1.1 Introduction
Criminology, in its simplest meaning is the study of crime and criminal behaviour. It is an interdisciplinary field of study in which various aspects of human behaviour are involved in analyzing why a particular behaviour is referred to as criminal. It relates on who defines behaviour as criminal and why; what determines or predisposes individuals into committing crime and juvenile delinquency; and the necessary steps to curbing criminal behaviour. It’s concept consists of various theories and how sociological and psychological concept from both societal point of view and internalized biological hereditary mold of a criminal. It went further to state the sociological theories of crime ranging from Chicago school, differential, Anomie and Social control theory in respect of human behaviour in relation to crime.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
Criminality arising out of cultural conflict theory has been well explained by Shah and Mckay through their Cultural Transmission theory of crime which was a dominant criminological theory of the 20th century. The theory simply states that traditions of delinquency are transmitted through successive generations of the same inhabitation in the same way as language and attitudes are transmitted. In a dynamic society social change is an inevitable phenomenon. The impact of modernization, urbanization and industrialization in modern dynamic society may sometimes result in social disorganization and this may lead to culture conflicts between different sections of society. The difference may be between old and new values, local and imported values and traditional values and the government imposed values.
The psychological concept of crime gives an elaborate explanation from scientific approach of human interaction based on genetic makeup as sole responsibility in determining criminal propensity among human beings especially, i.e. relation to race and gender; other forms as the psychoanalytical theory which deals majorly with moral development occasioned from a physiological component.
Moreso, the biological concept which is intrinsically intertwined with both genetic and hormonal structure such as from data study, neurological abnormality in reference to brain makeup and levels of serotonin and other chemical imbalance, nerve structure or neuron-transmitter, the personality theory and how groups of individual suffering from mental disorder affects crime population as a whole. Giving an analytical approach as to how socio-psychological concept of crime in relation to Gender, race and religion are affected by this concept and how various theories, hypotheses and theses contributed to this while trying to give an objective reason void of sentiment as to why certain category of gender, race and religion are more proportionally represented in crime than the other, from a socio-psychological point of view of criminology.
Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Criminology; Socio-Psychological Effect of Gender, Race and Religion on Crime.
1.3 Statement of Problems
The term criminology analysis not only the concept of crime, but the inherent attitude which pre-dispose individuals to crime and how society shape this attitude in criminals. If and when the antecedent of why and how people commit crime are understood then the problem of crime and its victimization would be drastically reduced by focusing on the root source, be it sociologically or psychologically incline.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Criminology; Socio-Psychological Effect of Gender, Race and Religion on Crime. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:
- To critically analyze the concept of crime, theory of ‘born criminal’ and relate the nature of crime, its causes and evaluate the effects on society as a whole both as a contributing factor to crime and as its victim.
- To educate, give a vivid insight into an in-depth nature of crime not only in penological theories of punishment or rehabilitation mechanism but to deal directly with the remote causes of crime and how best to solve them.
- To understand why certain individuals within gender, religion or race/ethnic bracket are more pre-disposed to crime than others within a sociological or psychological makeup.
1.5 Significance of Study
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of the research is focused on the Criminology; Socio-Psychological Effect of Gender, Race and Religion on Crime. The study will mirror the overall effects of socio-psychology on gender, race/ethnic and religion within a criminological defined value system and their corresponding interaction with each other.
1.7 Limitations of the Study
The various factors limiting against this subject arise majorly from the dearth of criminologist expert in Nigeria to give an insight from a Nigerian point of view beside most criminologists are foreign trained with no works that essentially covers a Nigerian perspective.
Another limitation is the poor record facility of the Nigeria police, lack of basic information on victims, lack of forensic or scientific experts on genetic or biological know-how, no report study, unwillingness by securities and medical practitioners to give data on victims based on confidential relationship.
Moreso, most criminals or crimes are not grouped along gender, religion or ethnic nationality when computing statistics except for issues on incarceration or death row which are gender sensitive. Furthermore, moral and religious claims have made it hard for major scientific breakthrough to make public the reports which makes DNA study enables scientist determine behavioural tendencies of individuals along race, gender outside sociological factors and the subjective nature of most socio-psychological thesis, theories and hypothesis in application to crime.
1.8 Methodology
The method of approach to this topic is analytical/descriptive through a tabular representation of data and careful chronological arranged sequential order of criminology, its scope of study as it relates to socio-psychological effects of gender, race and religion.
1.9 Nature and Scope of Criminology
The concept has no universal acceptable definition like law and philosophy as what constitutes crime in itself is variable from one society to another. As an academic discipline, criminology encompasses such disciplines as law, sociology, psychology, psychiatry, medicine, economics, political science, geography, biology, chemistry, history, public administration and anthropology.
Criminology’s main focus as a specialized field of study, academic and professional is enumerated as follows:
- To introduce the key conceptual and substantive issues involved in the study of crime and justice.
- To define the concept of crime and describe the historical development of the criminal law and criminology.
- To study criminal behaviour as it relates to several varieties of crime.
- To explore the causes of crime and their remedy.
- To understand crime as a historical, social and political development.
- To compare theories of crime, and explore alternative strategies to understanding crime as a phenomenon.
- To obtain familiarity with the motive, causes, reasons and correlates of crime.
- To increase our appreciation of the various theories of crime, how they have changed over time, their impact on social policy, and the extent to which they are supported by empirical data.
- To increase our appreciation of both formal and informal processes of social control, as well as their influence on crime and criminals.
- To apply crime theories to current events.
- To connect academic knowledge to real-world experiences through research.
In defining criminology, various researchers in the field have adopted a number of approaches. Sykes defines what he calls “modern criminology” as the study of social origins of criminal law, the administration of criminal justice, the causes of criminal behaviour, and the prevention and control of crime. In this definition, the emphasis is on the functions of law and the efficacy of the administration of justice in the prevention and control of crime.
