Contemporary Crime in Criminology: Explanations and General Trends

This essay delves into the realm of criminology, exploring contemporary explanations of crime and identifying general trends. It begins by defining criminology and its relevance in understanding criminal behavior, referencing key theories such as biological and sociological perspectives. The essay then moves on to examine contemporary crime explanations, highlighting the evolving nature of crime in modern society and the influence of factors like media and political attention. The core of the essay focuses on various crime trends, including domestic violence, online fraud victimization, benevolent harm, antisocial behavior, filicide, organized crime, and sexual offenses. Each trend is analyzed with examples, statistics, and relevant legislation. The conclusion emphasizes the changing landscape of crime, particularly the rise of digital criminal activity, and the need for authorities to adapt to new techniques and technologies in crime assessment. The essay references numerous scholarly sources to support its arguments.

Running Head: CONTEMPORARY CRIME AND GENERAL TREND
CONTEMPORARY CRIME AND GENERAL TREND
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note:

1CONTEMPORARY CRIME AND GENERAL TREND
INTRODUCTION:
Criminology is the study of crime and its related factors in relation with the prevention of
such behavior. It draws the research of various sociologists, psychologists, psychiatrists,
biologists, anthropologists and other philosophers along with the various studies conducted by
the scholars of law so that the factor of mens rea (mental intention to commit the crime) can be
assessed in accordance with the danger to the society from such man. Many criminal incidents
happen due to provocation, or mental illness and other distressed situations and to assess these
situations and human behavior, the study of criminology is required. According to Cohen 2017,
it can be said that crime is an act of physically or mentally or financially depriving someone of
their rights and committing wrong against the state.
THEORIES AND CAUSES OF CRIME:
The theories of crime can be broadly discussed under two major heads:
 Biological theories: this theory assumes that criminals are born by such nature where the
person is provoked to commit such crime (Akers 2013). The eminent scholar in this
theory is Cesare Lambroso. He suggested that the criminals are evolutionary throwbacks
meaning that their brains are not fully developed. He focuses his study on the
biochemical imbalances, Neurological scientific conditions, Genes, and Intelligence.
 Sociological theories: it is also called social disorganization theory where the approach is
against the external factors which contribute to the commitment of the crime like
illiteracy, poverty, discrimination and so on (Thornberry 2018). The theory focuses
mostly on the Defensible space theory, Broken windows theory, and routine activities

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theory. All the three focused theories deal with the inter-personal relationships od the
convict and their effect on the person’s mind and behavior.
CONTEMPORARY EXPLANATIONS OF CRIME:
The explanations of crime does not permit anyone to draw definite conclusions upon the
same but every crime should be analyzed differently depending upon various other factors
relating to the crime trends. Contemporary societies have developed and evolved in a way which
attracts political media and attention, and hence the crime, security and criminal justice are
highly argued in the social framework (White, Haines and Asquith 2017). Therefore, the
contemporary study of criminology means that the criminal behavior is analyzed along with the
contributing factors which lead to such crimes and the factors that lead to the increase in crimes.
The process of criminalization starts from the point when the victim understands the
concept of victimization and recognizes his role as a victim. He or she may plead for punishment
or compensation or injunction, by reporting the incidents to the respective authorities. But the
competency of a victim fails where he has to administer a legal system and the government acts
more aggressively that an organization working for social welfare enforcing laws against the
crimes committed against the victim.
GENERAL TRENDS:
There are several methods to measure crime. It starts from the point when the crime data
is reported and the same has been recorded by the officer in charge in the concerned Police
Station. Depending upon the recording of the crime data, the trend of crimes is accorded.
However, the statistics may fail due to lack of reporting by the people due to various other

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reasons. Therefore, it can be said that the prima facie of the case is the most important factor for
the determination of the allegation and the potential guilt of the accused. However, the criminal
law recognizes every person as innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.
The General Trends of the crime has been explained in detail taking into consideration
every possible area of crime and its analysis:
 Domestic Violence Offenders: it is a criminal offence which can involve abuse of
physical, mental, psychological, sexual, financial and emotional self of the victim
(Rosenbaum 2014). In United Kingdom, Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act
2004 is the governing legislation to protect the victim and impart criminal justice to them.
In 2017, it has been found by the Office for National Statistics that more than 10% of 16-
19 year old girls are affected by such offence every passing year.
 Online Fraud Victimization: it means that the convict intentionally cheated the other
person to deprive him or her of their legal right and hence, amounting to the violation of
civil law. However, criminal charges are implemented when such cheating results in the
loss of money or self-sanctity of the person (Cross and Blackshaw 2014). In 2016, almost
six million fraud and cyber-crimes were reported to have been committed in England and
Wales with an estimate of over two million computer improper use by March 2016.
 Benevolent Harm: this means to commit harm to one’s own self to save or benefit the
other person, or group or tradition or honor of the society. It is concept of sacrificing
one’s own right, or freedom or even life for the sake of others or in the name of tradition
or honor. According to Jensen 2011, it can be explained that such incidents are more
prevalent in some indigenous cultures like the Inuit tribes.

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 Antisocial Behavior: it is the most important determinant that may have an instinct to
harm others or lack the feeling of warmth for consideration of others (Patterson,
DeBaryshe and Ramsey 2017). It develops through social interaction between the family
and the community which affects the child’s temperament, problem solving skills,
cognitive skills and tendency of a child to mix in with the negative peers. In United
Kingdom, such anti-social behavior can attract civil orders to be made against the person
showing such behavior. The Crime and Disorder Act 21998 explains the anti-social
behavior. However, the current law governing such behavioral aspect is the Anti-Social
Behavior, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
 Filicide Offenders: it is the deliberate killing of the child by its parents (Debowska,
Boduszek, and Dhingra 2015). According to Friedman, Horwitz and Resnick 2005, it has
been explained that the parents are responsible for 61% of the child murders under the
age of 5.
 Organized Crime Offenders: it is a serious category of crime involving transnational,
national and local groups run by the criminals whose sole motive is to run illegal
activities to gain profits. According to Macionis et al., 2014, it has been explained that
such behavior patter involving extortion of money from local shopkeepers are highly
terrorized and initiate protection to such shopkeepers in that area. Such protection is
given only to ensure that no hindrance occurs to their illegal business in such areas. This
includes all kinds of crimes ranging from white collar crimes, state crimes, war crimes,
terrorism, financial crimes, sexual crimes, political crimes, and all sorts of treason. As
states by Byrnes 2009, it can be stated that the Mexican Drug War is an explicit example

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of such organized crimes involving Mexican Drug Cartels as the greatest organized
threats to crime in the country.
 Sexual Offenders: the sex offenders are those who commit crimes related to sexual
activities against the victim. Such offences include variations from rape, to comments,
prostitution and any other sex crime, sending or receiving obscene content graphics,
sexual assault, bestiality, child sexual abuse, child molestation, incest, female genital
mutilation and so on. Another such trend of sexual offense has emerged in the form of
revenge pornography and child pornography which puts the life and physical chastity of
the victim at stake. In United Kingdom, a convicted sex offender is required for
registration under the sex offender registry in his or her respective jurisdiction.
CONCLUSION:
It can thus be observed that the general trend of the criminology is changing and is
emerging as digital criminal activity. It has also emerged into the use of new techniques and
technologies for the criminal activities which is beyond the understanding of a common man.
There are several methods to measure crime. It starts from the point when the crime data is
reported and the same has been recorded by the officer in charge in the concerned Police Station.
Depending upon the recording of the crime data, the trend of crimes is accorded. However, the
statistics may fail due to lack of reporting by the people due to various other reasons. As the
modern and contemporary world is evolving and developing and so is the crime and its modes.
Hence, the theories have crimes have emerged with different schools wherein every crime is
dealt separately and in its own paraphernalia. However, like a criminal mind is budding with the
ideas to get their way from the authorities, the authorities are also thriving to implement those

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new techniques and technologies for the assessment of these crimes and related intentions of the
crime.
REFERENCES:
"Nearly six million fraud and cyber crimes last year, ONS says". BBC News. 2016-07-21.
Retrieved 1 October 2019
“10% of young women 'face domestic abuse'". Bbc.co.uk. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 1
October 2019
Akers, R. L. (2013). Criminological theories: Introduction and evaluation. Routledge.
Byrnes, Ryan (January 21, 2009). "Mexican Drug Traffickers Now 'Greatest Organized Crime
Threat' to U.S."
Cohen, S. (2017). Against criminology. Routledge.
Cross, C., & Blackshaw, D. (2014). Improving the police response to online fraud. Policing: a
journal of policy and practice, 9(2), 119-128.
Debowska, A., Boduszek, D., & Dhingra, K. (2015). Victim, perpetrator, and offense
characteristics in filicide and filicide–suicide. Aggression and violent behavior, 21, 113-124.
Friedman, S. H.; Horwitz, S. M.; Resnick, P. J. (2005). "Child murder by mothers: A critical
analysis of the current state of knowledge and a research agenda"
Macionis, Gerber, John, Linda (2010). Sociology 7th Canadian Ed. Toronto, Ontario: Pearson
Canada Inc. p. 206.

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Patterson, G. R., DeBaryshe, B. D., & Ramsey, E. (2017). A developmental perspective on
antisocial behavior. In Developmental and life-course criminological theories (pp. 29-35).
Routledge.
Rosenbaum, A. (2014). Domestic violence offenders: Current interventions, research, and
implications for policies and standards. Routledge.
Steven J. Jensen (1 September 2011). The Ethics of Organ Transplantation. CUA Press.
pp. 187–.
Thornberry, T. (2018). Developmental theories of crime and delinquency. Routledge.
White, R., Haines, F., & Asquith, N. L. (2017). Crime & criminology.