Crime and Criminality: Causes and Consequences / Edition 1

by Ronald D. D. Hunter, Ronald D. Hunter, M.L. Dantzker

Overview

This thorough primer fills the void between voluminous expensive texts and unsuitable paperback readers with a volume that covers all significant issues and concepts relevant to those involved with sociology, criminology and criminal justice. The authors define, examine and explain crime and criminal behavior and present various new theoretical perspectives on crime causation. The book also provides readers with an examination of society's response to crime, and presents several different justice perspectives. The book defines crime and criminality and outlines the following theories: biological and biosocial, psychological and psychosocial, social structure, social interactions, social conflict and theories of victimization. For individuals involved with criminology, criminal justice and sociological pursuits.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781881798651
Publisher:	Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	01/28/2005
Edition description:	Older Edition
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

	Preface	ix
Chapter 1	The Problem of Crime	1
	Crime as Phenomenon	2
	The nature of crime	3
	Defining crime	4
	The nature of criminal law	5
	Characteristics of criminal law	5
	Sources of crime statistics	6
	The extent of crime	9
	The cost of crime	10
	Crime Typologies	11
	Violent crimes	11
	Property crimes	12
	Public order crimes	13
	Political crimes	13
	Occupational crimes	13
	Corporate crime	14
	Organized crime	14
	Professional crimes	15
	Criminal Typologies	15
	Violent personal criminals	15
	Occasional property criminals	16
	Public order criminals	16
	Political criminals	16
	Occupational criminals	17
	Corporate criminals	17
	Organized criminals	17
	Professional criminals	18
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 2	The Study of Crime	22
	Introduction to Criminology	23
	Defining criminology	23
	The study of criminology	24
	The five models of criminology	25
	The Classical School of Criminology	26
	The contributions of Cesare Beccaria	28
	The contributions of Jeremy Bentham	28
	Tenets of the classical school	29
	The Neoclassical School of Criminology	31
	Rationales for leniency	31
	Just deserts	33
	The current status of the classical school	33
	The Positive School of Criminology	34
	Determinism	34
	Darwin's theory of evolution	34
	Lombroso's theory of atavism	35
	Tenets of the positive school	36
	Current status of the positive school	37
	Criminology Today	37
	Influences on crime	38
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 3	Biological and Biosocial Theories of Crime Causation	44
	Biological Explanations	45
	Early biological explanations	46
	Transitional biological explanations	49
	Contemporary biological explanations	55
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 4	Psychological and Psychosocial Theories of Crime Causation	65
	Psychological Explanations	66
	Psychology and determinism	66
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 5	Social Structure Theories of Crime Causation	86
	Sociological Theories	87
	Structural functionalism	87
	Social structure theories	88
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 6	Social Interaction Theories of Crime Causation	102
	Social Interactions Theories	103
	Social process theories	103
	Social reaction theories	109
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 7	Social Conflict Theories of Crime Causation	117
	Social Conflict and Structural Functionalism	118
	The social conflict perspective	119
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 8	Integrated Theories of Crime Causation	133
	Criminology as an Interdisciplinary Science	134
	Integrated Theories	134
	Integrated classical theories	135
	Integrated biological theories	137
	Integrated psychological theories	139
	Integrated sociological theories	141
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 9	Holistic Theories of Crime Causation	149
	The Holistic Approach to Crime	150
	Jeffrey's bioenvironmental theory	151
	Akers's conceptual absorption theory	151
	Pearson and Weiner's conceptual integration	151
	Vila's general paradigm	152
	The Need for General Theories	153
	General Theories of Crime and Criminality	153
	Self-control theory	153
	Integrative delinquency theory	154
	A Synopsis of Integrated and Holistic Theories	154
	Identity Theory	155
	Assessment of Holistic Theories	157
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 10	Victimization Theories	161
	Victimology	162
	Early victimization theories	163
	Contemporary victimization theories	168
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 11	Dealing with Lawbreakers	173
	Dealing with Lawbreakers	174
	The rationales for imposing sanctions	175
	The classical response to crime	176
	The positive response to crime	178
	Applying criminal sanctions	180
	Alternative sanctions	186
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 12	Dealing with Victims	190
	The Extent of Crime Victimization	191
	The Consequences of Victimization	192
	Individual costs of victimization	192
	Societal costs of victimization	193
	Types of Victimization	193
	Victimization by strangers	194
	Victimization in the workplace	194
	Victimization by family	195
	Victimization of special populations	197
	Hate crimes	199
	Responding to Victimization	200
	Crime prevention	200
	Victim assistance programs	200
	Victim compensation	200
	Offender restitution	201
	Victim's rights	201
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
Chapter 13	Dealing with the Law-abiding	204
	Justice in the Eyes of the Law-abiding	205
	The Politics of Justice	205
	The social responsibility perspective	206
	The social problems perspective	208
	The social engineering perspective	209
	Administering Justice on Behalf of the Law-abiding	211
	Condemning and punishing crime	211
	Wooing constituents	211
	Promoting social change	212
	Rewarding compliance	213
	Symbolic Reassurance	213
	Summary
	Discussion Questions
	References
	Index	217