various causes of crime is made. Here we study the social
and personal factors responsible for the occurrence of crime and growth of criminals.

2. Sociology of Law

In this we study the nature of crime from legalistic point of view. Also we investigate
into the effects of present laws upon crime and study the possible reforms in the laws in
order to prevent and control the occurrence of crime. The major concern of sociology of law
is to critically examine the impact of various legal systems upon crime. The study can go a
long way to evolve suitable changes in the laws to curb crime.

3. Penology

It is concerned with the control and prevention of crime and the treatment of
offenders.

Besides knowledge and determination of the causes and factors, which generate or
encourage crime, it is equally, if not more, essential to know the ways and means of
controlling and preventing the crime. This aspect is studied systematically and in a scientific
manner to achieve control over crime. The facts and theories in this regard the scope of
Penology, an important department of criminology.
4. Victimology

A branch of Criminology, which deals on the study on what makes a person a victim of
crime. A study conducted that a person becomes a victim of crime unknowingly or
unconsciously due to his own action or fault. A person somehow constitutes to the commission
of crime out of his own making.

Criminology is also the study of the different factors that enhances as:

a. Criminal Sociology – studies the effects of social conditions on crime and criminals
including the machinery of justice and the evolution of criminal law and
punishment.

b. Criminal Psychiatry - study of human mind in relation to criminality.

c. Criminal Etiology - study of criminality in relation to spatial distribution on a

community.

d. Criminal Demography - study of the relationship between criminology and

population.

e. Criminal Epidemiology - study of the relationship between environment and

criminality.

f. Criminal Physical Anthropology - study of criminality in relation to physical

constitution of men.

E. Principal Component of Criminology

Principal Divisions of Criminology by Edwin Sutherland

1. Sociology of Law (Making of Laws)

Attempts to offer scientific analysis of the conditions under which penal or criminal
laws are developed as a process of formal social control.

Sociology of law entails the importance of law or the criminal law as a process of
formal social control. Criminal law seeks to protect the public from harm by inflicting
punishment upon those who are tempted to do harm. Thus, criminal law often strives to
avoid harm by forbidding conduct that may lead to harmful results.

2. Criminal Etiology (Breaking of Laws)

Provide a scientific analysis of the causes of crime.

 Criminal Etiology involved the application of scientific analysis of the causes of crime.
An individual perpetrating a crime had no single reason; hence, there is no single and only
explanation of causes of crimes. A different theory has evolved in studying the causes of
crime such as Biological, Sociological and Psychological Theories.

3. Penology (Reacting towards the breaking of laws)

Deals with the control and prevention of crime and the treatment of offenders.

Penology is the study of criminal punishment. It is a sub-field of criminology.

Criminologists theorize about why people commit crimes and deviate from society’s norms of
behavior. They also study how society punishes criminals because different methods of
punishment may cause people to alter their behavior in different ways. Thus, criminologists
devise theories that not only explain the causes of crime but also address its prevention,
control and treatment.

Today, one more are of concern in Criminology is crime detection and investigation.
Criminologists are also engaged in studying the criminal things. Forensic Science, sometimes
referred to as Criminalistics, is therefore covered in the broad field of criminology.

F. Multidisciplinary Study of Criminology

1. Sociology (Sociological Criminology)

This is the study of crime focused on the group of people and society as a whole.

Example: Maria’s family is a well-disciplined family. But Maria, because of the

influenced of her friends is a stubborn and anti-social person.

Description: On the scenario, Maria’s delinquent behavior is greatly influenced by its

peer. Specifically, it illustrates the differential association theory of Edwin Sutherland that
criminal behavior is learned in the environment or society.

Example 2: Magda wanted to pursue her studies. Her parents cannot afford to send
her to school. As a result, Magda works as a GRO at night and a student at day.

Q1: Does the scenario illustrate sociological criminology? If you answer YES, then you are
correct!

Q2: If your answer is YES, how does it illustrate sociological criminology?

Because of the condition of Magda she was pushed to do illegal acts. If this is your
answer, then you are right!
2. Psychology (Psychological Criminology)

This is the science of behavior and mental processes of the criminal.

Example: Jessica is a 28 year-old married female. She has a very demanding, high
stress job as a second year medical resident in a large hospital. Jessica has always been a
high achiever. She graduated with top honors in both college and medical school. She has very
high standards for herself and can be very self-critical when she fails to meet them. Lately,
she has struggled with significant feelings of worthlessness and shame due to her inability to
perform as well as she always has in the past.

Although she hasn’t ever considered suicide, Jessica has found herself increasingly
dissatisfied with her life. She’s been having frequent thoughts of wishing she was dead. She
gets frustrated with herself because she feels like she has every reason to be happy, yet can’t
seem to shake the sense of doom and gloom that has been clouding each day as of late.

Example 2: Kristen is a 38 year-old divorced mother of two teenagers. She has had a
successful, well-paying career for the past several years in upper-level management. Even
though she has worked for the same, thriving company for over 6 years, she’s found herself
worrying constantly about losing her job and being unable to provide for her children. This
worry has been troubling her for the past 8 months. Despite her best efforts, she hasn’t been
able to shake the negative thoughts.

Ever since the worry started, Kristen has found herself feeling restless, tired, and
tense. She often paces in her office when she’s there alone. She’s had several embarrassing
moments in meetings where she has lost track of what she was trying to say. When she goes
to bed at night, it’s as if her brain won’t shut off. She finds herself mentally rehearsing all
the worse-case scenarios regarding losing her job, including ending up homeless.

Q1: Does the scenario illustrate the psychological criminology? If you answer YES, then you
are correct!

Q2: If your answer is YES, how does it illustrate psychological criminology? Kristen has
behavior problems like feeling restless, tired and tensed. If this is your answer then, you are
right!

3. Psychiatry (Psychiatric Criminology)

This is the science that deals with the study of criminal behavior in terms of motives
and drives.

Example: Bruno wanted to have a cell phone. His parents could not buy one for him
because they are poor. In school during recess time, Bruno was left behind in the classroom
and his classmate Mar left his cell phone on his table. When Bruno saw the phone of Mar,
because of so much craving to have a cell phone, Bruno take the phone and went home.

Description: The scenario explains how personality influences the behavior of a

person. One of the theories that explains this scenario is the psychoanalytical theory of
Sigmund Freud were it states that human behavior is the result of the interactions among
three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego.

Example 2: Frederick Walter Stephen West was an English serial killer who committed
at least 12 murders between 1967 and 1987 in Gloucestershire, England, the majority with his
second wife, Rosemary West.

All the victims were young women. At least eight of the murders involved the Wests'
sexual gratification and included rape, bondage, torture and mutilation; the victims'
dismembered bodies were typically buried in the cellar or garden of the Wests' Cromwell
Street home, which became known as "the House of Horrors"

Q1: Does the scenario above illustrate psychiatric criminology? If your answer is YES, then you
are correct!

Q2: You answer is YES, how does it illustrate the said discipline?

Because Frederick and Stephen do the act for gratification or satisfaction they feel in
committing the act. If this is your answer then, it is right!