CRIMINOLOGY

Criminology

Criminology

Study of Crime

Crime is a complex socio-legal phenomenon, whereby it is studied by different scientists exploring some of its side. Study of crime helps to understand the nature of the crime, where the results of his research to help community leaders and law enforcement officials in their efforts to prevent crime. Scientists also contribute to the crime in finding the best ways to treat offenders.

The crime, in dogmatic sense, is defined as conduct, act or omission typical (described by the law), unlawful (against the law) and guilty to the corresponding sanction called punishment. Infraccional conduct involves the criminal law, i.e. an act or omission typed and punishable by law. In a legal sense, penal codes and doctrine define "offense" as all that behavior (act or omission) contrary to the law of the country where it occurs (Walklate, 2004).

Measuring crime

Crime is measured in many ways. A review of the literature on the topic and statistical reports of the Government on the extent of crime has been made. The review aimed to summarize and explain, in language accessible to all, the various methods used to measure crime. In addition, an analysis was undertaken to determine whether the crime has changed over the years, and if the public's fear is linked to crime statistics.

There are two main ways to report crime. There is first of all what is often referred to official reports, which are based on crimes reported to police. These statistics released by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, an agency of Statistics Canada, which are usually reported in the media. A review of officially reported crimes shows that the crime rate (the number of crimes per 100 000 population) has declined steadily over the last six years. However, as the statistics are based on crimes reported to police, there is concern that this measure underestimates the extent of crime (Walklate, 2003). For example, some crimes go unreported because victims feel they have nothing to gain by doing it (petty theft) or they choose to hide the act (sexual assault by a spouse). The second measure is to end the problem of under-reporting inherent in the first method based on official crime statistics. These are surveys in which people are asked whether they have been victims of various crimes.

The General Social Survey (GSS), which is conducted every five years, includes questions about criminal victimization. Periodic surveys are conducted and specialized. According to these surveys, approximately 40f crimes go unreported to police. In addition, by comparing the results of the GSS in 1988 and those of the 1993 GSS, there is an absence of changes in terms of certain crimes, including assault and theft, and decreased the problem with respect to other crimes such as robbery (Soothill, 2002). In general, the results of both types of measurements indicate that the frequency of violent and nonviolent decreases. Despite this trend, rate of incarceration-tion in Canada is relatively high (we have the second highest rate among Western countries) and the fear inspired by the ...