Criminology

Written by Peter Joyce, who is a current criminology lecturer and a leading researcher, Criminology - The Essentials is designed to give you everything you need to succeed, all in one place. It covers the key areas that students are expected to be confident in, outlining the basics in clear jargon-free English, and then providing added-value features like summaries of key books, and even lists of questions you might be asked in your seminar or exam. The book uses a structure that mirrors many university courses on criminology - starting with definitions of crime, then examining why people commit crime, and how crime can be prevented and detected. Later chapters hone in on the criminal justice system itself, examining the role of the police, the courts and prisons. This book is unique for its comparative approach to criminology, enabling students to understand criminology in the context of the UK, the US and further afield. Teach Yourself titles employ the 'Breakthrough method', which is designed specifically to overcome problems that students face. - Problem: 'I find it difficult to remember what I've read.'; Solution: this book includes end-of-chapter questions and summaries - Problem: 'Most books mention important other sources, but I can never find them in time.'; Solution: this book includes key texts and case studies are summarised, complete with fully referenced quotes ready to use in your essay or exam. - Problem: 'Lots of introductory books turn out to cover totally different topics than my course.'; Solution: this book is written by a current university lecturer who understands what students are expected to know.

Comprehensive and accessible, Tim Newburn’s bestselling Criminology provides an introduction to the fundamental themes, concepts, theories, methods and events that underpin the subject and form the basis for all undergraduate degree courses and modules in Criminology and Criminal Justice. This third edition includes: A new chapter on politics, reflecting the ever increasing coverage of political influence and decision making on criminology courses New and updated crime data and analysis of trends, plus new content on recent events such as the Volkswagen scandal, the latest developments on historic child abuse, as well as extended coverage throughout of the English riots A fully revised and updated companion website, including exam, review and multiple choice questions, a live Twitter feed from the author providing links to media and academic coverage of events related to the concepts covered in the book, together with links to a dedicated textbook Facebook page Fully updated to reflect recent developments in the field and extensively illustrated, this authoritative text, written by a leading criminologist and experienced lecturer, is essential reading for all students of Criminology and related fields.

This book explores the role of theory and research in criminology. Adopting a unique and refreshing approach to criminological theory, it focuses on the great debates in criminology from its inception as a field to the present day. It explores the debates that have motivated criminological thought, that have represented turning points in theoretical and empirical trajectories, that have offered mini-paradigm shifts, and that have moved the field forward. Coverage includes: Classical debates, including the work of Lombroso, Durkheim, and Sutherland; Sociological vs. psychological debates in criminology; Control theory and cultural deviance theory; Criminal career and trait-based theory; Theory testing in criminology; Critical theories in criminology; Debates on the state of criminology and criminal justice; Policy issues in criminology. Each chapter explores several key debates, summarizes key points, and offers a discussion of the current empirical status. This book is novel in emphasising the role of debate in criminology and offering an enlightening synthesis of theorists and their perspectives. It is essential reading for students taking courses on criminological theory and teachers of those theories.

This book surveys the growing field of Queer Criminology. It reflects on its origins, reviews its foundational research and scholarship and offers suggestions for future directions. Moreover, this book emphasizes the importance of Queer Criminology in the field and the need to move LGBTQ+ issues from the margins to the center of criminological research. Core content includes: • Contested definitions of and conceptual frameworks for Queer Criminology • The criminalization of queerness and gender identity in historical and contemporary context • The relationship between LGBTQ+ communities and law enforcement • The impact of legislation and court decisions on LGBTQ+ communities • The experiences of queer victims and offenders under correctional supervision This revised and updated edition includes new developments in theory and research, further coverage of international issues and a new chapter on victimization and offending. It is essential reading for those engaged with queer, critical, and feminist criminologies, gender studies, diversity, and criminal justice.

This text offers an engaging and wide-ranging account of crime and criminology. It provides a clear and comprehensive consideration of the theoretical, practical, and political aspects of the subject, including the influence of physical, biological, psychological, and social factors on criminality.

This book sets an agenda for the development of historical approaches to criminology. It defines ‘historical criminology’, explores its characteristic strengths and limitations, and considers its potential to enhance, revise and fundamentally challenge dominant modes of thinking about crime and social responses to crime. It considers the following questions: What is historical criminology? What does thinking historically about crime and justice entail? How is historical criminology currently practised? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different approaches to historical criminology? How can historical criminology reshape understandings of crime and social responses to crime? How does thinking historically bear upon major theoretical, conceptual and methodological questions in criminological research? What does thinking historically have to offer criminological scholarship more broadly, and the uses of criminology in the public realm? In this book, Churchill, Yeomans and Channing situate ‘historical thinking’ at the heart of historical criminology, reveal the value of historical research to criminology and argue that criminologists across the field have much to gain from engaging in historical thinking in a more regular and sustained way. This book is essential reading for all criminologists, as well as students taking courses on theories, concepts and methods in criminology.

The concept of critical criminology – that crime and the present day processes of criminalization are rooted in the core structures of society – is of more relevance today than it has been at any other time. Written by an internationally renowned scholar, Contemporary Critical Criminology introduces the most up-to-date empirical, theoretical, and political contributions made by critical criminologists around the world. In its exploration of this material, the book also challenges the erroneous but widely held notion that the critical criminological project is restricted to mechanically applying theories to substantive topics, or to simple calling for radical political, economic, cultural, and social transformations. This book is an essential source of reference for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of Criminology, Criminal Theory, Social Policy, Research Methodology, and Penology.