"

Origins of Criminology

An old painting of a man depicted as holy wearing a black robe, long white beard, and halo around his head. Three demons depicted as human-like beings with wings, horns, and talons are beating the holy man with a stick and threatening him with a snake. A church can be seen in the background up the road.
Figure 3.1. Before science informed the field of criminology, explanations of crime were rooted in religion and superstition. Demons, such as those depicted in this painting, were thought to be responsible for criminal behavior through possession.

Contents of This Chapter:

  1. Chapter Introduction
    1. Learning Objectives
    2. Key Terms
    3. Licenses and Attributions for Chapter Introduction
      1. Open Content, Original
      2. Open Content, Shared Previously
  2. Pre-Classical Justice and the Birth of Criminology
    1. The Field of Criminology
    2. Check Your Knowledge
    3. Licenses and Attributions for Pre-Classical Justice and the Birth of Criminology
      1. Open Content, Original
      2. Open Content, Shared Previously
      3. All Rights Reserved Content
  3. Classical School of Criminology
    1. Cesare Beccaria and Deterrence Theory
    2. Jeremy Bentham and Rational Choice Theory
    3. Activity: Linking Rational Choice Theory and Policy
    4. Check Your Knowledge
    5. Licenses and Attributions for Classical School of Criminology
      1. Open Content, Original
      2. Open Content, Shared Previously
      3. All Rights Reserved Content
  4. Positive School of Criminology
    1. Developing Crime Statistics
    2. Check Your Knowledge
    3. Licenses and Attributions for Positive School of Criminology
      1. Open Content, Original
  5. Modern Application: How Is It Relevant Now?
    1. Resurgence of the Classical School
    2. Testing Deterrence
    3. Testing Rational Choice
    4. Routine Activity Theory
    5. Impact on Policy
    6. Learn More: Does D.A.R.E. Deter Drug Use?
    7. Activity: Routine Activity Theory in Modern America
    8. Check Your Knowledge
    9. Licenses and Attributions for Modern Application: How Is It Relevant Now?
      1. Open Content, Original
      2. Open Content, Shared Previously
  6. Conclusion
    1. Chapter Summary
    2. Discussion Questions and Supplemental Resources
      1. Discussion Questions
      2. Supplemental Resources
    3. Licenses and Attributions for Conclusion
      1. Open Content, Original
  7. References

How to Navigate this Book Online

Table of Contents

Every page of this book has a button labeled CONTENTS. In most browsers, this button will be in the upper left corner. You can click anywhere on that button to show the book’s table of contents. Clicking the button again hides the table of contents.

In the table of contents, you can click on a title of a chapter to navigate to the beginning of that chapter.

You can also click on the “+” in the table of contents to see the chapter’s sections and navigate directly to that place in the book.

Turning a Page

If you’re reading on a larger screen, look at the bottom of the page. There is a button in the lower right corner labeled “Next →” that you can click to move forward, and another button in the lower left corner labeled “← Previous” that you can click to move backward.

Reading on Smaller Screens

On smaller screens, like phones and tablets, the CONTENTS are at the top of the page. Look for the Previous and Next buttons at either the top or bottom of the page.

3

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Introduction to Criminology: An Equity Lens Copyright © by Jessica René Peterson and Taryn VanderPyl is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book