Criminology: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

Crime is big news. From murder to theft to drug gangs, crime and criminal justice affect the lives of millions of people worldwide. Hardly surprisingly, crime has been pushed high up the public policy agenda across the world. But how can we measure crime, or evaluate the effectiveness of preventative measures? Does the threat of prison reduce someone's likelihood of reoffending, or would rehabilitation be more constructive? In this Very Short Introduction Tim Newburn considers how we can study trends in crime, and use them to inform preventative policy and criminal justice. Analysing the history of the subject, he reflects on our understanding of crime and responses to crime in earlier historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world, Newburn discusses its causes, exploring the relationship between drugs and crime, analysing what we know about why people stop offending, and looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. Newburn concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits are. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Crime is big news. From murder to theft to drug gangs, crime and criminal justice affect the lives of millions of people worldwide. Hardly surprisingly, crime has been pushed high up the public policy agenda across the world. But how can we measure crime, or evaluate the effectiveness of preventative measures? Does the threat of prison reduce someone's likelihood of reoffending, or would rehabilitation be more constructive? In this Very Short Introduction Tim Newburn considers how we can study trends in crime and use them to inform preventative policy and criminal justice. Analyzing the history of the subject, he reflects on our understanding of crime and responses to crime in earlier historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world, Newburn discusses its causes, exploring the relationship between drugs and crime, analyzing what we know about why people stop offending, and looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. Newburn concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits are. ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable. Résumé éditeur : "Criminology: A Very Short Introduction considers how to measure crime, how crime trends can be studied, and how those trends can be used to inform preventative policy and criminal justice. Analysing the history of the subject, it reflects on our understanding of and responses to crime in earlier historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world, causes, and the relationship between drugs and crime are explored, analysing what we know about why people stop offending, and looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. It concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits are." __Criminology: A Very Short Introduction__ considers how to measure crime, how crime trends can be studied, and how those trends can be used to inform preventative policy and criminal justice. Analysing the history of the subject, it reflects on our understanding of and responses to crime in earlier historical periods. Considering trends in crime in the developed world, causes, and the relationship between drugs and crime are explored, analysing what we know about why people stop offending, and looking at both formal and informal responses to crime. It concludes by discussing what role criminology can plausibly be anticipated to have in crime control and politics, and what its limits are. "What do we mean by the term "crime"? Who commits crime and why do they do it? And what can we do about it? This [book] considers what we know about crime and criminality, and about historical trends and competing explanations for patterns of crime in the developed world."--Book flap. Introducing criminology What is crime? Who commits crime? How do we measure crime? Understanding recent trends in crime Understanding the crime drop How do we control crime? How do we prevent crime? Where next for criminology?