An Introduction to Crime and Crime Causation is a student-friendly textbook that defines and explains the concepts of crime, criminal law, and criminology. Ideal for a one-semester course, the book compares and contrasts early criminal behavior and today’s modern forms of crime. It also explores society’s responses to criminal behavior in the past and in the present day. It covers both major and lesser-known crime causation theories and their impact on society. Topics covered include: The importance of understanding crime data The goals of punishment The history of criminology, including the influence of social Darwinism on early trait theorists Crime causation theories, including a comparison of mainstream and critical theories The relationship between crime and biology, including the influence of genetics, substance use, and mental illness The social structural approach to crime, including a consideration of the changing contexts of urban criminality The nature and function of the justice system at the local, state, and federal levels, and basic categories of crimes Drug trafficking crimes, drug court efforts, and perceived weaknesses in current antidrug efforts Each chapter begins with a set of objectives and concludes with a summary. Interactive questions promote classroom discussion and practicum sections facilitate contextual learning. Drawn from different and distinct backgrounds, the authors each have unique perspectives on crime, making for a particularly well-rounded text that explores crime from several angles. The book attempts to educate readers in the development of new insights on crime and crime causation and provides a greater understanding of the steps that need to be taken before a significant reduction in crime can occur.

In 1994 the School of Criminology, a part of the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminology in the Faculty of Law of the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, celebrated the 25th anniversary of its study programme. To give added lustre to this landmark in its history, the Institute accepted the invitation from the International Society of Criminology to organise the 49th International Course of Criminology. The title of the course was: Changes in Society, Crime and Criminal Justice in Europe. A challenge for criminological education and research'. This course explored two themes, both of which are likely to be the focus of debate in criminal policy in the near future: crime and insecurity in the city, and international organised and corporate crime. The presentation and discussion of both themes followed two main approaches. Lectures and seminars focused on the analysis of the nature, the quantity and the development of the phenomena, and meetings were focused on the policy needed to gain control of these phenomena. Moreover, attention was paid to technical and ethical problems which show up at the moment that empirical research is carried out. This publication brings together the main part of the introductory lectures. Part one relates to the theme of crime and insecurity in the city; the second part contains the lectures on international organised and corporate crime. Together both parts present a good picture of what was explained and commented on during the Course, especially in relation to important European developments concerning crime, criminal justice and criminal policy. This book will become an important source of inspiration for both criminological educationand research.