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Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Enhanced Instructor Manual Siegel/McCormick, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Table of Contents Summary .......................................................................................................................... 2 Chapter Overview .............................................................................................................. 3 Special Features................................................................................................................. 4 Learning Objectives ............................................................................................................ 4 What are common student misconceptions and stumbling blocks and how can I help students to overcome these?................................................................................................................ 4 How can I generate discussion in my course and assess my students? ................................... 5 Applying Criminology .......................................................................................................... 6 How can I engage my students? ......................................................................................... 6 What can I do in the way of assignments and projects? ........................................................ 7 What can I do online? ........................................................................................................ 7

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology Summary Criminology is the academic multidisciplinary science devoted to the study of crime patterns and trends, as well as the development of valid and reliable information regarding the causes of those patterns and trends. It deals with the processes of making laws, breaking laws, and society’s reaction to the breaking of laws. The study of criminal justice refers to a field of study that aims to describe and analyze the work of the police, courts, and correctional facilities, and how to better design effective methods of crime control. Although the two fields are different, they do overlap. Criminologists must know how criminal justice agencies operate, and criminal justice experts must understand the nature of crime and often use criminological research and theory. There are many branches of criminology theory. Classical criminology developed in the 19th century with Beccaria arguing that people have free will and that crime can be controlled by punishment if it is severe, certain, and swift. On the other hand, Comte developed the positivist ideology, believing that an individual’s behaviour was a product of social, biological, psychological, and economic forces, and argued that not everything related to our behaviour is under our direct control. In disagreement, other positivists, such as Lombroso, claimed a more biological origin to crime, stating that serious offenders had inherited criminal traits. Around the same time, more sociological approaches were developed: Quetelet used statistics in criminological research to identify crime-related factors; and Durkheim pioneered sociological research on crime focused on the mismatch between an individual’s norms and societal norms (anomie). In the beginning of the 20th century, the Chicago School conducted research in social ecology and found that some neighbourhoods are natural areas for crime because of poverty and broken social institutions. The socialization view followed, proposing that people learn criminal attitudes or develop an inadequate self-image. Then the 1960s and 1970s brought conflict criminology that applied Marxist principles to the study of crime, stating that the power of those leading society is integral to our understanding of what constitutes crime. In contemporary criminology, classical theory has evolved into rational choice and deterrence theories; positivism now considers how biological and psychological traits interact with the environment to influence criminality; sociological theories examine social structure, learning experiences, and socialization; conflict theorists examine how unfair economic structures impact high crime rates; and criminologists integrate developmental theories with personal, situational, and social factors. Criminology has six major subareas in terms of the work criminologists do:      

First, criminal statistics describe and measure crime. Second, the sociology of law analyzes how society shapes the law and how the law shapes society. Third, theory construction focuses on crime causation. Fourth, criminal behaviour systems focus on crime typology. Fifth, penology deals with corrections, rehabilitation, and treatment. Sixth, victimology focuses on the role of victims in crime.

There are three main perspectives of how criminologists view crime:

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

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First, the consensus view holds that the criminal law reflects the values, beliefs, and opinions of society’s mainstream and that there is a consensus in society on what behaviours should be illegal. It views the law as fair and impartial. This view is held primarily in North America. Second, the conflict view holds that society is a collection of diverse groups that are in constant and continuous conflict and that there exist power differentials between the groups. The powerful use the law and the criminal justice system to advance or maintain their economic and social position. Third, the interactionist view says that people (1) act according to their own interpretations of reality, according to the meaning things have for them; (2) learn the meaning of a thing from the way others react to it, either positively or negatively; and (3) re-evaluate and interpret their own behaviour according to the meanings and symbols they have learned from others.

There are six broad categories for how criminologists conduct research:      

Survey research, where the researcher solicits comments from many subjects about how they feel about a topic at the time of sampling. Longitudinal (cohort) research, which involves the researcher conducting observations of a cohort of people over a period. Aggregate data research, where a researcher uses a large database of information gathered by a larger agency such as Statistics Canada to explore trends and patterns. Experimental research, in which the researcher develops a situation where they can manipulate events and observe the behaviours of subjects in reaction to those events. Analyzing policy, where researchers review present or past policies for their impacts on offenders and the public. Observational and interview research, by which researchers acquire in-depth data through longer interviews and observations of situations.

Chapter Overview What Is Criminology? Criminology and Criminal Justice Criminology and Deviance A Brief History of Criminology Classical Criminology 19th-Century Positivism Positivist Criminology Cesare Lombroso and the Criminal Man The Development of Sociological Criminology The Chicago School and the McGill School Conflict Criminology Criminology Today What Criminologists Do: The Criminological Enterprise Criminal Statistics Sociology of Law Theory Construction

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Criminal Behaviour Systems Penology Victimology How Do Criminologists View Crime? The Consensus View of Crime The Conflict View of Crime The Interactionist View of Crime Defining Crime The Politics of Crime Doing Criminology Survey Research Longitudinal (Cohort) Research Aggregate Data Research Experimental Research Analyzing Policy Observational and Interview Research Ethical Issues in Criminology Summary

Special Features

Key Court Case: R. v. Sharpe (2001) Crime, Conflict, and Disorder: Unmarked Burials Found at Former Residential School Focus on Research: Canadian Crime Trends, 2019 Profile of a Crime: Canada’s Deadliest Serial Killers Applying Criminology

Learning Objectives At the conclusion of this chapter, the student should be able to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Understand the scope of the field of criminology. Be familiar with different parts of the ―criminological enterprise.‖ Know the elements of what constitutes a crime. Discuss the different views of crime. Explain different criminological research methods and their use.

What are common student misconceptions and stumbling blocks and how can I help students to overcome these? 

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The difference between criminology and criminal justice o Have students create a visual that differentiates the two. o Have students in small groups create their own definitions for each and discuss these in class. Differences between the theories

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Draw a timeline to distinguish the different years and eras that theories emerged in and explain how developments in scientific thinking occurred in that progression. o Have students watch a video that has concrete examples of the differences. Let them develop a chart where they put in the example to fit the theory. Discuss the completed charts. o Have students watch a video that has concrete examples of the differences. Let them develop a chart where they put in the example to fit the theory. Discuss the completed charts. o Have students locate news articles of cases that might fit with the different theories. The importance of verifiable evidence data to establish crime patterns o Use examples of media reports on crime rates and ask if the rates mean we live in a more dangerous time. o Have students discuss other circumstances in which they would want verified evidence instead of anecdotal evidence (e.g., their own personal health). Differences in methodological analysis strategies and for various topics o Give examples of why specific methods are used to answer certain questions (e.g., experiments to make causal inferences, surveys to gather large amounts of data on personal opinions). o Have students work in small groups, each with a method, and come up with the pros and cons of that method and how it is used for answering specific questions. o Have students discuss possible ethical issues related to certain methodological analyses, and discuss how some groups who might be studied should be considered with more care. o

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How can I generate discussion in my course and assess my students? 1. In a case like Robert Pickton, which theory might best explain his alleged serial killer behaviour? 2. How do we determine ―good‖ versus ―bad‖ behaviours? Who gets to decide this? 3. Who is considered a ―criminal?‖ What kinds of individuals/groups tend to get considered criminal? Are there any kinds of individuals/groups who do not tend to be considered criminal? 4. What kinds of deviant behaviour have you personally witnessed in your own community? What social or cultural factors might have contributed to these behaviours? 5. Think of the reporting of crime and criminals. Which crimes/criminals tend to get the most coverage, and which get the least? Does this tell us anything about our culture? How does that fit with Hagan’s typologies? 6. How does media coverage impact the public perception of crime? What might be some ethical implications regarding how media should or should not cover crime stories? 7. What factors explain why crime is related to class conflict? What about the importance of choice and free will? 8. How would the consensus, interactionist, and conflict views of crime define the actions of a politician seeking to change laws in order to pollute the environment for capital gain?

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

9. Are there any examples of the law in North America that appear to be applied differently to different individuals or groups (e.g., Indigenous groups)? What might be some reasons for this? What about other countries in terms of this concept of ―fairness‖? 10. What research approach would one have to take in order to answer why people think crime is on the rise? What limitations and ethical implications might we have to consider when trying to answer this question? 11. What can criminologists do to be more ethical in their research? Are there ways they could possibly empower marginalized groups with so they can use the data they create with the researcher?

Applying Criminology The Applying Criminology section at the end of this chapter asks students to consider how to best use research methods to predict violence-prone behaviour. After the scenario, students are asked: Some of your colleagues argue that this type of testing is unconstitutional because it violates the subjects’ Charter guarantee of being considered innocent until proven guilty. There is also the issue of error: Some kids may be falsely labelled as violence-prone. How would you answer your critics? Is it fair or ethical to label people as potentially criminal and violent even though they have not yet exhibited any antisocial behaviour? Will such labelling lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy where the kids may become violent because it is now expected of them? Do the risks of such a procedure outweigh its benefits? Here are some discussion points to link this section back to the chapter topics: In our society, being falsely accused of a crime is a serious matter. Attempts to screen people for violent tendencies they have not yet exhibited are fraught with error. Followers of the positivistic movement in the 19th century, however, would support your data-finding process. Lombroso himself believed that teachers should be trained to identify future criminality in schoolchildren. Positivism believed that using techniques such as measuring the skull was a proper scientific method for understanding crime and deviance. The issue is that, though your method uses science to collect data, it does not take into account factors relevant to sociological criminology. If consideration of social factors such as poverty and inequality is absent from the study, though you might find consensus among some scientists, it would only come at the price of ignoring the factor of conflict. To be truly scientific in criminology, there would need to be a control group as well as the study of the incarcerated group. This would make the results stronger because you have a comparison, not an isolated sample. Furthermore, decisions could be made about limiting the survey research to a particular cohort or engaging in a longitudinal study, which would give better data to analyze. Finally, could such a research project be ethical if some students are given pre-crime treatment and others are not? And does it individualize their problems when perhaps situational factors are at least as important? Such a study raises more questions than answers and may inflict serious damage on the subjects.

How can I engage my students? 1. Beccaria said that the threat of punishment controls crime. Aside from the threat of legal punishments, what else controls behaviour? What implications does this have in regard to capital punishment?

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

2. Ask students how criminological theories might be applied to help improve the criminal justice system. Why or why not may they help? Consider asking this again later as they have more information. 3. Divide the class into three groups, each group taking one of the three perspectives (consensus, conflict, and interactionist). Using recent news reports, have the groups come up with examples for their perspective and then share them with the rest of the class. 4. Get students to try coming up with research questions they might be interested in exploring related to criminology. Have them consider what types of methods might be used to assess their question, as well as what the advantages and disadvantages of their method. 5. Present students with a hypothetical situation (or have them make one up) in which a criminologist learns about unreported criminal behaviour during their research. Have students discuss the dilemmas the criminologist will face and how these might be solved. 6. Get students to look for news about crime in their home town or city. Ask them to observe what kinds of crimes they see being reported and reflect on why those crimes might make the news.

What can I do in the way of assignments and projects? 1. Create envelopes with cards, each having a different behaviour on them (e.g., murder, rape, robbery, arson, alcoholism, sexual fetishes, pornography, prostitution, drug use, tattoos, body piercing, cross-dressing). Have students, in groups, order the cards into three groups based on rankings to the following criteria: a. The evaluation of the amount of social harm the behaviour causes b. The amount of agreement society has that the behaviour is unacceptable c. The level of response society is prepared to enact in response to the behaviour Discuss the similarities and differences of the groupings between the groups of students, and discuss based on Hagan’s typologies. 2. Have students work in groups and, using chart paper, compare and contrast the features of the three perspectives (consensus, conflict, and interactionist). Get them to share their results afterward, and discuss why the differences between them have emerged. 3. Have one group discuss possible social and economic factors that may shape criminal behaviour, and have another group discuss possible individual factors that may shape criminal behaviour. Discuss how different theories have addressed these issues. This topic can be readdressed later in the course as students gain more information. 4. Create small groups for each of the historical criminology theories. Have them come up with examples of news cases, quotes, media representations, and so on, and present them to the rest of the class.

What can I do online? 1. Isabella Robinson: Social Media’s Impact on Cases of Police Brutality. In this TEDx talk, Isabella Robinson uses her own personal experience of harassment by police

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

due to racial bias to discuss how social media can impact the discussion about racial profiling and harassment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_Y3_y_hzp8

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How this talk can be framed around criminological interpretations? What theories would help explain racial profiling?

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How do social media change the discussion of crime as compared to mainstream media?

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This is about racial profiling in the United States. What are some similar issues that you see in Canada? What are some differences?

2. Visualizing Crime Rates. Create your own visual representation of crime using your own approach. Using the crime data found on Statistics Canada (https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2022001/article/00013eng.htm), look at the police-reported offences and try creating an different kind of illustration than the charts used on the website.  Can you visualize the data in a way that makes it more appealing than bar charts or timeline graphs?  What kinds of crimes are more common than others? Do some surprise you?  How might you explain your image to others? Will they be able to make sense of your interpretation? 3. Brian Boutwell: The Future of Criminology. In this TEDx talk, Brian Boutwell questions the tendency for criminology to focus primarily on the social factors to explain criminal behaviour. He argues that the field needs to focus more on biosocial criminology and the need to consider the interaction between environment and genetics. He discusses the need to consider the addition of twin studies to the more traditional methods of criminology in order to help determine the genetic influence on behaviour and environment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbikaH4GTSo 

Does the field of criminology focus only on environmental factors and ignore the biological? What theories might agree and conflict with Brian Boutwell’s premise?

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How can modern technology (genetics, neuro-imaging, etc.) help the study of criminology? What might we need to be careful about?

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What big take-away message should we learn about correlations? What is ultimately the only methodology that can infer a causal relationship?

Enhanced Instructor Manual: Siegel/McCormick, Criminology in Canada, 8e, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 1: Crime and Criminology

Enhanced Instructor Manual Siegel/McCormick, 2024, 9781774747827; Chapter 2: The Criminal Law and Its Process

Table of Contents Summary .........................................................................................................................10 Chapter Overview .............................................................................................................11 Special Features................................................................................................................11 Learning Objectives ...........................................................................................................12 What are common student misconceptions and stumbling blocks and how can I help students to overcome these?...............................................................................................................12 How can I generate discussion in my course and assess my students? ..................................13 Applying Criminology .........................................................................................................13 How can I engage my students? ........................................................................................14 What can I do in the way of assignments and projects? .......................................................14 What can I do online? .......................................................................................................14