21st Century Criminology: A Reference Handbook

This set of flashcards highlights key terms and concepts related to the study and understanding of criminology, derived from the 21st Century Criminology handbook.

Criminology

The study of crime, encompassing the processes of making laws, breaking laws, and reactions to the breaking of laws.

Correlation

A statistical relationship between two variables, indicating how one may predict changes in the other.

Dependent Variables

Variables that are affected or changed by other factors in a study or experiment.

Independent Variables

Factors that are manipulated or controlled in an experiment to test their effects on dependent variables.

Determinism

The philosophical concept that all events, including human actions, are determined by preceding events or natural laws.

Multidisciplinarity

The integration of multiple academic disciplines to study a complex subject like criminology.

Theoretical Criminology

A field that relates crime to various causes such as individual, familial, and societal factors.

Positivism

An approach that emphasizes the application of the scientific method to study social phenomena.

Rational Choice Theory

A framework for understanding crime that views offenders as making calculated decisions based on perceived risks and rewards.

Social Contract

A theory developed by Thomas Hobbes involving the sacrifice of personal freedom for the benefit of societal order and protection.