INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINOLOGY

CRIMINOLOGY defined

Criminology is a body of knowledge regarding delinquency and crime as a social phenomenon (Tradio,
1999). It may also refer to the study of crimes and criminals and the attempt of analyzing scientifically their causes
and control and the treatment of criminals.

Criminology is a multidisciplinary study of crimes (Bartol, 1995). This means that many disciplines are
involved in the collection of knowledge about criminal action, including, psychology, sociology, anthropology, biology,
neurology, political science and economics. But over the years, sociology, psychology, and psychiatry have
dominated the study of crime.

Sub-Fields of Criminology

Sociological Criminology – the study of crime focused on the group of people and society as a whole. It is
primarily based on the examination of the relationship of demographic and group variables to crime. Variables such
as socioeconomic status, interpersonal relationships, age, race, gender, and cultural groups of people are probed in
relation to the environmental factors that are most conducive to criminal action, such as time, place, and
circumstances surrounding the crime.

Psychological Criminology – the science of behavior and mental processes of the criminal. It is focused on
the individual criminal behavior-how it is acquired, evoked, maintained, and modified. Both the environmental and
personality influences are considered, along with the mental processes that mediate the behavior.

Psychiatric Criminology – the science that deals with the study of crime through forensic psychiatry, the
study of criminal behavior in terms of motives and drives that strongly relies on the individual. (Psychoanalytic Theory
- Sigmund Freud – traditional view). It also explains that criminals are acting out of uncontrollable animalistic,
unconscious, or biological urges (modern view).

Scope of the Study of Criminology

1. Criminal Behavior or Criminal Etiology - the scientific analysis of the causes of crime;
2. Sociology of Law - the study of law and its application;
3. Penology or Correction - the study that deals with punishment and the treatment of criminals;
4. Criminalistics or Forensic Science - one more area of concern in crime detection and investigation.

Nature of Criminology

Understanding crime is as complex as other fields of interest. It requires therefore a systematic and
balanced knowledge in the examination of why they exist. In this sense, criminology is:

1. An Applied Science – Anthropology, psychology, sociology and other natural sciences may be applied in the
study of the causes of crime while chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics, etc. maybe utilized in crime
detection.
2. A Social Science – Inasmuch as crime is a societal creation and that it exists in a society, its study must be
considered a part of social science.
3. Dynamic – Criminology changes as social condition changes. That means the progress of criminology is
concordant with the advancement of other sciences that have been applied to it.
4. Nationalistic – The study of crime must always be in relation with the existing criminal law with in the
territory.

OBJECT OF INTEREST IN CRIMINOLOGY

CRIME

In as much as the definition of crime is concerned, many field of study like law, sociology and psychology
have their respective emphasis on what crime is.
 Crime may be defined as:

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

CRIME is also a generic name that refers to offense, felony and delinquency or misdemeanor.

 Offense – is an act or omission that is punishable by special laws ( a special law is a statute enacted by
Congress, penal in character, which is not an amendment to the Revised Penal Code) such as Republic
Acts, Presidential Decrees, Executive Orders, Memorandum Circulars, Ordinances and Rules and
Regulations ( Reyes, 1960)
 Felony – is an act or mission that is punishable by the Revised Penal Code, the criminal law in the
Philippines (Reyes, 1960).
 Delinquency/Misdemeanor – acts that are in violation of simple rules and regulations usually referring to
acts committed by minor offenders.

Criminological Classification of Crime

Crimes are classified in order to focus a better understanding on their existence. Criminologists consider the
following as criminological classification of crimes (Criminology Reviewer, 1996).

 Acquisitive and Extinctive Crimes - Acquisitive Crime is one which when committed, the offender acquires
something as a consequence of his criminal act. The crime is extinctive when the result of criminal act is
destruction.
 Seasonal and Situational Crimes - Seasonal crimes are those that are committed only at certain period of
the year while situational crimes are those that are committed only when given a situation conducive to its
commission.
 Episodic and Instant Crimes - Episodic crimes are serial crimes; they are committed by series of act within a
lengthy space of time. Instant crimes are those that are committed the shortest possible time.
 Static and Continuing Crimes - Static crimes are crimes that are committed only in one place. Continuing
crime are crimes that are committed in several places.
 Rational and Irrational Crimes - Rational crimes are those committed with intent; offender is in full
possession of his mental faculties /capabilities while Irrational crimes are committed without intent; offender
does not know the nature of his act.
 White Collar and Blue Collar Crimes - White Collar Crimes are those committed by a person of responsibility
and of upper socio-economic class in the course of their occupational activities. Blue Collar Crimes are
those committed by ordinary professionals to maintain their livelihood.
 Upper World and Underworld Crimes - Upper World Crimes are those committed by individuals belonging to
the upper class of society. Under World Crime are committed by members of the lower or under privilege
class of society.
 Crimes by Imitation and Crimes by Passion - Crimes by Imitation are crimes committed by merely
duplication of what was done by others. Crimes by Passion are crimes committed because of the fit of great
emotions.

 Service Crimes - Service Crime refers to crimes committed through rendition of a service to satisfy desire of
another.

THE CRIMINAL

On the basis of the definition of crime, a criminal may be defined in three ways:

 A person who committed a crime and has been convicted by a court of the violation of a criminal law. (legal
definition)
 A person who violated a social norm or one who did an anti-social act. (social definition)
 A person who violated rules of conduct due to behavioral maladjustment. (psychological definition)
 Criminological Classification of Criminals

Based on Etiology

 Acute Criminal is one who violates a criminal law because of the impulse or fit of passion. They commit
passionate crimes.
 Chronic Criminal is 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 is considered the lowest form of criminal in a criminal career. He doesn’t stick to crime as
a profession but rather pushed to commit crimes due to great opportunity.
 Organized Criminal is 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 Criminal is a person who is engaged in criminal activities with high degree of skill. He is usually
one who practices crime as a profession to maintain a living.

Based on Activities

 Professional Criminals are those who practice crime as a profession for a living. Criminal activity is constant
in order to earn skill and develop ability in their commission.
 Accidental Criminals are those who commit crimes when the situation is conducive to its commission.
 Habitual Criminals are those who continue to commit crime because of deficiency of intelligence and lack of
self – control.

Based on Mental Attitudes

 Active Criminals are those who commit crimes due to aggressiveness.

Based on Legal Classification

 Habitual Delinquent is a person who, with in 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 oftener.

 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

Crime in its legal definition may constitute an intentional act in violation of the criminal law and penalized by
the state a felony, offense or misdemeanor. Criminal behavior, therefore, is an intentional behavior that violates a
criminal code (Bartol, 1995).

Criminal behavior may also refer to the study of the human conduct focused on the mental processes of the
criminal: the way he behaves or acts including his activities and the causes and influences if his criminal behavior.

VICTIMS OF CRIME

Victimology is simply the study of victims of crimes and contributory role, if any, in crime causation. It is also
the scientific process of gaining substantial amounts of knowledge on offender characteristics by studying the nature
of victims. (Schmalleger, 1997).
PENOLOGY (CORRECTION)
 This is another object of interest of criminology that deals with punishment of criminal offenders. Punishment
is justified by deterrence, retribution, atonement, societal protection, and reformation of criminals.

APPROACHES AND THEORIES OF CRIME

SUBJECTIVE APPROACHES - deals mainly on the biological explanation of crimes, focused on the forms
of abnormalities that exist in the individual criminal before, during and after the commission of the crime (Tradio,
1999). Included under this approach are:

1. Anthropological Approach – the study on the physical characteristics of an individual offender with non-
offenders in the attempt to discover differences covering criminal behavior (Hooton).
2. Medical Approach - the application of medical examinations on the individual criminal explain the mental
and physical condition of the individual prior and after the commission of the crime (Positivist).
3. Biological Approach –the evaluation of genetic influences to criminal behavior. It is noted that heredity is one
force pushing the criminal to crime (Positivist).
4. Physiological Approach – the study on the nature of human being concerning his physical needs in order to
satisfy his ants. It explains that the deprivation of the physical body on the basic needs is an important
determiner of the commission if crime (Maslow).
5. Psychological Approach – it is concerned about the deprivation of the psychological needs of man, which
constitute the development of deviations of normal behavior resulting to unpleasant emotions (Freud,
Maslow).
6. Psychiatric Approach – the explanation of crime through diagnosis of mental diseases as a cause of the
criminal behavior (Positivist).
7. Psychoanalytical Approach – the explanation of crimes based on the Freudian Theory, which traces
behavior as the deviation of the repression of the basic drives (Freud).

OBJECTIVE APPROACHES - The objective approaches deal on the study of groups, social processes and
institutions as influences to behavior. They are primarily derived from social sciences (Tradio, 1999). Under this are:

1. Geographic Approach – this approach considers topography, natural resources, geographical location, and
climate lead an individual to commit crime (Quetelet).
2. Ecological Approach – it is concerned with the biotic grouping of men resulting to migration, competition,
social discrimination, division of labor and social conflict as factors of crime (Park).
3. Economic Approach – it deals with the explanation of crime concerning financial security of inadequacy and
other necessities to support life as factors to criminality (Merton).
4. Socio – Cultural Approach – those that focus on institutions, economic, financial, education, political, and
religious influences to crime (Cohen).