AcademyCriminology Reference Center

Criminology Research & Reference Center

A comprehensive reference covering major theories, core concepts, research terminology, and the connections between criminological science and community policing practice.

Undergraduate / Academy Level16 Major Theories30-Term Glossary

What Is Criminology?

Criminology is the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, the causes and consequences of crime, and societal responses to crime. It is an empirical discipline — meaning its conclusions are based on systematic observation and evidence rather than intuition or tradition.

Criminology draws knowledge from multiple disciplines, making it broader than simply studying "criminals." It is a fundamentally interdisciplinary science.

Sociology

Psychology

Economics

Political Science

Biology

Geography

Law

Public Health

Questions Criminology Asks

Why do some individuals commit crimes while others in similar circumstances do not?

Why do crime rates vary across neighborhoods, cities, and countries?

What social, economic, and environmental conditions increase or decrease crime?

How do criminal careers develop and end over the life course?

What interventions actually reduce crime, and what is the evidence?

How do race, class, gender, and power shape both crime and criminal justice responses?

Criminology vs. Criminal Justice

Criminology

Focuses on explaining crime — its causes, patterns, and consequences.

Why crime occurs
Who commits crime and why
Crime patterns across time and place
Social and environmental causes

Core question: Why does crime occur?

Criminal Justice

Focuses on the institutions and processes that respond to crime.

Police, courts, and corrections
Law and procedure
Sentencing and punishment
Rehabilitation and reentry

Core question: How does society respond to crime?

In practice, the fields overlap significantly. Evidence-based policing, for example, draws on criminological research to improve criminal justice practice.

Historical Schools of Criminology

Classical School

1760s–1800s

Argued that crime results from rational choice — individuals weigh pleasure against pain. Punishment should be swift, certain, and proportionate to deter rational actors.

Key Figures

Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham

Legacy

Foundation of deterrence theory; influenced modern criminal law and sentencing philosophy.

Positivist School

1800s–early 1900s

Argued that crime is caused by factors beyond individual free will — biological, psychological, or social forces. Emphasized scientific measurement and treatment over punishment.

Key Figures

Cesare Lombroso, Enrico Ferri, Raffaele Garofalo

Legacy

Launched scientific criminology; introduced rehabilitation; later discredited biological determinism.

Chicago School

1920s–1940s

Focused on how urban environments and social disorganization produce crime. Introduced ecological mapping and the concept of crime as a product of place, not just person.

Key Figures

Robert Park, Ernest Burgess, Clifford Shaw, Henry McKay

Legacy

Foundation of social disorganization theory; influenced community policing and place-based interventions.