Criminology Complete Course Notes

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key concepts, theories, and legal definitions from the Criminology course notes at Multimedia University of Kenya.

Criminology

An interdisciplinary field situated within the behavioral and social sciences that draws on sociology, psychology, philosophy, and other disciplines to understand the nature, causes, and control of crime.

Law

A body of rules prescribed by an authority and carrying binding legal force, where violation may attract punishment.

Crime (Legal Definition)

An act that violates the criminal law.

Crime (Sociological Definition)

Deviant behaviour that violates the norms of a society, challenging the human right to behave normally within societal expectations.

Criminal

A person who has violated criminal law, been found guilty by a court, and punished accordingly.

Criminalization

The social procedure by which an act is declared a threat to human safety, using the threat of punishment to deter individuals from harming others.

Social Norms (Harms)

Standardised rules that define obligatory and prohibited behaviour across situations, functioning as a mechanism for social control.

Organised Crime

A structured enterprise operating for profit, typically through intimidation, threats, or violence, characterized by a clear hierarchical structure and multiple individuals working in coordination.

Penology

The branch of criminology concerned with the study and management of punishment, examining the penal system, conviction, and correction.

Victimology

The study of crime victims, their relationship to offenders, and the psychological impact of crime.

Criminal Justice

The study of the system inclusive of police, courts, and corrections designed to deliver justice.

Chicago School Theory

A theory arguing that crime is a function of neighbourhood dynamics where the breakdown of social norms in poor areas leaves youth vulnerable to criminal influence.

Social Control Theory (Travis Hirschi)

A theory suggesting people conform to social norms because of strong social bonds, specifically attachment, and that delinquency occurs when these bonds are weakened.

Sub-Cultural Theory (Cohen's Status Frustration)

A theory focused on lower-class youth who, feel blocked from achieving middle-class status, reject mainstream norms and construct alternative value systems.

Rational Choice Theory

The premise that individuals are rational actors who calculate costs and benefits, such as risk and opportunity, before choosing to offend.

Left Realism

A perspective claiming crime is disproportionately concentrated among the poor and emerging from relative deprivation, marginalization, and sub-cultures.

Relative Deprivation

The perceived gap between what individuals or groups have and what they believe they deserve, particularly in contexts of visible inequality.

Marginalization

The social, economic, and political exclusion of groups who may resort to crime as a form of self-representation.

Actus Reus

The physical act, or failure to act, that the law prohibits.

Mens Rea

The mental element of a crime, refers to guilty mind, criminal intent, or knowledge range from willful intent to negligence.

White-Collar Crimes

Non-violent, financially motivated offences committed by professionals or officials, such as fraud, bribery, and embezzlement.

Juvenile Delinquency

Law-breaking behaviour by individuals under the age of $18$, encompassing a pattern of anti-social behaviour outside socially accepted conduct.

Status Offences

Acts considered offences only because of the offender's age, such as truancy, curfew violations, or running away from home.

Unsocialised Delinquents

Children from homes marked by neglect or rejection who never learned to regulate impulses and tend to act out aggressively.

Accidental Delinquents

Young people whose involvement in delinquent acts is situational and by chance rather than design, typically not leading to criminal careers.

Social Delinquents

Individuals influenced by peer groups or sub-cultural norms who gradually develop habitual offending patterns through social reinforcement.

Professional Delinquents

Those who engage in crime for material gain or personal gratification in a deliberate and calculated manner.

Deterrence

A purpose of punishment aimed at discouraging both the specific offender and society at large from committing crime.

Retribution

Imposing proportionate punishment as moral repayment for harm caused, often referred to as 'just deserts'.

Incapacitation

Removing the offender from society, such as through imprisonment, to prevent further offending.

Restorative/Retributive Shaming

Using public acknowledgment of wrongdoing to reintegrate the offender into the community with restored dignity.

Probation

An alternative to prison where the offender is released under supervision and must comply with court-set conditions.

Restitution

A requirement for offenders to compensate the victim or the community for harm caused.

Forfeiture

The seizure of goods, assets, or valuables linked to the commission of an offence.

Crime Prevention Through Social Development (CPSD)

A people-oriented strategy targeting root causes of crime like poverty and family dysfunction to reduce risk factors in children and youth.

Situational Crime Prevention

A place-oriented strategy that modifies environments to reduce crime opportunities through measures like increased surveillance and improved lighting.