Message to Students

Welcome to the complex world of criminology. You should know right from the start that if we already had all the answers, crime would be solved, and we would all live in a utopian society. Obviously, that is not the case, which means we do not have all the answers about crime. Criminology is all about trying to find those answers, and now you get to join the quest.

For too long, the high cost of traditional textbooks has been a barrier to bringing more people into investigating why and how people cause harm and how to stop crime. As fascinating as true crime shows can be, they can only teach you so much about criminal behavior and how we respond to crime. With this textbook being free and openly licensed, all students have access to learn about criminology and can even find their own ways to contribute to this project.

This book was written directly for you, as the reader and student, to help you understand what we know about crime and what has been done to prevent or treat it. We will talk about what crimes happen, why they happen, and how the “why” guides our responses and proposed solutions. Read this book with the mindset that by learning about what has already been done to try to determine why some people commit illegal and harmful acts, you might be the one who figures out how to intervene effectively.

Now it’s time to join the investigation into understanding crime!

To get started, click the button in the lower right corner labeled “Next →” to turn the page!