Criminology and Penology | Important Question and answer

What is cyber-crime criminology? 

Cybercrime, also called computer crime, the use of a computer as an instrument to further illegal ends, such as committing fraud, trafficking in child pornography and intellectual property, stealing identities, or violating privacy. 

What is sociological school of criminology? 

Sociological criminologists believed that the science of criminal law encompasses criminal law in the narrow sense (formulation of law), criminology, and the measures adopted by a society to prevent crime. Some felt that the science should also include penology—the study of the treatment of offenders. 

What is organized crime and types? 

Organized crime means the commission of a crime at regular intervals in order to make money or profits. Some examples could include human trafficking, money laundering, smuggling, etc. 

What is positive school in criminology? 

Positive school of criminology is an academic criminology school that focuses on studying crime as an alternative social process while at the same time attempting to study it to understand the causes of crime. 

What is the purpose of the American prison system? 

The Three Goals of America's Prison System As previously mentioned, the three primary purposes of prisons are being a deterrent to crime, a punishment to the criminal, and to rehabilitate the criminal. 

What is a White-Collar Crime? 

White-collar crime is a non-violent crime where the primary motive is typically financial in nature. White-collar criminals usually occupy a professional position of power and/or prestige, and one that commands well above average compensation. 

 The term “white-collar crime” was coined in the 1930s by sociologist and criminologist Edwin Sutherland. He used the phrase to describe the types of crimes commonly committed by “persons of respectability” – people who are recognized as possessing a high social status. Sutherland eventually founded the Bloomington School of Criminology at the State University of Indiana. 

 Prior to Sutherland’s introduction of the concept of white-collar crime, the upper classes of society were thought to be largely incapable of engaging in such criminal activity. Such a belief was so deeply entrenched in society that when Sutherland first published a book on the subject, some of America’s largest companies successfully sued to get the book heavily censored. 

White-collar crime is commonly subdivided into two broad, general categories:

1. Individual crimes

Individual crimes are financial crimes committed by an individual or a group of individuals. An example of an individual white-collar crime is a Ponzi scheme, such as the one run by Bernie Madoff. Other individual crimes in this category include identity theft, hacking, counterfeiting, and any of dozens of fraud schemes.

2. Corporate crimes

Some white-collar crime occurs on a corporate level. For example, a brokerage firm may let its trading desk employees engage in an insider trading scheme. Money laundering may also be conducted on a corporate level.

Theories of Punishment

There are different kinds of punishment that a person can face. In order to understand them, first, we need to understand the theories of the punishment. There are majorly four theories of punishment.

These theories are the deterrent theory, retributive theory, preventive theory, and reformative theory. We will discuss these theories in length below.

Deterrent Theory

The retributive theory assumes that the punishment is given only for the sake of it. Thus, it suggests that evil should be returned for evil without taking into consideration any consequences. There are two theories in which this theory can be divided further. They are specific deterrence and general deterrence.

In specific deterrence, punishment is designed such that it can educate the criminals. Thus, this can reform the criminals that are subjected to this theory. Also, it is maintained that the punishment reforms the criminals. This is done by creating a fear that the punishment will be repeated.

While a general deterrence is designed to avoid future crime. So, this is done by making an example of each defendant. Thus, it frightens the citizens to not do what the defendant did.

Definition and Meaning of Crime

Difference between Crime and Tort

Stages of Crime    

Elements of Crime

Codification of Law of Crime in India

Abetment under IPC – Instigation, Conspiracy, Aid

Offence affecting Life – Hurt Part I (Section 319 to Section 325)

Offence affecting Life – Hurt Part II (Section 325 to Section 338)

Offence Affecting Property – Theft

Offence Affecting Property – Extortion

Nature and Scope of Criminology

Introduction

Criminology is an interdisciplinary science. It involves behavioral and biological sciences such as Anthropology, Biology, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Psychiatry, and Political science. It also includes the police sciences such as Criminal law, public administration, victimology, ethics, and penology.

Criminology is the entire body of knowledge regarding the causes and prevention of crime. It also deals with the punishment of a certain crime committed. Criminology focuses on the reasons and operational forces behind the commission of a particular crime.

The main focus of criminology is the study of human behavior. 

Interpretation

The term Criminology is derived from an Italian Professor of law “Raffaele Garofalo” as Criminologia. After that, a French Anthropologist “Paul Topinard” used the analogous French term Criminologie.

Definition

There is no universally accepted definition of criminology. However,

According to Law Lexicon

“Criminology is the study of crime, its nature, its causes, its detection, and prevention.”

According to Dr. Kenny

“Criminology is the branch of criminal science that deals with the causes of crime, analysis, and prevention of crime.”

Main Purpose of Criminology

The main purpose of criminology is to know different aspects and causes of crime. These will help in the treatment and rehabilitation of criminals again in society.

Nature of Criminology

Criminology is an interdisciplinary field of study, involving scholars and practitioners. It represents a wide range of behavioral and social sciences as well as natural sciences.

It deals with the research of sociologists, psychologists, and writings in law.   

Scope of Criminology

The word scope means the maximum extent to which a certain field is applicable or has influence. 

Scope:

1. It is the study of the origin and development of criminal laws.

 Criminology studies how criminal laws are evolved under different circumstances. It also presents certain types of punishments to prevent crime.

2. It analyses the causation of crime and the personality of the criminals.

In criminology, we study the reasons for criminal behavior and when and how a man turns into a criminal. We study the subject that why some people commit crimes while others do not commit crimes.

3. It helps us in the detection and investigation of crime.

Criminology is modern science that helps us a lot to detect and investigate the reasons behind the crime.

4. It is the study of different factors behind the crime.

Criminology also studies various factors that enhance a crime such as Criminal Sociology, Criminal Psychiatry, Victimology, Criminal Ecology, Criminal Demography, and Criminal Physical Anthropology.

5. It studies the reasons for the development of criminals.

After discovering the origin of crime, criminologists study the factors due to which people develop a criminal attitude.

6. It tells us the ways to arrest and apprehend criminals

Criminology tells us various ways to arrest and treat habitual criminals as well. 

7. It helps us to understand the criminal behavior and the etiology

Understanding the behavior and psychology of criminals is of great importance. So, criminology helps a lot in this noble job.

8. It studies the methods adopted by the criminals to commit crimes

Criminology studies various methods and measures which are adopted by the offenders for the violation of criminal laws.

9. It looks at the reaction of society regarding crime.

After the commission of a crime, criminology as science looks upon the reaction of society towards the offender or the crime committed. The purpose is to get the views of society about the crime.

10. It helps us in the prevention of crime

Criminology presents various methods to prevent crime. It plans different ways to deter criminals. In this way, they are threatened to commit crimes because they know that they will be punished if they were found accused of any criminal activity.

11. It develops the concept of rehabilitation

Criminology encourages us to establish rehabilitation centers in the country so that the criminals must be treated in a fine and healthy way. In this way, they may become responsible men in society.

Conclusion

Criminology is the scientific study of nature, extent, causes, consequences, and prevention of criminal behavior on the individual as well as social levels.

Criminology is rewarding and a fascinating field due to its broad scope and importance.