Introduction to Criminology

Crim. 1
MODULE 5
(Second Prelim-First Week)
Maam CJ Chris Ramtom   

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
 Define crime.

 Know what acts are considered as crime.

Object of Interest in Criminology

a. Crimes- criminal acts

b. Criminals- perpetrators of crime

c. Criminal behaviour

d. Victims of crimes- victimology ( Study of the victims of crimes)

Crime defined
 An act or omission in violation of a criminal law in its legal point.

 An anti-social act; an act that is injurious, detrimental or harmful to the norms of society;
they are unacceptable acts in its social definition.

 Psychologically, crime is an act, which is considered undesirable due to behavioral

maladjustment of the offender; acts that are caused by maladaptive or abnormal
behaviors.

Crime is also a generic term that refers to offense, felony, and delinquency or misdemeanor.
a. Offense- an act or omission that is punishable by special laws.
*Special Law is a statute enacted by Congress, penal in character which is not an
amendment to the Revised Penal Code. (Examples are RA, PD, Executive Orders,
Memorandum Circulars and etc.)

b. Felony- an act or omission that is punishable by the Revised Penal Code, the criminal
law in the Philippines. (Act 3815)

c. Delinquency/misdemeanor- acts that are in violation of simple rules and regulations

usually referring to acts committed by minor offenders.

d. Infractions- an act or omission that is punishable by municipal/city ordinance.

Stay Safe and God Bless! 
 Introduction to Criminology
Crim. 1
MODULE 6
(Second Prelim-Second Week)
Maam CJ Chris Ramtom   

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
 Identify the classifications of crime.

 Distinguish the different criminological classifications of crime.

Classification of Crime
Criminological Classifications of Crime
a. Acquisitive and Extinctive Crime
Acquisitive crime- one which when committed, the offender acquires something
as a consequence of his criminal act. (Ex. Theft)
Extinctive Crime- when the result of criminal act is destruction. ( Ex. Homicide)

b. Seasonal and Situational Crimes

Seasonal Crime- those that are committed only at certain periods of the year.
Situational Crimes- those that are committed only when given a situation
conducive to its commission.

c. Episodic and Instant Crimes

Episodic crimes- serial crimes, committed by a series of criminal actions within a
lengthy space of time.
Instant Crimes- those that are committed the shortest possible time.

d. Static and Continuing crimes

Static Crimes- those that are committed only in one place.
Continuing Crimes- those that are committed in several places.

e. Rational and Irrational crimes

Rational Crimes- those that are committed with intent; the offender is in full
possession of his mental faculties/capabilities.
Irrational Crimes- those that are committed without intent; offender does not
know the nature of his act.

f. White collar and blue collar Crimes

White collar crimes- those that are committed by a person of responsibility and
of upper socioeconomic class in the course of their occupational activities.
Blue collar crimes- those that are committed by ordinary professional to maintain
their livelihood.

g. Upperworld and Underworld Crimes

Upperworld crimes- those that are committed by individuals belonging to the
upper class of society.
Underworld Crimes- those that are committed by members of the lower or under
privileged class of society.

h. Crimes by imitation and crimes of passion

Crimes by imitation- those that are committed by merely duplicating what was
done by others.
Crimes of passion- those that are committed because of the fit of great emotions.

i. Service Crimes
Those that are committed through rendition of a service to satisfy the desire of
another.
Classifications of Crimes According to the Police
a. Index Crimes- are serious in nature and which occur with sufficient frequency and
regularity such that they can serve as an index to the crime situation. They are further
classified into:
Crimes against person - murder, homicide, physical injury and rape
Crimes against property - robbery and theft

b. Non-index crimes- are mostly violations of special laws and other crimes such as
crimes against morals and order (prostitution, vagrancy, and alarm and scandal
assault resistance to authority. Corruption of public officials, gambling, slander and
libel, threat and coercion and trespassing), crimes against chastity (abduction,
seduction, lascivious acts), other crimes against property (estafa and falsification,
malicious mischief and damage to property).

Classes of Crimes under the Revised Penal Code

1. Crimes against National Security and the Law of Nations
*Treason, Espionage and Piracy

2. Crimes against the Fundamental Law of the State

*Arbitrary Detention, Violation of Domicile

3. Crimes against Public Order

*Rebellion, Sedition, Coup d’tat

4. Crimes against Public Interest

*Forgery, Falsification and Fraud

5. Crimes against Public Morals

*Gambling and Betting, offenses against decency and good customs like scandals,
obscenity, vagrancy and prostitution

6. Crimes Committed by Public Officers

*Malfeasance, Misfeasance

7. Crimes against Person

*Murder, Rape, Homicide and Physical Injuries

8. Crimes against Properties

*Robbery and Theft

9. Crimes against Personal Liberty and Security

*Illegal Detention, Kidnapping, Trespass to dwelling and Threat and Coercion

10. Crimes against Chastity

* Concubinage, Adultery, Seduction, Abduction and Acts of Lasciviousness

11. Crimes against Civil Status of Persons

*Bigamy and Other Illegal Marriages

12. Crimes against Honor

*Libel and Oral Defamation

13. Quasi-offenses or Criminal Negligence

* Imprudence and Negligence

Stay Safe and God Bless! 

 Introduction to Criminology
Crim. 1
MODULE 7
(Second Prelim-Third Week)
Maam CJ Chris Ramtom   

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this chapter, the student should be able to:
 Define criminal.

 Know when to consider a person a criminal.

The Criminal/Offender
a. A person who committed a crime and has been convicted by a court of the violation
of a criminal law. (legal definition)

b. A person who violated a social norm or one who did an anti-social act. (social
definition)

c. A person who violated rules of conduct due to behavioral maladjustment. (psycho-

behavioral definition)

Classes of Criminals
Based on Etiology
 Acute Criminal- one who violates a criminal law because of the impulse or
fit of passion. They commit passionate crimes.

 Chronic Criminal- one who commits crime acted in consonance of

deliberated thinking. He plans the crime ahead of time. They are the
targeted offenders.

Based on behavioral system

 Ordinary criminal- considered the lowest form of criminal in a criminal
career.

 Organized Criminal- one who associates himself with other criminals to

earn a high degree of organization to enable them to commit crimes easily
without being detected by authorities. They commit organized crimes.

 Professional criminals- a person who is engaged in criminal activities with

a high degree skill.

Based on activities
 Professional criminals- those who practice crime as a profession for a
living.

 Accidental crimes- those who commit crimes when the situation is

conducive to its commission.

 Habitual criminals- those who continue to commit crime because of

deficiency of intelligence and lack of self-control.

Based on mental Attitudes

 Active criminals- those who commit crimes due to aggressiveness.
  Passive inadequate criminals- those who commit crimes because they are
pushed to it by reward or promise.

 Socialized delinquents- criminals who are normal in behavior but

defective in their socialization process or development.

Based on Legal point of view

 Habitual delinquent- a person who, within a period of ten years from the
date of his release or last conviction of the crimes of serious or less serious
physical injuries, robbery, estafa, or falsification, is found guilty of any of
the said crimes or a third time offender.

 Recidivist-is one who, at the time of his trial for one crime, shall have been
previously convicted by final judgment of another crime embraced in the
same title of the Revised Penal Code.

Criminal Behavior
An intentional behaviour that violates a criminal code (Bartol, 1995).

Focus on the psychological makeup and mental processes of the criminal, the way the
offender behaves or acts including his activities and the causes or influences of his criminal
behaviour.

The Victim
Study of victims of crimes falls under a division of criminology known as victimology.
Victimology is simply the study of victims of crimes and their contributory role, if any, in crime
causation.

Criminology in the Philippines

Pre-Spanish Codes that have little influence to the present legal system but set rules on
controlling crimes and punishment of criminals in the Philippines prior to the colonization
period:
a. Code of Kalantiao - Datu Kalantiao

b. Maragtas Code - Datu Sumakwel

Philippine law dates to the nation’s independence from Spain at the end of the 19 th
century. Statutes were enacted during the republic government beginning July 4, 1946. As of
mid-1980’s, there were 26 codes in effect. These included the 1930 Revised Penal Code, in
effect since January 1, 1932, and the civil code, which replaced the Spanish civil code on July 1,
1950.

Substantive criminal law was embodied in the Revised Penal Code, as amended and
based chiefly on the Spanish Penal Code of 1870.

Scientific Studies in Philippine Criminology

 Criminality in the Philippines, 1903-1908- conducted by Ignacio Villamor and was
published in 1909, and focused on the analysis of the crime data from 1903-1908 which
were based on court cases.

 Crime and Moral Education- another work of Ignacio Villamor where he argued that
the most appropriate solution to crime is moral education.

 Album of Philippine Types Found in Bilibid Prison in 1903, Christians and Moros,
including a Few Non-Christians- published by Daniel Folkmar when he conducted
anthropometric measurement among selected Bilibid inmates in an attempt to classify the
racial or ethnic types that can be found in the Philippines.

 Studies of Criminal Anthropology in the Philippines- published by Sixto De Los

Angeles that featured the findings of his clinical studies of inmates at the Bilibid Prison.
Sixto De Los Angeles was the leading Filipino forensic expert in the country.
Criminology Education in the Philippines
Philippine College of Criminology (PCCr)- formerly known as Plaridel Educational
Institution (the pioneering criminology school in the Philippines.