RESEARCH BACK UP

1.0 INTRODUCTION In this unit, we shall examine who are victims of crime and the origin of victiminology. It examines the place of the victim in the criminal justice process. Students should be exposed to the different types of victims of crime. This unit will also explore the general profile and vulnerable groups in the victims of crimes. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: define who a victim is   state the origin of victiminology identify the vulnerable groups  establish the general profile  examine the various types of victims of crimes  explore the impact of crime on its victims.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Victims of Crimes The United Nations Declaration of Basic Principles of Justice for Victims of Crime and Abuse of Power (1985) defined victims as “persons who individually or collectively have suffered harm including mental injury emotional suffering economic loss or substantial impairment of their fundamental rights through act...

1.0 INTRODUCTION Several attempts have been made by criminologists to construct typologies of crimes and criminals without universal acceptance. One thing that is certain is that there are different types of crimes and criminals in every society. In this unit, we would discuss the legal classification of crimes, the organised and the unorganised crimes, the white-collar and the blue-collar crimes, juvenile delinquencies as well as the professional and non-professional crimes. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to:  state the different types of crimes   state the dimensions of the crimes   examine the classification of criminals  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Types of Crimes According to criminologists, crime is ‘normal’ in all societies. It serves certain functions and may even help to keep a society orderly. They also established that there are different types of criminals in every society. With this in mind, attempt will be made to dia...

1.0 INTRODUCTION We have known that the norms of any society are known to its members. Therefore, when people seriously violate norms, they are labelled or identified as deviants. This interactionist approach will be the focus of discussion in this unit. The new criminology is the ideas of the neo-Marxists. Among its proponents are Ian Taylor, Paul Walton, Jock Young, Howard Becker, Stanley Cohen, Edwin Lemert and John Lea. They were influenced, by the works of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, and derived much strength from conflict and labelling theories.  2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to: explain labelling as a form of criminal behaviour  discuss the different contributions of Erving Goffman, Howard S. Becker, Stanley Cohen, etc.   list the categories of labelling and its characters.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 The New Criminology The neo-Marxists were the offshoots of the Marxism and conflict theory. They rejected the views of the o...

1.0 INTRODUCTION The sociological school of thought emanates from the term “sociology” as a concept. The Oxford English Dictionary defines sociology as “the study of social organisation and institutions and of collective behaviour and interaction, including the individual’s relationship to the group”. The approach looks on the consideration of group antagonisms and criminality i.e. the approach examines the ways in which society is structured and the demand it makes on its members. The Sutherland’s theory of Differential Association suggests that crime is learned in everyday situations through a process of cultural transmission. The Anomie theory suggests that crime is bound up with tension, stress, and strains within societies; most commonly, there is a breakdown of the smooth working of society etc. The approach is divided into five images. They are not mutually exclusive-indeed, they benefit from each other, as they each have somewhat different emphases. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end...

1.0 INTRODUCTION An attempt to de-mystify some technical words for a better understanding will be a useful basis for beginners of the subject-matter of criminology. There are certain terms that feature in this unit which require explanation; it is to this that we now turn: 2.0 OBJECTIVE At the end of this unit, you should be able to:  state the different concepts of criminology.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Definition of Concepts Crime Crime is defined as any act that violates the law. Hence, it is defined relative to laws, and varies from society to society or omission, from state to state, from time to time, and from strict enforcement to none. According to Curzon (1973) “Crime is any act or omission resulting from human conduct which is considered in itself or in its outcome to be harmful and which the state wishes to prevent, which renders the person responsible liable to some kind of punishment; the result of the proceedings which are usually initiated on behalf of the st...

1.0 INTRODUCTION Criminology is best seen as a social science, which is concerned with the aspects of human behaviour. Criminology has many meanings but the most commonly accepted is the specific scientific understanding of crime and criminals. It is a multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary subject. This is because criminology draws from the works of legal scholars, philosophers, biologists, psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists. Basically, crime appears to be a sociological concept and does not exist as an autonomous entity but is socially constructed. 2.0 OBJECTIVES At the end of this unit, you should be able to:  define extensively what criminology is  state the extent and nature of criminology   understand the societal norms and values  explain the different categories of values and how it effects crime.  3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 What is Criminology? The term ‘criminology’ is essentially concerned with the scientific study of crime. It shou...