Criminology - it Sounds Fun, But is it Legal?
From Sherlock Holmes to Cracker and Crimewatch, criminology has always had a glamorous image. But if the reality isn't quite as spectacular as it looks on TV, it is every bit as interesting, and a Criminology degree opens doors to careers ranging from the police, probation and social services, to the security industry, journalism and many other fields.
Criminology is all about crime and punishment. It is an exciting inter-disciplinary subject, that draws on sociology, psychology and law to examine how crime is defined, why people commit crimes, and how society responds. Crime is always in the public eye, and with a government elected under the slogan 'tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime', there have never been more opportunities for criminology to contribute to the debate.
A century ago, it was widely believed that some people were 'born criminals', and Victorian 'criminologists' came up with ingenious theories as to why some members of the working classes turned to a life of crime. The most famous of these was 'phrenology', which claimed to predict criminal tendencies from the size and shape of the skull. A barrister calling on such evidence today would literally be laughed out of court, but cases frequently turn on the motivation of defendants, and it is here that criminological evidence often proves crucial.
Even today, popular myths about crime can hide some surprising facts. For example, did you know that most murders are committed by family members or others close to the victim? That prison makes people more likely to re-offend? That despite the politicians' promises, more police on the beat does not necessarily mean less crime? And recently, it was shown that offenders who meet their victims as part of new victim support and rehabilitation schemes are considerably less likely to offend again.
Crime has emerged as a social phenomenon inseparable from our day to day lives. Criminology uncovers the culture of crime and the workings of the criminal justice system, including the police, courts, prosecution services, prisons, and rehabilitation - in all of which there is tremendous scope for improvement and reform.
Increasingly, there is a global dimension to criminological work. Crime problems do not stop at national borders, and organised criminal empires such as the Colombian narcotics syndicates have a turnover and workforce as large as any multinational business. Smaller in scale but just as profitable, 'white-collar' fraud in the global financial services industry has also boomed in recent years. In the face of these challenges, effective international co-operation is needed.
The events of September 11th brought immense changes to the socio-political climate and drew attention to the blurred dividing line between crime and politics. The war against terrorism, like the war on drugs, will be fought in the courts as well as on the battlefield, and criminologists will have a major role to play.
Finally, there is the media, which sets the agenda for debate, as well as responding to the public appetite for crime news and stories. How does the way crime is reported and represented influence life 'on the streets'. Do violent video games or So Solid Crew lyrics really make kids into criminals? Do real cops and robbers end up imitating their fictional counterparts? And most mysterious of all, has any villain ever actually said to an arresting officer 'You got me bang to rights'?
Studying Criminology at University
Some university courses are social science or psychology based, others have more of an emphasis on law and criminal justice. One of the largest new developments is the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science at University College London.
At degree level, Criminology can often be studied in combination with Law, Psychology or Sociology, and there are some interesting new interdisciplinary degree courses springing up.
For example, the BSc (Hons) Forensic Science degree now on offer at the University of East London (UEL) looks at how advances in biological evidence such as DNA testing are transforming the criminal justice system. Through work placements with the Police Service and Forensic Laboratories, students will receive hands-on experience of both scene-of-crime and laboratory work, and potential career avenues include public health, consumer protection, environmental monitoring, health and safety, accident investigation, and claims assessment as well as police work.
Some career options for criminologists:
Probation Service… salary scales etc
Community and Voluntary organisations, eg NACRO, drugs projects, youth
work
Government… the Home Office, local government, etc..,
Journalism…
For further information contact the British Society of Criminology
Tel: 0208 223 2902 or log on to www.britsoccrim.org
By: Patrick Wilson
investigates the evidence for careers in criminology
