MEANING, NATURE AND SCOPE OF
CRIMINOLOGY
ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW
In partial fulfilment of BA LLB. Five year degree
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:
Ms. Anmolpreet Kaur Mehak Aggarwal, 1669
9th Semester, 5th Year
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No.
4
Title
4
S. No. Acknowledgement
6
1. Introduction
Meaning of Criminology 7
2.
Nature of Criminology 8
3
Scope of Criminology 9
4.
5. Object of Criminology
6. Conclusion
7.
2
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to express my humble gratitude and personal regards to Ms.
ANMOLPREET KAUR for inspiring me and guiding me during the course of this project work
under the subject of Criminology, Penology and Victimology (9th Semester) entitled “MEANING,
NATURE AND SCOPE OF CRIMINOLOGY”.
MEHAK AGGARWAL
1669
9th Semester
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INTRODUCTION
It is essential to first understand what the term ‘crime’ means and includes before coming to the
concept of Criminology. William Blackstone initially defined crime as an act committed or omitted,
in violation of a public law, either forbidding or commanding it 1. Later, however, he modified the
definition realizing that it may prove to be misleading since it limits the scope of crime to only public
law, that generally covers political offences such as those committed against the State. The modified
definition stated, “crime is a violation of public rights and duties due to the whole community”2.
The term ‘criminology’ was coined in 1890 by Prof. Raffaele Garofalo, an Italian Criminologist. The
term is derived from the combination of two Latin words crimen and logia. Etymologically, it stands
for, ‘scientific study of the nature, extent, causes and control of criminal behavior’.
From a legal perspective, ‘crime’ would relate to criminal actions committed by individuals and the
reaction to such actions by the society as a whole. The study of Criminology here incorporates and
examines broader knowledge of crime and criminals. For instance, criminologists have attempted to
understand why some people are more likely than others to engage in delinquent behaviour.
Criminologists have also examined and attempted to explain differences in crime rates and the
criminal code between societies and changes in rates and laws over time.3
Prof. Gillin has aptly observed that it is not the humanity within the criminal but the criminality
within the human being which needs to be curbed through effective administration of criminal
justice.4 More recently, criminologists and penologists seem to have agreed that “individualisation of
the offender should be the ultimate object of punishment while treatment methods, the means to
attain this end”5.
MEANING OF CRIMINOLOGY
Criminology is defined as, “the scientific study of crime as a social phenomenon, of criminals, and of
penal treatment”6 by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary.
According to Prof Kenny, Criminology is the branch of Criminal Science that deals with three things
- (a) crime causation; (b) to analyse the crime; and (c) prevention of crime.
1 William Blackstone : Commentaries, Vol. IV p.5
2 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & Victimology, p. 8
3 Prof Thomas J Bernard : Criminology; available at https://www.britannica.com/science/criminology, last accessed on
19.08.20 at 13:20 hrs.
4
According to Coleman and Norris, Criminology is the analysis of the nature of crime, perpetrators of
crime, the causes of crime, the formulations of criminal laws and law enforcement, and the ways that
crime can be controlled.7
Sutherland has come up with a more comprehensive definition of Criminology. He defined
Criminology as “the body of knowledge regarding delinquency and crime as a social phenomenon
and it includes within it, the process of making laws, breaking laws, and reacting toward breaking of
laws. The objective of Criminology is the development of a body of general and verified principles
and other types of knowledge regarding this process of law, crime and reaction to crime”.8
Walter Retlas defines Criminology as a science that studies violation of criminal codes, rules, laws
prevailing in the society.
According to Elliot, Criminology is a science of crime of crime and its treatment of offenders/
criminals.
4 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & Victimology, p. 20
5 Ibid
6 Available at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/criminology, last accessed on 19.08.20 at 13:47 hrs.
7 Coleman & Clive Norris : Introducing Criminology, (2000) p. 10
8 Sutherland & Cressey : Criminology (1948) p. 3
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NATURE OF CRIMINOLOGY
Broadly speaking, criminology deals with the legal psychiatric aspect or the medico-psychological,
biological, pedagogical or sociological aspect of criminality and the factors related therewith. 9 It,
therefore, follows that criminology and criminal policy are interdependent and mutually support one
another. Thus, criminology seeks to study the phenomenon of criminality in its entirety. The science
of criminology may further be split into three, namely, (1) Theoretical or pure criminology; (2)
Applied or Practical Criminology; and (3) Criminalistics.
A. THEORETICAL CRIMINOLOGY
Prof. W. A. Bonger preferred to study theoretical criminology under the following sub-heads:
1. Criminal Anthropology - It seeks to understand the personality of the offenders in physical
terms. Cesare Lombroso was the first to propound this view which eventually led to the origin of
modern criminology.10 He was the first in point of time to explain criminal behaviour in terms of
physical characteristics of the offender and emphasised that criminals were different physically
from normal persons and possessed inferior physical characteristics. Though this view is no longer
supported by modern criminologists but it does have its theoretical importance.
2. Criminal Sociology - It is based on Sutherland’s theory of ‘Differential Association’ which
explains criminal behaviour as a process of learning through association with other criminals.
however, this theory does not adequately take into account the traits or psychological variables in
criminal behaviour.
3. Criminal Psychology - It seeks to correlate criminality to emotional aspect of human nature.
French psychologist Alfred Binet and Prof. Jerman of USA are the main propounders of this view.
4. Criminal Psycho-neurology - This branch of criminology attributes criminality to functional
deviations and mental conflicts in the personality of the offender. The factors such as inferiority
complex, frustration, depression, anxiety etc. may lead a person to commit crimes. Dr. Glueck and
Freud are the main exponents of this view.11
5. Penology - It concerns itself with the various aspects of punishment and penal policies. The
various mechanisms of punishing the offenders are also studied under penology.
9 Dr. Stephen Hurt Witz : Criminology (1948) p. 427
10 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & 22
Victimology, p.
6
B. APPLIED OR PRACTICAL CRIMINOLOGY
It includes under it the study of criminal behaviour and criminal policy, which is founded on solid
derivative conclusions.12
C. CRIMINALTISTICS
This branch of criminology connotes the police techniques of crime investigation and detection. It
provides very useful material for study and understanding of criminal justice administration from the
point of view of field officers whose main pre-occupation is to deal with the law and procedure
relating to investigation and prosecution of criminal cases.13
In short, criminology is a hybrid product of social sciences and not fundamental sciences of
mathematical exactness. It involves study of all social sciences; therefore, nature of Criminology is of
a psychological science. Criminology is the study of criminal behavior, methods of prevention and
reduction of crime and hence it is a behavioral science.
SCOPE OF CRIMINOLOGY
The scope of criminology is very wide. It includes within its folds the following:
• Activities of the legislative bodies
• Law enforcement agencies
• Correctional institutions
• Judicial institutions
• Private and Public agencies.
The scope of criminology is concerned with the study of criminal psychology, criminal sociology,
penology, IT offences, offences against children & women, white-collar crimes, juvenile offences,
financial frauds etc.
With advance in scientific knowledge and technology, the scope of criminology has considerably
widened over the last few decades. For instance, white-collar crimes have attracted the attention of
11 Ibid
12 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & 22
13 Ibid
Victimology, p.
7
criminologists recently, which has in turn led criminologists to devise new and more effective
measures to tackle these heads on.14
OBJECT OF CRIMINOLOGY
The ultimate object of criminology is to minimize the incidence of crime by an effective
administration of criminal justice through agencies such as the court, police, prison, reformatories
and other modern correctional institutions.15
In addition to this, the study of criminology results in discovery of causes of crime, and hence the
suitable measures that shall suffice to prevent the same and put an end to deviant behaviour in
society.
The study of this branch of criminal science furthers the analysis and understanding of various
aspects of crime and the measures that shall facilitate the treatment of criminals so as to bring about
their re-socialization in the community.
Criminology as a branch of criminal science has a practical utility insofar as it aims at bringing about
the welfare of the society as a whole. It is the principles of criminology that serve as the building
blocks for formulation of the penal policy and its effective implementation.
The modern clinical methods and reformatory measures such as probation, parole, indeterminate
sentence, open prisons and other correctional institutions are essentially an outcome of intensive
criminological researches during the twentieth century.
Thus, the fundamental objective of criminological studies is to “curb criminality within the human
being by effective administration of criminal justice and not the humanity within the criminal.”16
CONCLUSION
Prof. Gillin has aptly observed that it is not the humanity within the criminal but the criminality
within the human being, which needs to be curbed through effective administration of criminal
justice17 . Recently, there seems to be an implied agreement between the criminologist and
14 Ibid, at p. 33.
15 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & 20
Victimology, p.
8
penologists that, “Individualization of the offender should be the ultimate object of punishment while
treatment methods, the means to attain this end”18.
According to Prof. Sellin the object of criminology is to study the sequence of law making, law
breaking and the reaction to law breaking from the point of view of efficacy of law as a method of
control.
Thus, Criminology is a hybrid product of Social Sciences and not the fundamental sciences that
connote mathematical exactness. It involves the study of all Social Sciences, therefore, nature of
Criminology is that of a psychological science. Criminology is the study of criminal behavior,
methods of prevention and reduction of crime and hence it is a behavioral science.
16 Gillin J.L. : Criminology & Penology (3rd Ed.), p. 14
17 Prof N. V. Paranjape : Criminology, Penology & 20
18 Ibid
Victimology, p.
