Introduction to Criminology with Psychology

of Crime

Prepared by:
Prof. Aleah F. Macasaet
Overview of Criminology

• Criminology is a scientific study of crime, criminals, and

criminal behavior

• Criminology came from the Latin word crimen – accusation

and Greek word Logia.
• Criminology was coined by the Italian Law Professor Raffaele
Garofalo as Criminologia.
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 reacting towards breaking
laws. (Sutherland and Cressey)
Criminology

• In the broader meaning, criminology is the body of knowledge

regarding crimes, criminals, and the effort of society to
prevent and repress them.
 Criminology

• Criminology is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry. it

withdraws knowledge from other disciplines such as: •
Biology • medicine
• Psychology • statistics
• Psychiatry • economics
• Sociology • political science • Law
Principal Divisions of Criminology

1. Criminal Etiology – an attempt at scientific analysis of the

causes of crime.
2. Sociology of Law – an attempt at scientific analysis of the
conditions under which penal or criminal laws develop as a
process of formal social control.
3. Penology – concerned with the rehabilitation and treatment of
offenders.
Principal Divisions of

Criminology 1. Sociology of Law

2. Scientific analysis of the causes of crime.

3. Crime Control
 Components of Criminology

1. Detection of the offender.

2. Treatment of the offender.

3. Explaining crime and criminal behavior

Goals of Studying Criminology

• The study of criminology seeks to achieve the following goals:

1. To describe criminal behavior
2. To understand criminal behavior
3. To predict criminal behavior
4. To control criminal behavior
Nature of Criminology

• Generally, criminology cannot be considered a science because

it has not yet acquired universal 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 classified when
under the following nature:
• 1. It is an applied science – Criminology is considered as an
 applied science because of the following studies regarding the
cause of crimes such as:
• a. Anthropology c. Sociology
• b. Psychology d. Other natural science
• In crime detection, it involves instrumentation that covers the
utilization of the following:
a. Chemistry e. Personal identification b. Physics f.
Mathematics
c. Firearms identification g. Polygraph
d. Legal medicine h. Question document examination
• 2. It is a social science – In as much as crime is a social creation
that exists in a society being a social phenomenon, its study
must be considered a part of social science.
• 3. It is dynamic – Criminology is dynamic because it changes as
social condition changes. It is connected with the
advancement of other science that has been applied to it.
• 4. It is nationalistic – Criminology is nationalistic because the
study of crime is in relation with the existing criminal law
within the territory or country. Finally, the question as to
whether an act is a crime is dependent on the criminal law of a
state; it follows therefore, that the cause of crime must be
determined from their social needs and standards
• Vital Government Agencies in the Study of Criminology
• Legislative bodies
• Law enforcement
• Courts and prosecution
• Educational institutions
• Correctional institution
• Public charitable & social agency
• Public welfare agency
• Criminology and the Private Sectors
• Family and home
• Civic organization
• Private school
• Private Charitable and Welfare Institutions
• Church and religion
• Media
• Others
Criminologist versus Criminalist
• A criminologist is any person graduate with the Degree of
Criminology, passes the examination for criminologist and is
registered as such by the Board of Examiners of the
Professional Regulation Commission (Sec. 22 R. A. 6506).
• A criminologist is one who has been engaged in the practice of
criminology if he holds himself out to the public in any of the
following capacities:
• 1. As a professor, instructor or teacher of criminology in any
university, college or school duly recognized by the
government and teaches any of the following:
• a. Law Enforcement
• b. Criminalistics
• c. Correctional Administration
• d. Criminal Sociology and Applied Subject
• e. Other technical and specialized subjects in
 criminology curriculum.
• 2. As a law enforcement administrator, executive, adviser,
consultant or agent in any government or private agency. • 3. As
technician in dactyloscopy, ballistics, question document, police
photography, lie detection (polygraphy), forensic chemistry, and
other aspects of crime detection.
• 4. As a correctional administrator, executive supervisor, worker
or officer in any correctional and penal institution. • 5. As a
counselor, expert, adviser, researcher in any government or
private agency or any aspect of criminal research or project
involving the cause of crime juvenile delinquency, treatment of
offenders, police operations, law enforcement administration,
scientific criminal investigation or public welfare administration
(Sec. 23, R. A. 6506).]
• Who is a Criminalist?
• A criminalist is a person trained in sciences or in the
application of instruments and method for the detection of
crime.

• Example: Firearm Examiner, Fingerprint Examiner and the like.

• A criminalist is not necessary a criminologist. That, any person
could be a criminalist by reason of his/her special forensic
trainings.

• Note: A deeper elaboration on the aforementioned topics will

be imparted to you upon reaching 2nd to 4th Year level. Very
Interesting!
 Career opportunities for Criminology
Graduates
• 1. Law Enforcement Officers/ Intelligence Officers/
Investigators

a. Philippine National Police

b. Philippine Ports Authority
c. Bureau of Customs
d. National Bureau of Investigation
e. Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency
f. Department of Finance
g. National Police Commission
h. Bureau of Fire Protection
i. Department of Transportation and
Communications j. Department of the Interior and
Local Government k. others.
Armed Forces of the
Philippines: a. Philippine Army
b. Philippine Navy
c. Philippine Marines
d. Philippine Air Force
Forensic Specialists:
a. National Bureau of Investigation b.
Philippine National Police Crime Laboratory c.
Higher Education Institutions
Personnel and Officers of Correctional
Institution: a. Bureau of Corrections
b. Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
c. Parole and Probation Administration d.
Provincial Jail
Judiciary
a. Supreme Court as sheriffs

Maritime Industry
a. Sea Marshall Officer in private vessels, both national and
international.
 Scope of Criminology

1. Study of the origin and development of criminal law. 2.

Study of the causes of crimes and development of criminals.

3. Study of the different factors that enhance the development

of criminal behavior such as:
a. Criminal Demography – study of the relationship between
criminality and population.

b. Criminal Epidemiology – study of criminality in relation to

spatial distribution in a community.
c. Criminal Ecology – study of the relationship between
environment and criminality.

d. Criminal Physical Anthropology – study of criminality in

relation to physical constitution of men.

e. Criminal Psychology – study of human mind and behavior in

relation to criminality.
f. Criminal Psychiatry – study of mental and behavioral
disorders in relation to criminality.
g. Victimology – study of the role of the victim in crime
commission.
4. Study of various measures and methods accepted by society in
cases of violation of criminal law such as:
a. Detection of crimes
b. The arrest or apprehension of criminals.
c. The prosecution of suspected law violators. d. The
conviction of criminals in judicial proceedings. e. The
imprisonment, correction and rehabilitation of the
criminal convicted of a crime.
f. The enforcement of laws, decrees, rules and regulations. g.
The administration of the police and other law enforcement
agencies.
h. The maintenance of recreational facilities and other auxiliary
services to prevent the development of crimes and criminal
behavior.
Major Areas of Study in Criminology

1. Criminal Sociology – includes the fundamentals of

criminology; juvenile delinquency; human behavior and crisis
management; ethics and community relations; and criminal
justice system.
2. Criminal Law and Jurisprudence – covers the study of the
Revised Penal Code and its amendments, and other laws that are
penal in nature; criminal procedure; and the law on evidence.
3. Law Enforcement Administration – embraces police
organization; operational planning; patrol; industrial security
management; intelligence and secret service; police records and
personnel management.
4. Crime Detection, Investigation and Prevention – consist of
criminal, special and arson investigation; vice control; traffic
management and accident investigation; and police report
writing.
5. Criminalistics – covers the following areas:
a. Dactyloscopy – the science of fingerprinting.
b. Police Photography – study of the black and white and
colored photograph ( both film-based photography and digital
photography)
c. Polygraphy – the science of lie detection examination.
d. Ballistics – study of firearms and bullets
e. Questioned document examination – study of disputed
documents.
f. Forensic Medicine – application of medical science to elucidate
legal problems.
g. Forensic Chemistry – an application of chemical principles in
the solution of problems that arise in connection with the
administration of justice.
6. Corrections – deals with the institution and non – institution
correctional system of approach.