‘Criminologists have been waiting a very long time for a psychology of crime that speaks their language. Finally it has arrived.’ - Dr David Gadd, Keele University Now in an updated second edition, this book explores the links between psychology and crime, taking the reader through psychological explanations of crime and the use of psychology within the criminal justice system. The book aims to demystify some of the myths of psychological criminology and situates the subject within its historical and theoretical foundations, whilst maintaining a contemporary outlook and critical awareness of the field’s advantages and limitations. This second edition includes: • Four new chapters, on ‘Psychological perspectives and their approach to crime’, ‘Mentally disordered offenders’, ‘The Criminal Courts and the role of the Jury’, and ‘Victims, Fear of Crime and Offender Management’. • Improved coverage of the issues around interpersonal violence, sexual violence and deviancy, the psychology of crime in groups, and war crimes. • Increased analysis of psychology and the criminal justice system. Essential reading for students in criminology, sociology and psychology.

Psychology, Sociology and Crime: Mapping the Historical Terrain

Psychology, Sociology and Crime: Mapping the Historical Terrain

Overview

The opening chapter sets the study of crime in a historical context. Arguing that the psychology of crime is context dependent and what we choose to study is as much a cultural phenomenon as it is one directed by social scientific concerns. Historical fashions direct the gaze of the psychologist, and learning historical lessons on the uses and abuses of psychology are essential requirements of contemporary psychology.

Key terms

■ Modernity; Late Modernity; Postmodernity; Determinism

This opening chapter will discuss the changing fortunes of psychological and sociological accounts of crime and criminals. It will chart the emergence of different theories both in terms of how they fit together and their growth from engagement, ...

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