Essay on The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behavior
The topic chosen for this project is “The use technology and information resources to research issues in crime and criminal behavior”. In fact, this topical area is of great importance for criminologists because it highlights the need for using use technology and information resources to facilitate the process of crime investigation. The history of criminology can be effectively used in study of different aspects of criminology through construction of a framework for the study of crime based on the available knowledge of the proper facts, events and individual behaviors (Lawrence, 2012).
The topic needs to be researched not only to better understand the nature of criminology and the functioning of criminologists in different periods of time, but also to identify the relationship between the past, present and future aspects of crime investigation. In addition, the chosen topic area needs to be researched to address a wide range of problems and challenges that exist in today’s field of criminology. The history of criminology helps to assess the relationship between social structures and criminological ideas (Laub, 2004). Due to this research, it is possible to find solutions to various issues in the field of contemporary criminology based on the use technology and information resources.
Defining the problems and challenges that exist in crime and criminology
Based on the chosen topic, it is necessary to define the problems and challenges that exist in crime and criminology. The history of criminology allows identifying serious problems connected with the studies of punishment. According to researchers, earlier studies in this field are based primarily on the issues of unemployment (Laub, 2004; Peelo & Soothill, 2013). Later studies in this area are focused on the critical assessment and analysis of the trends in punishment. Researchers explore historical contingencies that reflect the relationship between unemployment and imprisonment. These issues create certain problems in the field of crime and criminology. To make deeper understanding of the key challenges faced by criminology, it is necessary to place emphasis on the new form of knowledge that helps to assess crime trends and criminal behaviors. Actually, criminology is a rather new discipline, although it has its history. Criminology faces some problems connected with certain conflicts that appear within the discipline (Peelo & Soothill, 2013). Criminology needs more and more studies to make the discipline less “static”. As the major task of criminology is to “explore and explain crime” as social construction, it is necessary to define the boundaries of criminology and the impact of other disciplines on its development (Peelo & Soothill, 2013).
In general, many challenges face the field of criminology as it continues to grow and become less “static”. The historical issues that have contributed to the problems and challenges are connected with social, cultural, political and economic changes. According to researchers, there are three major challenges faced the file of crime and criminology. First, “criminological research has been futile”(Laub, 2006, p. 237). Researchers suggest the work of criminologists in the field lacks scientific approaches to the study of the phenomena of crime. Besides, the knowledge provided by the discipline of criminology lacks a comprehensive scientific proposition and conclusion (Laub, 2006). Second, “the reason for the futility of research in criminology is the incompetence of criminologists in science” (Laub, 2006, p. 237). Researchers argue that the use of scientific method in the field requires the proper theoretical analysis, observation, and interpretation, which characterize crime and criminology field as “raw empiricism” (Laub, 2006). Special attention is paid to observation, while the abstractions of analysis are neglected. Researchers suggest that “the assurance with which criminologists have advanced opinions regarding the causes of crime is in striking contrast to the worthlessness of the data upon which those opinions are based” (Michael & Adler, 2003, p. 169). The third problem is that the current methods applied to crime and criminology research are ineffective, and scientists should come to the field of criminology from other fields to improve these methods (Laub, 2006). It has been found that the common sense knowledge used in crime and criminology field is insufficient to effectively address the practical problems regarding crime control. Besides, the descriptive knowledge generated by criminological research fails to increase the role of the common sense knowledge in order to compensate for its insufficiency. Criminology as a science should be constructed not only by criminologists, but also by psychologists, biologists, sociologists or by others.
Thus, these problems lead to the failure of criminology to address a wide range of issues connected with crime control (Garland & Sparks, 2000; Laub, 2004).
The contributions of internal and external stakeholders to the problems and solutions in crime and criminology
The internal stakeholders can be found inside the field of crime and criminology. They are criminologists, staff members of the criminological organization, its management and the board of directors. The external stakeholders can be found outside the field of crime and criminology. They include the environment, government, the media, and the members of society, clients, victims, and criminals.
The internal and external stakeholders contribute to both the problems and the solutions in crime and criminology. They influence the success of the research in crime and criminology and possible outcomes, the historical development of the field and the areas of study. For example, criminologists contribute to finding solutions to the existing problems and challenges through the application of the proper scientific methods and theories. The media and the government contribute both to the problems and solutions in crime and criminology through various policies and programs aimed at crime control (Laub, 2004).
Generally speaking, the contributions of internal and external stakeholders to the problems and solutions in crime and criminology should be taken into consideration while conducting a criminological research.
Discussion of the data and information that have been collected while conducting research on the topic
The data and information that have been collected while conducting research on the topic can be characterized as valid and reliable. Much information has been taken from peer-reviewed journals and scholarly sources. The authors of these sources are competent to write about crime and criminology.
Moreover, the data relates to the problems and challenges in crime and criminology because the authors are interested in critical assessment of criminological research and its findings. The authors of the sources used in this study are focused on exploring the nature of criminology and its impact on crime control.
Developing a solution that addresses the problems and challenges in crime and criminology, based on the research findings
In order to develop the proper solution that would address the problems and challenges in crime and criminology, based on the research findings, it is necessary to identify three areas that would be addressed:
- to make improvements in criminological research;
- to improve the competence of criminologists in the field of crime and criminology;
- to improve the current methods applied to crime and criminology research, inviting scientists from other fields.
Thus, taking into consideration the above mentioned areas, it is necessary to conclude that the problems and challenges in crime and criminology should be addressed through the application of more effective methods and strategies in criminological research, enhancement of the competence of criminologists in the field of crime and criminology, and the involvement of scientists from other fields to the field of crime and criminology. According to recent findings, the theories of crime can be applied to different disciplines, including psychology, sociology, biology and other disciplines. Criminologists are encouraged to use this knowledge in a meaningful way. It is necessary to remember that “misunderstanding of the present is the inevitable consequence of ignorance of the past” (Laub, 2006, p. 250). As a matter of fact many of current issues in the field of crime and criminology have a long and interesting history. Criminologists should pay more attention to the history of criminology in order to effectively apply technology and information resources in the study of crime and criminal behavior (Garland & Sparks, 2000). The history of criminology could be used as the basis for the proper analysis of crime, crime policies, crime rates and other issues.
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