Introduction:

Criminology derives from the

Latin word 'crimen' (crime)
and the Greek word 'logos'
(doctrine)
The word Criminology’
originated in 1890. The
general meaning of the term
is the
scientific study of crime as a
social phenomenon, of
criminals and of penal
institutions‖. Prof.
Kenny (analyzed /defined/
described) that Criminology is
a branch of criminal science
which
deals with crime causation,
analysis and prevention of
crime‖. Criminology as a
branch of
knowledge is concerned with
those particular conducts of
human behavior which are
prohibited by society. It is,
therefore, a socio-legal study
which seeks to discover the
causes of
criminality and suggests the
remedies to reduce crimes.
Therefore, it flows that
criminology and
criminal policy are
interdependent and mutually
support one another. Thus
criminology seeks
to study the phenomenon of
criminality in its entirety.
The problem of crime control
essentially involves the need
for a study of the forces
operating behind the
incidence of crime and a
variety of co-related factors
influencing the
personality of the offender.
This has eventually led to
development of modern
criminology
during the preceding two
centuries. The purpose of
study of this branch of
knowledge is to
analyze different aspects of
crime and device effective
measures for treatment of
criminals to
bring about their re-
socialization and rehabilitation
in the community. Thus
criminology as a
branch of knowledge has a
practical utility in so far as it
aims at bringing about the
welfare of
the community as a whole.
Defining Criminology
Criminology maybe defined
as “the scientific study of the
causation, correction, and
prevention of crime”.
Criminology is the social
science approach to the study
of crime as an
individual and social
phenomenon. Although
contemporary definitions vary
in the exact words
used, there is considerable
consensus that criminology
involves the application of the
scientific
method‖ to the study of
variation in criminal law, the
causes of crime, and reactions
to crime
(Akers 2000)
Introduction:

Criminology derives from the Latin word 'crimen' (crime) and the Greek word 'logos'

(doctrine)

The word Criminology’ originated in 1890. The general meaning of the term is the

scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon, of criminals and of penal institutions‖. Prof.
Kenny (analyzed /defined/ described) that Criminology is a branch of criminal science which

deals with crime causation, analysis and prevention of crime‖. Criminology as a branch of

knowledge is concerned with those particular conducts of human behavior which are

prohibited by society. It is, therefore, a socio-legal study which seeks to discover the causes of

criminality and suggests the remedies to reduce crimes. Therefore, it flows that criminology and

criminal policy are interdependent and mutually support one another. Thus criminology seeks

to study the phenomenon of criminality in its entirety.

The problem of crime control essentially involves the need for a study of the forces

operating behind the incidence of crime and a variety of co-related factors influencing the

personality of the offender. This has eventually led to development of modern criminology

during the preceding two centuries. The purpose of study of this branch of knowledge is to

analyze different aspects of crime and device effective measures for treatment of criminals to

bring about their re-socialization and rehabilitation in the community. Thus criminology as a

branch of knowledge has a practical utility in so far as it aims at bringing about the welfare of

the community as a whole.

Defining Criminology

Criminology maybe defined as “the scientific study of the causation, correction, and

prevention of crime”. Criminology is the social science approach to the study of crime as an

individual and social phenomenon. Although contemporary definitions vary in the exact words

used, there is considerable consensus that criminology involves the application of the scientific

method‖ to the study of variation in criminal law, the causes of crime, and reactions to crime

(Akers 2000)

Coleman and Norris: According to them, criminology is the analysis of nature of crime, perpetrators of
crime, the cause of crime, the formulation of criminal laws and law-enforcements and the control of
criminal behavior.

Prof. Kenny: He defined criminology as the branch of criminal science which deals with crime causation,
analysis and prevention of crime.
Sutherland: He gave a more comprehensive definition of criminology and defined it as the body of
knowledge regarding delinquency and crime as a social phenomenon and it includes within it, the
process of making laws, breaking laws, and of reacting towards the breaking of laws.

Professor Gillin has rightly stated that it is not the humanity within the criminals, but the criminality
within the humans which needs to be curbed through effective administration of criminal justice. This
interdisciplinary field of study seeks to discover the cause of criminality and suggests the remedies to
reduce the crime. The subject involves scholars and practitioners representing a wide range of
behavioral and social sciences as well as numerous natural sciences.

Criminology has played a historically reforming role in relation to criminal laws and the criminal justice
system. Its findings have influenced legislators, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, probation officers and
prison authorities promoting them to better understand crime and criminals and to develop better
sentences and treatment facilities for criminals.

NATURE AND SCOPE OF CRIMINOLOGY

Broadly speaking, criminology deals with the legal psychiatric aspect or medico-psychological, biological,
pedological, or sociological aspect of criminality and the factors related therewith, and thus, it seeks to
study the phenomenon of criminality in its entirety, i.e., criminology in the broadest sense covers the
whole of criminal science, which includes sentencing, punishment, laws, procedure, rehabilitation, crime
detection, and the like. Criminology can be further divided in two heads:

i. Theoretical or pure criminology; and

ii. Applied or practical criminology

Prof W.A. Bonger preferred studying theoretical criminology under the following sub-heads:

i. Criminal Anthropology – This seeks to understand the personality of the offender in physical
terms. Cesare Lombroso was the first to propound this view and he emphasized on explaining
criminal behavior in terms of physical characteristics of the offender. According to Lombroso,
criminals were in different physical form than normal members of the society and possessed
inferior physical characteristics.

ii. Criminal Sociology – This is based of Sutherland’s differential association theory, which tries
explaining criminal behavior as a process of learning through association with other criminals.
This theory however, fails to acknowledge the personality traits of psychological variables of
criminal behavior.

iii. Criminal Psychology – It seeks to corelate criminality to emotional aspect of human nature.
French psychologist Alferd Binet and Professor Jerman of USA are the main propounders of this
view.

iv. Criminal Psycho-neuro-pathology – Dr.Glueck and Freud were the main exponents of this view.
This branch of criminality attributes criminality to functional derivations and mental conflicts in
 the personality of the offender. The factors such as inferiority complex, frustration, depression,
anxiety etc. may lead a person to commit crime.

v. Penology – This concerns the various aspects of punishments and penal policies and the various
mechanisms of punishing the offenders.

vi. Victimology – This branch of criminology is fairly new and deals with the victims of crime. It
seeks answers the question of why and how do people fall victim to crime and how they can be
helped against the abuse of power or criminal acts of the offenders through access to criminal
justice. It also outlies the possible ways by which victimization can be prevented against crimes
and legal remedies available to the victims.

Applied Criminology, on the other hand, includes the study of criminal hygiene and criminal policy which
is founded on solid derivative conclusions.

Apart from this, there is yet another branch of criminology called criminalistics which connotes the
police techniques of crime investigation and detection. It provides useful material for study and
understanding of criminal justice administration from point of view of field officers whose main pre-
occupation is to deal with the law and procedure relating to investigation and prosecution of criminal
cases.

IMPORTANCE OF CRIMONOLOGY

The following are the main causes of the study of Criminology:

 The criminology clears the way of study of the social system.

 It suggests the ways of elimination of criminal instincts in the society.

 Criminology tells the ways of bringing stability in human values.

 It tries to reform the criminal

 This system of study becomes helpful to the investigation officer in reaching from the point of
crime to the criminal.

 Crime is a necessary evil and an ailment. Criminology suggests the ways and means of checking
this evil.

 Criminology tells the effective methods by which the crimes can be controlled so that peace and
order may be established in the society.

 The Spirit of social security is created by the study of criminology