Criminology 

(from Latin crimen, "accusation", and Ancient Greek -λογία, -logia, from

λόγος logosmeaning: "word, reason") is the study of crime and deviant behaviour.[citation
needed]
 Criminology is an interdisciplinary field in both the behavioural and social sciences, which
draws primarily upon the research of sociologists, political
scientists, economists, psychologists, philosophers, psychiatrists, biologists, social
anthropologists, as well as scholars of law.
Criminologists are the people working and researching the study of crime and society's response
to crime. Some criminologists examine behavioral patterns of possible criminals. Generally,
criminologists conduct research and investigations, developing theories and analyzing empirical
patterns.[1]
The interests of criminologists include the study of nature of crime and criminals, origins of
criminal law, etiology of crime, social reaction to crime, and the functioning of law enforcement
agencies and the penal institutions. It can be broadly said that criminology directs its inquiries
along three lines: first, it investigates the nature of criminal law and its administration and
conditions under which it develops; second, it analyzes the causation of crime and the
personality of criminals; and third, it studies the control of crime and the rehabilitation of
offenders. Thus, criminology includes within its scope the activities of legislative bodies, law-
enforcement agencies, judicial institutions, correctional institutions and educational, private and
public social agencies.

Contents

 1History of Academic Criminology

 2Schools of thought
o 2.1Classical
o 2.2Positivist
 2.2.1Criminal personality
o 2.3Italian
o 2.4Sociological positivist
o 2.5Differential association (sub-cultural)
o 2.6Chicago
o 2.7Social structure theories
 2.7.1Disorganization
 2.7.2Ecology
 2.7.3Strain
 2.7.4Subcultural
 2.7.5Control
 2.7.6Psychoanalytic
o 2.8Symbolic interactionism
o 2.9Labeling theory
o 2.10Traitor theory
o 2.11Rational choice theory
o 2.12Routine activity theory
o 2.13Biosocial theory
o 2.14Marxist
o 2.15Convict
o 2.16Queer
o 2.17Cultural
o 2.18Relative deprivation
o 2.19Rural
o 2.20Public
  3Types and definitions of crime
 4Subtopics
 5See also
 6References
o 6.1Notes
o 6.2Bibliography
 7External links

History of Academic Criminology[edit]

In the mid-18th century, criminology arose as social philosophers gave thought to crime and
concepts of law. The term criminology was coined in 1885 by Italian law professor Raffaele
Garofaloas Criminologia [it].[citation needed] Later, French anthropologist Paul Topinard used the
analogous French term Criminologie [fr].[2] Paul Topinard's major work appeared in 1879.[citation needed]
In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, scholars of crime focused on reform of criminal
law and not on the causes of crime.[citation needed] Scholars such as Cesare Beccaria and Jeremy
Bentham were more concerned with the humanitarian aspects of dealing with criminals and
reforming criminal laws.[citation needed] Criminology grew substantially as a discipline in the first quarter
of the twentieth century. The first American textbook on criminology was written in 1920 by
sociologist Maurice Parmalee under the title Criminology.[citation needed] Academic programs were
developed for the specific purpose of training students to be criminologists, but the development
was rather slow.[citation needed]
From 1900 through to 2000 this field of research underwent three significant phases in the United
States: (1) Golden Age of Research (1900–1930) which has been described as a multiple-factor
approach, (2) Golden Age of Theory (1930–1960) which endeavored to show the limits of
systematically connecting criminological research to theory, and (3) a 1960–2000 period, which
was seen as a significant turning point for criminology.[3]