Fundamentals of Criminology provides students with a comprehensive overview of the critical theories that are generally taught in undergraduate courses. The valuable insight and information within the text encourages discussion and consideration of policy implications, applications, theoretical evaluation, and the criminal justice system itself. The book begins with an overview of crime, criminology, and the criminal justice system, along with an introduction to various databases used to study topics related to crime and justice. In later chapters, students learn the fundamental theories of criminology, including the classical school of thought, the positivist school of thought, social structure theories based on socioeconomic status, power, and wealth, and theories of social learning and social reaction. For each theory, there is a clear introduction and discussion of its key propositions and concepts, followed by an examination of its impact on the criminal justice system and policymaking. The book concludes with chapters addressing white-collar crime, terrorism, and tools for addressing the evolving challenges within the field. Fundamentals of Criminology is well-suited for undergraduate courses in sociology, criminal justice, and criminology, especially those that address criminological theory. Divvya Sharma holds a Ph.D. in sociology and master's degrees in sociology and criminal justice. Her research focuses on topics related to informal banking systems; comparative criminology and criminal justice research; and immigration, globalization, and ethnic identity. She has been using mixed methods to study these topics and has collected data in India, Kenya, and the United States.

Fundamentals of Criminology: New Dimensions delivers a comprehensive and comprehensible introduction to the discipline of criminology. As the title implies, it covers the fundamentals of criminology, including the major theories of crime causation, classic and current empirical tests of those theories, the strengths and weaknesses and the policy implications of each. It also describes the types of crime and provides current rates, trends over time and theoretical explanations for each, as well as a discussion of characteristics of offenders and victims. What sets this book apart from the many other fine criminology textbooks out there is its inclusion of some new dimensions of criminology. The new dimensions in this book include but are not limited to research designs in criminology, new theories of crime causation, crime in different contexts, connections between criminology and criminal justice policy and a number of lingering issues for both disciplines. In combination with the fundamentals, these new dimensions are designed to provide readers with the richest, most complete understanding of what crime is, how much of it there is, what causes it and what do to about it, as well as the ability and desire to pose important questions for the future of both criminology and criminal justice. “The authors have produced a comprehensive, readable, and thoroughly interesting text covering the topic of sociological criminology. Yes, there are a plethora of texts in this area, but Harper and Frailing’s addition to the field has a number of features moving it ahead of the competition. There is in-depth coverage of emerging areas in crime, including cybercrime and human trafficking, as well as an excellent section on how disasters augment the opportunities for crime by hindering capable guardianship. The authors’ arguments for evidence-based crime prevention strategies and public policies are compelling. Fundamentals of Criminology is worthy of the closest consideration by instructors teaching undergraduate criminology courses.” — Jay Corzine, professor of sociology, University of Central Florida

A fundamental introduction on how to think about, do, and evaluate research in the criminology and criminal justice field.

The criminal justice system is a key social institution pertinent to the lives of citizens everywhere. Fundamentals of Criminal Justice: A Sociological View, Second Edition provides a unique social context to explore and explain the nature, impact, and significance of the criminal justice system in everyday life. This introductory text examines important sociological issues including class, race, and gender inequality, social control, and organizational structure and function.

Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Fourth Edition introduces students to the multifaceted subject of research methods and shows them why research is important in the field of criminology and criminal justice. This brief version of Ronet Bachman and Russell K. Schutt’s successful textbook (The Practice of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice) simplifies complex concepts with real-world research examples found in everyday experiences in the criminology and criminal justice professions. The thoroughly updated Fourth Edition of this bestseller reflects the most recent developments in research methods, including the use of big data, increased coverage of crime mapping, evidence-based and web-based research, along with the most current research examples impacting the field. This is an excellent introductory text for undergraduate research courses, and is ideal for students who want to understand how and why criminal justice research is done to become critical consumers of research.

A Revised and Updated Edition of a Bestselling GIS Text Fundamentals of Crime Mapping, Second Edition walks readers through the research, theories, and history of geographic information systems used in law enforcement. Practical, comprehensive, and highly accessible, the revised and updated Second Edition of this bestselling text explains the day-to-day application of crime analysis for mapping. The text is packed with relevant real-world scenarios that contextualize key concepts and reflect actual crime patterns, trends, and series. Students will develop the skills to analyze and synthesize information and transition classroom-based knowledge to careers in the fast-growing field of law enforcement. Special topics discussed include current basic mapping terminology, crime trends in rural and urban areas, the major ecological theories of crime, geographic profiling, and empirical research using crime mapping tools. The Second Edition incorporates all-new material, including new chapters on the basics of cartography and police methodologies and their impact on crime mapping, as well as all-new exercises using ArcGIS 10. Fundamentals of Crime Mapping, Second Edition helps to equip any practitioner of crime mapping and its related fields with the tools and understanding necessary to meet the challenges of the day. A DVD containing the data files to complete the exercises available within the printed text and the companion website are not included in the purchase of an eBook nor a used text.

Introduction to Criminology, Why Do They Do It?, Second Edition, by Pamela J. Schram Stephen G. Tibbetts, offers a contemporary and integrated discussion of the key theories that help us understand crime in the 21st century. With a focus on why offenders commit crimes, this bestseller skillfully engages students with real-world cases and examples to help students explore the fundamentals of criminology. To better align with how instructors actually teach this course, coverage of violent and property crimes has been integrated into the theory chapters, so students can clearly understand the application of theory to criminal behavior. Unlike other introductory criminology textbooks, the Second Edition discusses issues of diversity in each chapter and covers many contemporary topics that are not well represented in other texts, such as feminist criminology, cybercrime, hate crimes, white-collar crime, homeland security, and identity theft. Transnational comparisons regarding crime rates and the methods other countries use to deal with crime make this edition the most universal to date and a perfect companion for those wanting to learn about criminology in context.