The 6 Differences Between Criminology And Criminology
When we talk about criminology and criminology, it is quite common to think that both words refer to the same thing or that, in essence, there are few differences between one concept and the other.
However, the way they relate to crimes, what they study and the investigative method behind both disciplines is very different. Next we will see what are the main differences between criminology and criminology summarized and with some examples.
Most important differences between criminology and criminology
It is quite common to think, outside their respective fields, that criminology and criminalistics are, essentially, the same, or that at most one differs from the other based on nuances.
However, this idea is quite wrong, given that criminology and criminalistics are disciplines that, although they are related to the forensic field, Its object of study, its research methodology, its function in society and even its origins are very different Let’s look at these differences in more detail below.
1. Origins and scientific classification
Although criminology and criminalistics are two complementary sciences, collaborating very closely in the forensic process, there are many things that differentiate them, starting with their origins.
Criminalistics is a natural science, with a strong empirical component Thus, it makes great use of the scientific method and induction. It has its origins in the ancient practice of dactyloscopy (study of fingerprints) and began in the 17th century with the development of forensic medicine. Later, in addition to medicine, physics, chemistry and biology would support this discipline.
Instead, criminology is a social science basing his knowledge on the deductive method and raises postulates about the deviant behavior of individuals, understood in legal terms.
This description of human behavior is based on knowledge extracted from psychology, sociology, anthropology and philosophy. It has its origins in the time of great philosophers such as Plato or Aristotle, through Thomas Aquinas in the 12th century, who wondered what caused a person to commit a crime.
2. Object of study
Criminology has as its object of study the criminal act, analyzing it with the application of natural sciences and legal sciences collecting all physical evidence, identifying it and establishing conclusions with the support of medicine, toxicology, anthropology and other sciences.
That is, its object of study is everything left by the person who committed the crime and that could be used to incriminate him (e.g., remains of hair, blood stains on his clothing, type of bullet, strength of the gun). slash…)
Instead, criminology has as its object the study of individual behavior patterns, its social tendencies with respect to crime and the consequences that it can cause in society. That is, it is responsible for studying the motive, why a crime has been committed, searching and analyzing the evidence or materials that provide evidence of a particular case.
This is why criminology would not only include the reasons that lead a person to commit murder or rob, but it would also be within its field of study to understand what makes a person consume drugs, which in principle only hurt her, or commit suicide.
Regarding the legal aspect, criminology aims to determine who is responsible for the crime so that he receives the corresponding verdict and corrective, repressive and punishable measures are applied based on what he has done.
That is, it does not go into why the person behaved the way they did, but rather into providing evidence to incriminate them and hold them responsible for their actions. It serves to define the truth and establish the penalty for the criminal in question.
Instead, criminology has more to do with the non-legal aspects of the criminal process that is, it focuses not on the damage done or what legal consequences the person should receive, but on the reason for what they have done and how they could have been prevented from committing a crime.
Thus, criminology takes on a preventive aspect, with the intention of reducing crime by detecting signs of deviant behavior that can evolve into serious antisocial acts. It tries to enter the minds of criminals in order to regulate behaviors that are not appropriate for society.
4. Way of investigating
In criminalistics the way of investigating is practical, examining the crime scene meticulously Using specialized techniques from forensic sciences, medicine, biology and chemistry, it allows us to recreate how the events occurred, staging it based on the evidence found in the victim, the room or other aspects.
Criminology, at the level of the investigative process, is rather theoretical, given that it has the quality of study the behavior, causes, consequences and reactions of crime, both of those involved and of society and the government This science is based on theories of psychology, especially clinical, forensic and social, along with knowledge from anthropology, with the intention of searching for possible causes and viable solutions.
As we have seen so far, criminology and criminalistics present several differences in aspects such as their object of study and the sciences on which they are based, which is why it is to be expected that they will provide answers to very different questions.
On the one hand, we have that criminology aims to answer the questions of how, when, where and who committed a criminal act, of whatever nature. Instead, criminology answers why that crime was committed That is, as we have already mentioned before, try to respond to what motivation drove the person to do what he did.
6. Related careers
Given their differences in terms of the sciences from which they draw support and the way in which they relate to the criminal process, There are many different professions that are related to criminology and criminology
Within criminology, the professionals who work in police departments, forensic laboratories and hospitals that we can find are:
In the case of criminology, the careers carried out in government agencies, courts and police services are:
