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Administrative Criminology
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Supports rational choice or opportunity theories of crime and focuses on the nature of the criminal event and the need for research to inform policy and decision-making.
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Actuarial justice
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A theoretical model focussing on managing crime and offending behaviour according to an assessment of risks and potential future harm.
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Anomie
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A state of normlessness stemming from a breakdown of social bonding and cohesion
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Biological positivism
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A set of theories that suggest criminal behaviour is the result of biological abnormalities.
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Biosocial theories
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Theories that explore the combined effects of biological, social and psychological influences on criminal behaviour.
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Chicago School
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A group of urban sociologists from the University of Chicago who studied the relationship between environmental conditions and crime.
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Classicism/classical theories
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From a utilitarian perspective, advocates the greatest good for the greatest number and sees the decision to commit crime as a rational choice that is best dealt with by appropriate punishment.
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Conflict theories
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Argues that crime is caused by social, economic and political forces and the groups with the power in society make the rules about what is criminal and deviant.
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Contemporary classicism
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Deals with the utility of crime and proposes that
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Crime control model of criminal justice
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Emphasises community safety, maintaining social order and creating efficiencies across the criminal justice system
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Criminogenic
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Factors that cause or significantly contribute to a person’s offending behaviour. Criminogenic factors can be static (i.e. unable to be changed such as gender and age) or dynamic (able to be changed).
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Critical criminology
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Challenges traditional conceptions of crime and justice from the perspective that crime is defined by those with power. Responses to crime focus in finding ways to reduce social inequality.
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Cultural criminology
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Examines cultural influences and how they shape what and who is considered to be criminal and the responses of the criminal justice system
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Desistance
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A process wherein people stop or reduce offending. This may occur over time, differ at Various points in time and be influenced by a range of social and psychological factors.
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Deterrence
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The certain use of punishment to discourage people from offending. The punishment may achieve specific deterrence for the person it is imposed on or general deterrence for the broader community who may be afraid of receiving a similar punishment.
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