research questions about criminology

428 Criminology Research Topics & Questions for Students

As you might already know, criminology is the study of crime. To be more precise, criminology studies crime as a social trend, including its origin, various manifestations, and its impact on society.

Criminology research influences how the police work, how society treats criminals, and how the community maintains law and order. In this article, you’ll find top criminology research topics for your inspiration. We’ll also look into the main criminology theories and research methods and explain the difference between criminology and criminal justice.

🔝 Top-10 Criminology Research Topics

🔤 what is criminology.

• 🔎 Criminology Research Methods
• 📝 Research Topics for Assignments

🦹‍♂️ Crime Research Topics

• 🚔 Topics in Law Enforcement
• 🕵️ Criminal Investigation Topics

⚖️ Criminal Law Research Topics

• 🔒 Topics to Research in Crime Prevention

🧑‍⚖️ Criminal Justice Research Topics

• 🆚 Criminology Vs Criminal Justice

❓ Criminology Topics: FAQ

🔗 references.

• Criminology as a science: criminology theories.
• The importance of eyewitness evidence.
• The issue of racial bias in the investigation.
• Crime propaganda on social media.
• The leading causes of college violence.
• The benefits of private prisons.
• The debate around gun control.
• The analysis of power abuse among police officers.
• Drunk driving and how to prevent it.
• The importance of forensic psychology in the investigation.

Criminology is the study of crime and criminal behavior, supported by the principles of sociology and other sciences, including economics, statistics, and psychology.

Criminologists study a variety of related areas, including:

• Characteristics of people who commit crimes.
• Reasons behind committing different crimes.
• Impact of crime on individuals and communities.
• Measures for preventing crimes.

Criminology Theories

Criminology theories have appeared as an attempt to answer the question, “What is criminal behavior, and what causes it?” The answer to this question affects how society responds to and prevents crime. Proposing new theories and testing existing ones is essential for criminologists to continue working toward understanding the causes of criminal behavior.

Let’s consider the most relevant criminology theories.

🔎 Research Methods Used in Criminology

There are many research methods used within criminology. Usually, they are divided into two groups: primary and secondary research methods.

Primary Research Methods in Criminology

Primary research in criminology is any type of research that you collect yourself rather than based on secondary sources, such as articles or books. Examples of primary research methods in criminology include the following:

• Surveys and questionnaires. Survey research collects information from individuals through their responses to questions. It is considered one of the most widely used research tools in criminology.
• Experiments. For experiments , researchers take large samples of people who might become or have already been involved in crimes as victims or offenders. Then, they divide these samples into two groups, each receiving a different treatment.
• Interviews. An interview requires participants to answer a set of open-ended questions, often on sensitive topics, such as victimization or criminal behaviors. This method allows criminologists to gain more valuable insights into the research topic.
• Focus groups. A focus group is a small number of demographically similar people gathered to discuss a particular crime-related topic. This method allows criminologists to analyze people’s views, attitudes, and perceptions concerning crime.
• Observations. Observations involve a researcher studying groups or individuals in their natural setting without interfering. It is a common research method within the social learning theory.

Secondary Criminology Research Methods

Secondary research methods use information that was collected by someone else so that you can analyze it and identify the trends. Here are the two leading types of secondary research in criminology:

• Secondary analysis of data. A secondary analysis occurs when a researcher uses data collected by other researchers. You can obtain secondary data from surveys, official crime statistics, or official records.
• Literature review. A literature review involves reading, analyzing, evaluating, and summarizing literature about a specific criminology topic. It helps scholars identify research gaps and problems that need to be addressed.

📝 Criminology Research Topics for Assignments

To write an outstanding research paper on criminology, choose a topic that will spark your interest. Below you’ll find excellent criminology topic ideas for college students.

Criminology Research Paper Topics

• Criminology theory and its main elements.
• Criminology discipline and theories .
• American crime trends and criminological theories.
• The significance of criminological studies in the US.
• Criminology: legal rights afforded to the accused .
• The impact of violence and crime on the tourism industry.
• How did US crime rates change over the last 20 years?
• Classical and positivist schools of criminology .
• Should abortion be treated as a crime?
• Official and unofficial instruments within the criminal investigation.
• Criminology: femininity and the upsurge of ladettes .
• Criminal rehabilitation programs and their significance.
• Shoplifting and how to prevent it.
• Emerging technologies in criminology .
• The effects of illegal immigrants on crime rates.
• Drug trafficking by organized crime groups.
• Criminology and victimology: victim stereotypes in criminal justice .
• Can genetics lead to crime?
• The procedures of crime scene investigation.
• Labeling theory and critical criminology: sociological research .
• Hate crimes in modern society.
• The phenomenon of white-collar crime and its causes.
• How to prevent crimes in the workplace?
• Criminology: the social control theory .
• Stereotypes that surround serial killers and their crimes.
• The comparison of organized crime in New York and Chicago.
• Prevention strategies for small business crimes.
• Criminology: four types of evidence .
• Relations between crime, justice, and the media.

Criminology Research Proposal Topics

• How to prevent intellectual property crimes in cyberspace?
• Identity theft and cybercrime in modern society.
• Contemporary theories in criminology .
• The problem of racial profiling in the US.
• How has criminology contributed to the study of terrorism ?
• Possible solutions to the issue of street harassment .
• Postmodern criminology: the violence of the language .
• Gender bias in the investigation: pink-collar criminals.
• The phenomenon of digital terrorism and how to prevent it.
• How do immigration services help fight against terrorism?
• Green criminology: environmental harm in the Niger Delta .
• How has marijuana legalization influenced crime rates?
• Tools for collecting and analyzing crime evidence.
• How does international law manage war crimes ?
• The due process: criminology .
• What are victimless crimes ?
• The relation between crime rates and poverty.
• National system for missing and unidentified persons.
• Three case briefs in criminology .
• The impact of mental illness on criminal behavior.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing crime rates.
• The use of AI technology in crime prevention and investigation.
• Sexual assault: criminology .
• The role of media coverage in public perception of crime.
• The impact of community policing on reducing crime rates.
• The impact of mass shootings on gun control laws.
• The impact of automation technology on criminology .

Criminology Thesis Topics

• The role of juvenile justice in preventing future criminal behavior.
• Feminism and criminology in the modern justice system .
• The effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentencing in the US.
• Drug laws : fighting crime or fueling it?
• Police brutality : a systemic problem in criminal justice.
• Criminology: USA Patriot Act overview .
• The impact of hate crimes on marginalized communities.
• How does organized crime affect the global economy?
• The significance of DNA evidence for criminal investigations.
• Use of statistics in criminal justice and criminology .
• The ethics of plea bargaining in criminal cases.
• Mental illness and criminal behavior: breaking the stigma.
• The impact of social media on cyberbullying and harassment.
• Robert Merton’s strain theory in criminology .
• Causes and consequences of police corruption .
• The role of restorative justice in repairing harm caused by crime.
• The effectiveness of treatment programs in reducing drug-related crimes.
• Hernando Washington case: criminology .
• The negative effects of human trafficking on global communities.
• The role of forensic science in crimes investigation.
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to imprisonment.
• Integrity as a key value: criminology and war .
• The relationship between poverty, education, and crime rates.
• Cybercrime : the dark side of the digital age.
• Hate crimes: motivations and impact on modern society.
• Feminist perspectives’ contribution to criminology .
• The impact of incarceration on families and communities.

Criminology Research Questions for Dissertation

• Can criminal profiling accurately predict offender behavior?
• How do hate crimes affect individuals and communities?
• How were the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights influenced by the classical school of criminology ?
• What are the psychological effects of cyberbullying on victims?
• What factors contribute to domestic violence , and how can it be prevented?
• How have organized crime groups evolved over time?
• How is statistics used in criminology and criminal justice ?
• Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
• What motivates individuals to engage in white-collar crime?
• What are the consequences of police corruption for society?
• What is variance analysis in criminal justice and criminology ?
• How does drug addiction contribute to criminal behavior?
• How does gender influence criminal behavior and justice outcomes?
• What drives individuals to commit mass shootings?
• What is the broken window theory in criminology ?
• What are the biggest challenges facing criminal justice reform efforts?
• How do urban gangs perpetuate violence and criminal activity?
• How do criminal law and procedures protect individual rights and liberties?
• What is the impact of corporate fraud ?
• What challenges do individuals with mental health issues face in the criminal justice system?
• How can society combat human trafficking and exploitation?
• What measures can be taken to enhance cybersecurity and protect against cybercrime?
• What is the aboriginal crisis from a criminology perspective ?
• How can victimology help us better understand the experience of crime victims?
• What are effective crime prevention strategies for different types of crime?
• What is legal insanity in criminology ?
• How does environmental crime impact communities and the environment?
• How is the peace-making model applied in criminology ?

A significant part of criminology research is dedicated to various types of crimes and their reasons. Consider our crime topic ideas that will spark instant interest in your readers:

• The psychological impact of kidnapping on victims and their families.
• The racialization of crime and cultural panic .
• The ethical considerations surrounding ransom payments in kidnapping cases.
• The effect of burglary on small businesses and their ability to recover.
• The impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on homicide rates and patterns.
• Shoplifting: a crime of convenience .
• The effectiveness of different types of anti-theft devices in preventing motor vehicle theft.
• The role of forensic science in investigating arson cases, including the use of accelerant detection dogs.
• The concept of natural legal crime .
• The psychological profiles of white-collar criminals and their motivations.
• The psychological effects of burglary on victims and their sense of security.
• The concept of juvenile crime .
• The role of social media in facilitating and preventing kidnappings.
• The use of forensic evidence in homicide investigations and the challenges of prosecuting homicide cases.
• Sex crime recidivism rates.
• Illegal immigrantion and its effects on crime .
• The effectiveness of international efforts to combat money laundering .
• The efficacy of community watch programs in reducing burglary rates.
• The role of corporate culture in facilitating or preventing white-collar crime.
• Crimes in America: the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks .
• Technology in motor vehicle theft: GPS tracking and remote disabling systems.
• Human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable populations.
• Crime and criminals: general characteristics .
• The ethical and moral implications of capital punishment as a response to homicide.
• The effectiveness of fire prevention and education programs in reducing instances of arson.
• US gun control measures and crime rates reduction .
• The use of cryptocurrency in money laundering and illegal activities.
• White-collar crime and the abuse of power in corporate and financial settings.
• Cargo crimes and threats: government accountability office .
• The rise of cyberstalking and its impact on victims’ mental health.
• The effects of pollution on communities and the legal response to environmental crimes.
• Cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking as crimes .
• The effects of society’s reaction to crime.
• The use of technology in financial fraud schemes .
• Crimes against property and their characteristics .
• The intersection of racism and hate crimes against Asian Americans.
• The impact of deforestation on indigenous communities and wildlife.
• Crime types and their harm to society .
• The prevalence of domestic violence and the legal response to it.
• The exploitation of child labor in the fashion industry .
• Race and crime among minorities in the US .
• The ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in law enforcement.
• The psychological effects of hate crimes on victims and their communities.
• How does local television news viewing relate to fear of crime ?
• The evolution of cybercrime and its most common types.
• Parental responsibility for children’s crimes.
• The sex crime: influence of childhood experiences .
• Prostitution : a victimless crime.
• Sociology and media representation of crime.
• The profile of a crime victim .
• A theory of gendered criminology: women’s crime.

🚔 Research Topics in Law Enforcement

Another exciting area within criminology to investigate is law enforcement and police jobs. Have a look at the list of burning and controversial topics we came up with:

• The impact of community policing on crime rates and public trust.
• Law enforcement: online crimes and social media .
• Do body-worn cameras reduce police misconduct?
• The effects of implicit bias on the police use of force.
• Law enforcement cameras as an invasion of privacy .
• The impact of police militarization on community relations.
• Why is mental health training essential for police officers in crisis situations?
• Law enforcement officers’ attitudes regarding body-worn cameras .
• The role of police in addressing hate crimes and bias incidents.
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to traditional policing.
• Organizational changes in law enforcement agencies .
• The efficacy of police-community partnership in addressing gang violence.
• The impact of police officer diversity on community relations and trust.
• Local, state, and federal law enforcement in the US .
• The role of police in addressing cybercrime and online harassment.
• The effects of police body language and nonverbal cues on public perceptions.
• Cumulative career traumatic stress in law enforcement .
• Social media and its role in shaping public perceptions of police behavior.
• The role of police discretion in enforcing drug laws and addressing addiction.
• Mindfulness practice in law enforcement .
• The effectiveness of hot spot policing in reducing crime rates.
• Organizational culture in the police department.
• Stress in law enforcement officers and available programs .
• The role of police leadership in promoting ethical behavior and accountability.
• The effectiveness of community-based justice programs for juvenile offenders.
• Law enforcement in colonial America .
• Police-community partnerships for addressing domestic violence.
• The role of police in addressing human trafficking and exploitation.
• Misrepresentation of law enforcement by media .
• School safety and the police.
• How does stress affect the performance of law enforcement officers?
• The law enforcement: verbal communication as the best form of interaction .
• The significance of federal and state law enforcement mechanisms.
• The adverse effects of toxic leadership in quality law enforcement.
• Balance between effective law enforcement and personal liberty .
• The importance of discipline in public services.
• The connection between police salary and rates of police brutality.
• Role of police agencies in law enforcement .
• Police investigative questioning and techniques.
• The issue of corruption in law enforcement.
• Significance of computer forensics to law enforcement .
• Case study: police response to the Ningbo protest.
• Police actions to stop school bullying .
• Law enforcement position in society .
• New technological advances within the police department.
• Do law enforcement cameras violate privacy right?
• Different types of evaluation designs in law enforcement .
• Recognition of women’s right to work as police officers.
• The effectiveness of foot and bike patrols of the streets.
• Firearms types and usage in law enforcement .
• The competencies of international law enforcement authorities.
• Comparison of police brutality statistics for different genders.
• Ethical theories in law enforcement practice .

🕵️ Criminal Investigation Research Topics

The criminal investigation process is another criminology area worth discussing in your research paper. Below you’ll find the most intriguing criminal investigation topics:

• The history and evolution of criminal investigation techniques.
• Crime scene investigation in media and real life .
• The role of forensic science in criminal investigations.
• How does technology impact modern criminal investigations?
• The importance of preserving crime scenes and evidence.
• Crime scene investigation effect in the justice system .
• The ethics of interrogation techniques used in criminal investigations.
• Eyewitness testimony in criminal investigations.
• The role of criminal profiling in solving crimes.
• Organized business crime prosecution and investigation .
• How does media coverage affect criminal investigations?
• The use of informants in criminal investigations.
• The main challenges of investigating white-collar crimes.
• Undercover police investigations in drug-related crimes .
• The role of private investigators in criminal investigations.
• The impact of false confessions on criminal investigations.
• How is DNA evidence collected in criminal investigations?
• Importance of toxicology in crime investigation .
• The role of the FBI in national criminal investigations.
• The use of undercover operations in criminal investigations.
• The main challenges of investigating organized crime.
• Crime level investigation in the United States .
• Witness protection programs in criminal investigations.
• The impact of plea bargaining on criminal investigations.
• Surveillance techniques in criminal investigations.
• Investigating crime with age and mental illnesses factors .
• How are cybercrimes investigated?
• The role of international cooperation in criminal investigations.
• How do racial biases influence criminal investigations?
• Drug trafficking: investigation on Frank Lucas .
• Polygraph tests in criminal investigations.
• The main challenges of investigating terrorism-related crimes.
• Homicide investigations and forensic evidence .
• The role of victim advocacy in criminal investigations.
• Lie detector tests in criminal investigations.
• The role of forensic psychology in the investigation .
• The effects of community involvement on criminal investigations.
• The problem of false accusations in criminal investigations.
• Approaches in criminal investigation .
• The use of forensic accounting in financial crime investigations.
• How does the media shape public perception of criminal investigations?
• Key rulings on the conduct of investigators at the scene of a fire .
• The impact of political pressure on criminal investigations.
• The main challenges of investigating human trafficking.
• The Breonna Taylor case and criminal investigation .
• The role of victim compensation in criminal investigations.
• Behavioral analysis in criminal investigations.
• Procedures within crime scene investigation .
• Crime scene reconstruction in criminal investigations.

Criminology goes hand-in-hand with legal studies. If you’re interested in both areas, you should definitely write a research paper on one of the criminal law research topics:

• The evolution of criminal law in the US .
• Criminal law: stolen valor .
• The difference between criminal and civil law.
• Human trafficking and criminal law.
• Types of criminal offenses and the elements of crime.
• International criminal law and measures .
• The role of the burden of proof in criminal cases.
• Criminal defenses and their validity.
• The insanity defense in criminal law.
• Actus reus in English criminal law .
• The controversies around the death penalty.
• Juvenile delinquency and criminal law.
• Cybercrime and its legal implications.
• Criminal law – is graffiti a crime or not ?
• Domestic violence and criminal law.
• Hate crimes and their legal consequences.
• Restitution for victims in criminal law.
• Civil vs. criminal law and differences between them .
• Forensic evidence and its admissibility in court.
• Sexual assault and criminal law.
• The rights of the accused in criminal cases.
• Regulatory criminal laws in the criminal justice system .
• Receiving immunity for testimony in a criminal law case.
• The legal classification of criminal offenses.
• Self-defense in criminal law cases.
• How Canadian criminal law regulates deviant conduct .
• Sentencing guidelines and their impact on society.
• The use of DNA evidence in criminal cases.
• Eyewitness testimony and its reliability in court.
• Fundamental aspects of Canadian criminal law .
• The role of the media in criminal trials.
• The impact of social inequality on criminal justice outcomes.
• The future of criminal law and its impact on society.
• Criminal law in India and access to justice .
• International criminal law and its enforcement.
• Extradition and its legal implications.
• The impact of globalization on criminal law.
• Juvenile vs. adult criminal law .
• The importance of victim rights in criminal cases.
• Restorative justice and its benefits for society.
• Alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.
• Automatism as a defence in criminal law .
• The role of defense attorneys in criminal trials.
• The role of prosecutors in criminal trials.
• The right to a public trial in a criminal law case.
• Civil and criminal law penalties and differences .
• Car searches in criminal investigations by law enforcement.

🔒 Criminology Topics for Research in Crime Prevention

Researching crime prevention allows you to learn more about the strategies for reducing criminal behavior. Have a look at our outstanding crime prevention topic ideas:

• Understanding and explaining crime prevention.
• Theories that explain criminal activities and criminology .
• The effectiveness of community policing in preventing crime.
• The benefits and drawbacks of crime prevention in the US.
• How can education reduce crime rates?
• Crime prevention programs and criminal rehabilitation .
• Technological innovations and their impact on crime prevention.
• The importance of early childhood interventions in preventing criminal behavior.
• The relationship between poverty and crime prevention strategies.
• Youth crime prevention and needs assessment .
• The use of restorative justice in reducing recidivism.
• The effectiveness of gun control laws in preventing gun-related crimes.
• The impact of social media on crime prevention and awareness.
• Crime prevention program in Australia .
• The use of CCTV cameras in preventing crime.
• Evidence for crime prevention programs in developing countries.
• The role of mental health services in preventing criminal behavior.
• Crime prevention practices: overview .
• The effectiveness of community-based programs in reducing juvenile delinquency.
• The use of environmental design in preventing crime by shaping space and behavior.
• Victim support programs for lowering crime rates.
• Situational and social crime prevention approaches .
• The effectiveness of after-school programs in preventing juvenile offenses.
• Techniques for preventing situational and social crime.
• The impact of citizen participation in crime prevention.
• Computer crime prevention measures .
• The efficacy of community watch programs in preventing neighborhood crimes.
• The use of community centers for preventing gang-related crimes.
• The impact of sentencing policies on crime prevention.
• Biometrics recognition and crime prevention .
• The relationship between video game violence and youth crime .
• Social media and cybercrime prevention.
• The role of social workers in crime prevention.
• Three-strikes law for preventing violent crimes .
• Decreasing crime rates through education and medicine.
• The use of animal-assisted therapy for reducing criminal behavior.
• The effectiveness of aftercare programs in reducing recidivism.
• Capital punishment as ineffective crime deterrence .
• The main strategies for proactive crime prevention.
• The impact of domestic violence prevention programs on crime rates.
• The use of probation and parole in preventing criminal behavior.
• Juvenile weapon crimes and strategies to address .
• The role of faith-based organizations in crime prevention.
• The use of diversion programs in juvenile crime prevention.
• The distinctions between crime prevention and community safety.
• Preventing crime victimization in international students .
• The impact of agriculture and rural development on crime prevention.

Criminal justice might be a challenging research topic, but it is worth the time and effort. Consider our unique topic ideas for your successful research:

• The effectiveness of community policing.
• The use of statistics in criminal justice and criminology .
• Rehabilitation programs offered in prisons and their efficacy.
• The importance of defense attorneys in the criminal justice system.
• The code of ethics in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice .
• The significance of restorative justice programs.
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
• Criminal justice process: felony criminal charge .
• The role of judges in the criminal justice system.
• Probation and parole in the criminal justice system.
• Veterans in the criminal justice system .
• The comparison of prison privatization in the US and UK.
• The main issues women experience in the prison system.
• US terrorism and criminal justice decision-making model .
• The prison system in a democratic society.
• The role of psychologists in the criminal justice system.
• Transgender offenders in the criminal justice system .
• The impact of private prisons on crime rates.
• The effectiveness of victim compensation programs.
• The successes and failures to reform punishment in the criminal justice system .
• Community involvement in the criminal justice system.
• The main challenges of long-term prisoner rehabilitation.
• Technology application in criminal justice .
• The role of victim-offender mediation in the criminal justice system.
• Gender disparity in the criminal justice system.
• Recidivism in criminal justice: the American prison system .
• How does solitary confinement impact people in prisons?
• Legal and ethical issues in international intervention.
• Racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system .
• Do mandatory minimum sentences help or hurt?
• The effects of prison on children of incarcerated individuals.
• Psychopathy in the criminal justice system .
• The importance of mental health professionals in the criminal justice system.
• Techniques for influencing criminal justice system change.
• Non-inclusiveness of the criminal justice system .
• The impact of racial profiling on the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for veterans.
• False confessions in the US criminal justice system .
• Racism in the criminal justice system of the US.
• People with disabilities and criminal justice.
• Ethical dilemmas in the criminal justice system .
• Forensic psychology guidelines for criminal justice.
• The impact of technology on jury selection .
• Effective writing and criminal justice .
• The effectiveness of mandatory drug testing for probationers and parolees.
• The effect of wrongful executions on the criminal justice system.
• Discontinuity of care in the criminal justice system .
• The influence of media on criminal justice and community.
• The impact of cybercrime on the global criminal justice system.
• Criminal justice: coerced confessions .
• The role of private prisons in the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for people without housing.
• Criminal justice system and the problem of racism .
• What can be learned from the history of criminal courts?
• Comparison between American and British legislative frameworks.
• Criminal justice case: types of sentences, probation, and final decision .
• The overview of the modern justice system.
• The ethical issue of unwarranted arrests.
• Civil liability in criminal justice .
• The risk groups of juvenile recidivism .

🆚 Difference between Criminology and Criminal Justice

Students often confuse criminology with criminal justice because both areas study crime and criminal behavior. Understanding their main differences is essential before conducting research in any of these areas.

Is Criminology a Science?

Criminology can be considered as a science because it uses the scientific method. The scientific method involves five steps: stating the problem, forming the hypothesis, collecting the data, interpreting these data, and drawing conclusions. Within criminology, scientists use standard research methods, such as surveys, experiments, interviews, etc.

What Does Criminology Study?

Criminology studies crime, including its causes, methods of prevention, and responses from law enforcement. It relies on other non-legal studies, such as sociology, psychology, and statistics, to examine the characteristics of people who commit crimes and the effects of criminality on individuals and society.

What Are the Principal Areas of Criminology Research?

Four significant criminology areas include:

• The history of criminology . This area focuses on criminology founders and theories of crime and punishment development.
• Theory of crime causation . This aspect explores if a criminal’s behavior is determined by their social environment.
• Typologies of crime . This field describes different types of crimes and the reasons for committing them.
• Crime prevention efforts . This area studies crime measures that can curb crimes before they occur.

What Are the Principal Types of Research Methods in Criminology?

Criminology uses quantitative (analyzing measurements and statistics) and qualitative (analyzing non-numerical data) research methods to gain valuable insights. The most common scientific methods in criminology are surveys, experiments, secondary data analysis, interviews, historical/comparative research, and ethnography.

• Criminology and Criminal Justice: Pick a Topic | Marquette University
• Criminology Questions & Topics | David H. Kessel
• Topics | Ghent University
• Emergent Issues in Crime & Justice | University of Maryland
• Qualitative Research in Criminal Justice | University of North Texas
• Criminology, Law & Society | UCI Libraries
• What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) about Crime in the United States | Pew Research Center
• Types of Criminal Offenses | Justia
• Criminal Justice and Criminology Theses | East Tennessee State University
• Research Overview | The University of Alabama
• Criminology Research | University of Portsmouth
• Research | Arizona State University
• Research Themes | University of Surrey, Centre for Criminology
• Advanced Criminology & Criminal Justice Research Guide | Mardigian Library
• Criminology – Research Guide: Getting Started | PennLibraries
• Law and Criminology | University of Plymouth
• Topics for a Criminology Research Paper | Classroom
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256 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology

Are you a law school student studying criminal behavior or forensic science? Or maybe just looking for good criminal justice topics, questions, and hypotheses? Look no further! Custom-writing.org experts offer a load of criminology research topics and titles for every occasion. Criminological theories, types of crime, the role of media in criminology, and more. Our topics will help you prepare for a college-level assignment, debate, or essay writing. 

• ⚖️ Criminology vs. Criminal Justice
• 🔬 120 Criminology Research Topics
• 💂 116 Criminal Justice Research Topics

🔦 What Is Criminology?

👮 what is criminal justice, 🔍 references, ⚖️ criminology vs. criminal justice: topics & fields of study.

Criminology. Criminal justice. The terms are often confused even by the people within the field. Nevertheless, criminal justice and criminology are two different spheres. Therefore, these terms are not interchangeable.

Criminology and criminal justice are indeed related. Say, you are pursuing career opportunities in either of the fields. Then, you need to be able to answer the question: what’s the difference between criminology and criminal justice?

To put it simply, criminology studies the anatomy of a crime. More specifically, it explores the causes, costs, and consequences of it. Criminal justice is different from criminology in the sphere it covers. It is the system established for dealing with crimes: the ways of detection, detention, prosecution, and punishment. In short, think of criminal justice as a part of law enforcement.

This chapter just touched on the differences between criminal justice and criminology. If you wish to learn more about the topic, go to chapters IV, and V. Now is the time to move on to criminology research topics!

🔥 Hot Criminology Research Topics

• The role of media in criminology.
• Cultural explanation of crime.
• Benefits of convict criminology.
• Main issues of postmodern criminology.
• Is criminal behavior affected by the politics?
• How does DAWN collect data?
• The limitations of crime mapping.
• Personality traits that trigger criminal behavior.
• Community deterioration and crime rates.
• Does experimental criminology affect social policy?

🔬 120 Criminology Research Topics & Ideas

Here are 100 criminology research topics ideas organized by themes.

General Criminology Research Paper Topics

• Criminology as a social science.
• Criminology and its public policies.
• History of criminology.
• Crime commission: legal and social perspectives .

Criminal Psychology Research Topics

• What is the nature of criminal behavior?
• How does the lack of education affect the incarceration rates?
• Childhood aggression and the impact of divorce
• The effect of the upbringing on antisocial adult behavior
• How do gender and cultural background affect one’s attitude towards drug abuse ?
• Forensic psychology and its impact on the legal system
• What is the role of criminal psychologists?
• Different types of forensic psychological evaluations
• What’s the difference between therapeutic and forensic evaluation?
• Does socioeconomic status impact one’s criminal behavior?

Criminology Research Topics: Theories

• What crimes are typical for what ages?
• How does the type of crime correspond with the level of exerted aggression ?
• What is the connection between citizenship (or lack thereof) and law violation?
• How does education (or lack thereof) correspond with crime level?
• Does employment (or lack thereof) correspond with law violation?
• What is the connection between family status and law violation?
• Does gender affect on the type of law violation?
• How does ownership of firearms correspond with law violation?
• Does immigrant status correlate with law violation?

• Is there a connection between mental health and law violation?
• What are the causes of violence in the society?
• Does the crime rate depend on the neighborhood?
• How does race correspond with the type of crime?
• Do religious beliefs correspond with law violation?
• How does social class correlate with crime rate?
• What are the reasons for the homeless’ improsonment?
• How does weather correspond with law violation?

Criminology Topics on Victimization

• Biological theories of crime: how do biological factors correspond with law violation?
• Classical criminology: the contemporary take on crime, economics, deterrence, and the rational choice perspective.
• Convict criminology: what do ex-convicts have to say on the subject?
• Criminal justice theories: punishment as a deterrent to crime.
• Critical criminology : debunking false ideas about crime and criminal justice.
• Cultural criminology: criminality as the product of culture.
• Cultural transmission theory: how criminal norms are transmitted in social interaction.
• Deterrence theory: how people don’t commit crimes out of fear of punishment.
• Rational choice theory : how crime doing is aligned with personal objectives of the perpetrator.
• Feminist Criminology: how the dominant crime theories exclude women.
• Labeling and symbolic interaction theories: how minorities and those deviating from social norms tend to be negatively labeled.
• Life course criminology : how life events affect the actions that humans perform.
• Psychological theories of crime: criminal behavior through the lense of an individual’s personality.
• Routine activities theory : how normal everyday activities affect the tendency to commit a crime.
• The concept of natural legal crime.
• Self-control theory: how the lack of individual self-control results in criminal behavior.
• Social construction of crime: crime doing as social response.
• Social control theory : how positive socialization corresponds with reduction of criminal violation.
• Social disorganization theory: how neighborhood ecological characteristics correspond with crime rates.
• Social learning theory: how (non)criminal behavior can be acquired by observing and imitating others.
• Strain theories : how social structures within society pressure citizens to commit crime.
• Theoretical integration: how two theories are better than one.

Criminology Research and Measurement Topics

• Citation content analysis (CCA): a framework for gaining knowledge from a variety of media.
• Crime classification systems: classification of crime according to the severity of punishment.
• Crime mapping as a way to map, visualize, and analyze crime incident patterns.
• Reports and statistics of crime: the estimated rate of crime over time. Public surveys.
• Drug abuse warning network (DAWN): predicting trends in drug misuse.
• Arrestee drug abuse monitoring (ADAM): drug use among arrestees.
• Edge ethnography: collecting data undercover in typically closed research settings and groups through rapport development or covert undercover strategy.
• Experimental criminology: experimental and quasi-experimental research in the advancement of criminological theory.
• Fieldwork in criminology: street ethnographers and their dilemmas in the field concerning process and outcomes.
• Program evaluation: collecting and analyzing information to assess the efficiency of projects, policies and programs.
• Quantitative criminology: how exploratory research questions, inductive reasoning, and an orientation to social context help recognize human subjectivity.

Criminology Topics on Types of Crime

• Campus crime: the most common crimes on college campuses and ways of preventing them.
• Child abuse : types, prevalence, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
• Cybercrime: cyber fraud, defamation, hacking, bullying, phishing.
• Domestic violence: gender, ways of detection and prevention, activism.
• Domestic violence with disabilities .
• Elder abuse: types, prevalence, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
• Environmental crime. Natural resource theft: illegal trade in wildlife and timber, poaching, illegal fishing.
• Environmental crime. Illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, hazardous waste; pollution of air, water, and soil.
• Environmental crime: local, regional, national, and transnational level.
• Environmental crime: climate change crime and corruption.
• Environmental crime: wildlife harming and exploitation.
• Hate crime: how prejudice motivates violence.

• Homicide : what motivates one person to kill another.
• Human trafficking : methods of deception, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
• Identity theft : methods, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
• Gambling in America .
• Juvenile delinquency : risk groups, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.
• Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Effects
• Organizational crime: transnational, national, and local levels. Ways of disrupting the activity of a group.
• Prostitution: risk groups, different takes on prevention policies, activism.
• Robbery: risk groups, ways of prevention, prosecution and punishment.
• Sex offenses: risk groups, types, prevalence, ways of detection and prevention.
• Terrorism: definition, history, countermeasures.
• Terrorism: individual and group activity, ways of detection and prevention.
• Theft and shoplifting : risk groups, ways of detection, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.
• Counter-terrorism: constitutional and legislative issues.
• White-collar crime: types, ways of detection, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.

Criminology Topics on Racism and Discrimination

• How systemic bias affects criminal justice?
• How discriminatory portrayal of minority groups in the media affects criminal justice?
• Racial profiling: targeting minority groups on the basis of race and ethnicity.
• Racism and discrimination towards African-Americans .
• Racial profiling : what are the cons? Are there any pros?
• How discriminatory is the UK Court System?
• How discriminatory is the US Court System?

Other Criminology Research Topics

• Corporate crime : the ruling class criminals.
• Genetics: illegal research and its dangers.
• Hate crime : the implications in criminal justice.
• Serial killers : risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
• Serial killers: portrayal in media.
• Organized crime : how does it affect criminal justice?
• Crime prevention programs.
• Street lighting: does it reduce crime?
• Terrorism prevention technology.
• Identity theft: risk groups, ways of deception, prevention policies.
• Due process model: procedural and substantive aspects.
• Crime control in criminal justice administration.
• Types of drugs: how do they affect the users?
• Smart handheld devices: their function for security personnel.
• Social media: its impact on crime rate.
• Public health: how does criminal justice affect it?
• Psychometric examinations: what is their role in criminal justice?
• National defense in the US.
• National defense in the UK.
• Sexual harassment: the role of activism, ways of responding, prevention and prosecution.
• Substance abuse: military.
• Criminology and criminal justice jobs: a full list.

🌶️ Hot Criminal Justice Topics

• The history of modern police.
• Different types of prison systems.
• Is situational crime prevention effective?
• How to prevent wrongful convictions.
• Challenges faced by crime victims.
• The advantages of community corrections.
• How do ethics influence criminal justice?
• Disadvantages of felony disenfranchisement.
• Does correctional system in the USA really work?
• Possible problems of prisoner reentry process.

💂 116 Criminal Justice Research Topics & Questions

Here are some of the most typical and interesting criminal justice issues to dazzle your professor.

• Prison system : the main problems and the hidden pitfalls.
• The question of gender: why are there more men who receive capital punishment than women?
• Kidnapping and ransom: common features, motifs, behavior patterns.
• Crime prevention : key principles.
• Firing a gun: what helps professionals understand whether it was deliberate or happened by accident?
• Cybercrime : the legal perspective.
• Internet vigilantism: revenge leaks.
• Hate crime on the Internet: revenge leaks, trolling, defamation.
• Crime and justice in mass media .
• Parental abduction laws.
• Sex offender registry: pros and cons.
• The deterrence theory and the theory of rational choice : are they relevant in the modern world?
• Sexual assault in schools and workplaces.
• Jury selection: how is it performed?
• Experimental criminology: the latest innovations.

• Wildlife crime: areas of prevalence, ways of prevention.
• Felony disenfranchisement laws: when do they apply?
• The relation between organized crime and corruption.
• Victim services: what help can a victim of a crime get?
• Prison rape and violence: the psychological aspect, ways of prevention.
• Juvenile recidivism: what are the risk groups?
• Forensic science: role and functions in modern criminal justice.
• Shoplifting: how to prevent theft?
• Witness Protection Program: who is eligible and how to protect them.
• Date rape : what are the ways for the victims to seek legal assistance?
• Substance abuse and crime: correlation or causation?
• Identity theft: dangers and consequences in the modern world.
• Online predators: what laws can be introduced to protect kids? Real-life examples.
• Civil and criminal cases: how to differentiate?
• Domestic abuse victims: what laws protect them?
• Elder abuse: what can be done to prevent it?
• The strain theory : the unachievable American dream.
• Concepts of law enforcement: pursuing criminal justice .
• Ethics and criminal justice: the unethical sides of law enforcement.
• The top problems to be solved by law enforcement today.
• Information sharing technology: how has it helped in the fight against terrorism?
• Terrorism in perspective: characteristics, causes, control.
• Serial killers : types.
• Drug use and youth arrests.
• Aggressive behavior: how does it correlate with criminal tendencies?
• Community corrections : are they effective?
• Sentencing: how does it take place?
• Punishment types and the established terms.
• Unwarranted arrest: when is it acceptable?
• Human trafficking in the modern world.
• Human trafficking: current state and counteracts .
• The role of technology in modern forensics .
• Similarities and differences between homicide , murder, and manslaughter.
• Types of offenders: classification.
• Effects of gun control measures in the United States .
• The role of crime mapping in modern criminal justice.
• Male crimes vs female crimes: are they different?
• Prisons: the problems of bad living conditions.
• Victimization : causes and ways of prevention.
• Victimology and traditional justice system alternatives .
• Rape victims: what are their rights?
• Problem-solving courts: what underlying problems do they address?
• Mandatory sentencing and the three-strike rule.
• Have “three-strikes” laws been effective and should they be continued?
• Criminal courts: what can be learned from their history?
• Hate crimes: what motivates people to commit them?
• Youth gangs: what is their danger?
• Fieldwork: how is it done in criminology?
• Distributive justice: its place in criminal justice.
• Capital punishment : what can be learned from history?
• Humanities and justice in Britain during 18th century.
• Abolition of capital punishment .
• Criminals and prisoners’ rights.
• Crime prevention programs and criminal rehabilitation .
• Campus crime: what laws and precautions are there against it?
• Criminal trial process: how does it go?
• Crimes committed on a religious basis: how are they punished?
• The code of ethics in the Texas department of criminal justice .
• Comparison between Florida and Maryland’s legislative frameworks .
• Fraud in the scientific field: how can copyright protect the discoveries of researchers?
• Prosecution laws: how are they applied in practice?
• The classification of crime systems.
• Cyberbullying and cyberstalking: what can parents do to protect their children?
• Forgery cases in educational institutions, offices, and governmental organizations.
• Drug courts : how do they work?

Controversial Topics in Criminal Justice

Want your work to be unconventional? Consider choosing one of the controversial topics. You will need to present a number of opposite points of view. Of course, it’s acceptable to choose and promote an opinion that you think stands the best. Just make sure to provide a thorough analysis of all of the viewpoints.

You can also stay impartial and let the reader make up their own mind on the subject. If you decide to support one of the viewpoints, your decision should be objective. Back it up with plenty of evidence, too. Here are some examples of controversial topics that you can explore.

• Reform vs. punishment: which one offers more benefits?
• Restorative justice model : is it the best criminal justice tool?
• The war on drugs : does it really solve the drug problem?
• Criminal insanity: is it a reason enough for exemption from liability?
• Juvenile justice system: should it be eliminated?
• Drug testing on the school ground.
• Police brutality in the United States .
• How to better gun control ?
• Why Gun Control Laws Should be Scrapped.
• Pornography: is it a type of sexual violence?
• Whether death penalty can be applied fairly?
• Jack the Ripper: who was he?
• The modern justice system: is it racist?
• A false accusation: how can one protect themselves from it?
• Concealed weapons: what are the criminal codes of various states?
• Race and crime: is there a correlation?
• Registering sex offenders: should this information be in public records?
• Juvenile delinquency and bad parenting: is there a relation?
• Assessing juveniles for psychopathy or conduct disorder.
• Should all new employees be checked for a criminal background ?
• Are delinquency cases higher among immigrant children?
• Restrictive housing: can it help decongest prisons?
• Homegrown crimes: is there an effective program against them?
• Prostitution: the controversy around legalization .
• Eyewitness testimony: is it really helpful in an investigation?
• Youthful offenders in boot camps: is this strategy effective?
• Predictive policing : is it effective?
• Selective incapacitation: is it an effective policy for reducing crime?
• Social class and crime: is there a relation?
• Death penalty: is it effective in crime deterrence?
• Extradition law: is it fair?
• Devious interrogations: is deceit acceptable during investigations?
• Supermax prisons: are they effective or just cruel?
• Zero tolerance: is it the best policy for crime reduction?
• Marijuana decriminalization: pros and cons.
• Marijuana legalization in the US .

Now that you have looked through the full list of topics, choose wisely. Remember that sometimes it’s best to avoid sensitive topics. Other times, a clever choice of a topic will win you extra points. It doesn’t depend on just the tastes of your professor, of course. You should also take into account how much relevant information there is on the subject. Anyway, the choice of the topic of your research is up to you. Try to find the latest materials and conduct an in-depth analysis of them. Don’t forget to draw a satisfactory conclusion. Writing may take a lot of your time and energy, so plan ahead. Remember to stay hydrated and good luck!

Now, after we looked through the topic collections on criminology and criminal justice, it is time to turn to the specifics in each of the fields. First, let’s talk more extensively about criminology. If you are training to be a criminologist, you will study some things more deeply. They include the behavior patterns of criminals, their backgrounds, and the latest sociological trends in crime.

In the field of criminology, the specialties are numerous. That’s why it’s difficult to pinpoint one career that represents a typical member of the profession. It all depends on the background of a criminologist, their education, and experience.

A criminologist may have a number of responsibilities at their position. For example, they might be called forth to investigate a crime scene. Participation in autopsies is unpleasant yet necessary. Interrogation of suspects and subsequent criminal profiling is another essential duty.

Some professionals work solely in research. Others consult government agencies or private security companies. Courts and law firms also cooperate with criminologists. Their job is to provide expert opinion in criminal proceedings. Some of them work in the prison systems in order to oversee the rehabilitation of the convicted.

Regardless of the career specialty , most criminologists are working on profiling and data collection. A criminologist is another word for an analyst. They collect, study, and analyze data on crimes. After conducting the analysis, they provide recommendations and actionable information.

A criminologist seeks to find out the identity of the person who committed the crime. The time point of a crime is also important, as well as the reason for it. There are several areas covered by the analysis of a criminologist. The psychological behavior of the criminal or criminals is closely studied. The socio-economic indicators are taken into account. There are also, of course, the environmental factors that may have facilitated the crime.

Some high-profile cases require a criminologist to correspond with media and PR managers extensively. Sometimes criminologists write articles and even books about their findings. However, it should be noted that the daily routine of a professional in the field is not so glamorous. Most criminologists do their work alone, without the attention of the public.

The research a criminologist accumulates during their work is extensive. It doesn’t just sit there in a folder on their desk, of course. The collected statistics are used for developing active criminal profiles that are shared with law enforcement agencies. It helps to understand criminal behavior better and to predict it. That’s why a criminologist’s work must be precise and accurate for it to be practical and useful. Also, criminology professionals must have a good grasp of math and statistics.

Thinking of a career in criminology? You will need to, at the very least, graduate from college. There, you’ll master mathematics, statistics, and, of course, criminology. An associate’s degree may get you an entry-level position. But the minimum entry-level requirement is usually the bachelor’s degree. The best positions, though, are left for the professionals with a master’s degree or a PhD.

Just having a degree is not enough. To succeed as a criminologist, you will require all your intelligence, commitment, and the skill of analyzing intricate situations. An aspiration to better the society will go a long way. You will need to exercise your creative, written, and verbal communication skills, too. An analytical mind will land you at an advantage.

Criminology: Research Areas

Times change and the world of crime never ceases to adapt. The nature of criminal transgression is evolving, and so do the ways of prosecution. Criminal detection, investigation, and prevention are constantly advancing. Criminology studies aim to improve the practices implemented in the field.

There are six unified, coordinated, and interrelated areas of expertise. Within each, the professionals are busy turning their mastery into knowledge and action.

The first research area is the newest worry of criminology – cybercrime. The impact of this type of crime is escalating with every passing day. That’s why it’s crucial for the law enforcement professionals to keep up to date with the evolving technology. Cybercrime research is exploring the growing threat of its subject at all levels of society. Cybercrime may impact people on both personal and governmental levels. Cybercrime research investigates the motivation and methodology behind the offenses and finds new ways to react.

The second research area is counter fraud. Crimes that fall under this category include fraud and corruption. The questions that counter fraud research deals with are many. How widely a crime is spread, what method is best to fight it, and the optimal courses of action to protect people and organizations.

The third research area is that of forensics. The contemporary face of justice has been changed by forensic science beyond recognition. Nowadays, it’s much harder for criminals to conceal their activity due to evolved technologies. The research in forensics is utilizing science in the identification of the crime and in its reconstruction. It employs such techniques as DNA recovery, fingerprinting, and forensic interviewing.

What is forensic interviewing? It helps find new ways to gather quality information from witnesses and crime scenes. It also works on developing protocols that ensure the protection of this human data and its correct interpretation by police.

The fourth research area is policing. Police service is facing a lot of pressing issues nowadays due to budget cuts. At the same time, police officers still need to learn, and there are also individual factors that may influence their work.

The fifth research area is penology. It’s tasked with exploring the role of punishment in the criminal justice system. Does punishment aid the rehabilitation of perpetrators, and to what extent? The answer will help link theory to practice and thus shape how criminal justice practitioners work.

The sixth research area is that of missing persons. Before a person goes missing, they may display a certain pattern of behavior. The study of missing persons helps to identify it. The results will determine the handling of such cases.

Now that we know what criminology is, it’s time to talk about criminal justice.

While criminology focuses on the analysis of crime, criminal justice concentrates on societal systems. Its primary concern is with the criminal behavior of the perpetrators. For example, in the USA, there are three branches of the criminal justice system. They are police (aka law enforcement), courts, and corrections. These branches all work together to punish and prevent unlawful behavior. If you take up a career in criminal justice, expect to work in one of these fields.

The most well-known branch of criminal justice is law enforcement. The police force is at the forefront of defense against crime and misdemeanor. They stand against the criminal element in many ways. For instance, they patrol the streets, investigate crimes, and detain suspects. It’s not just the police officers who take these responsibilities upon themselves. There are also US Marshals, ICE, FBI Agents, DEA, and border patrol. Only after the arrest has been made, the perpetrator enters the court system.

The court system is less visible to the public, but still crucial to the criminal justice system. Its main purpose is to determine the suspect’s innocence or guilt. You can work as an attorney, lawyer, bailiff, judge, or another professional of the field. In the court, if you are a suspect, you are innocent until proven guilty. You are also entitled to a fair trial. However, if they do find you guilty, you will receive a sentence. Your punishment will be the job of the corrections system.

The courts determine the nature of the punishment, and the corrections system enforces it. There are three elements of the corrections system: incarceration, probation, and parole. They either punish or rehabilitate the convicts. Want to uptake a career in corrections? You may work as, including, but not limited to: a parole officer, a prison warden, a probation officer, and a guard.

📈 Criminal Justice: Research Areas

The research areas in criminal justice are similar, if not identical, to those of criminology. After all, those are two very closely related fields. The one difference is that criminal justice research has more practical than theoretical applications. But it’s fair to say that theory is the building blocks that practice bases itself on. One is impossible without the other unless the result you want is complete chaos.

So, the question is – what topic to choose for the research paper? Remember that the world of criminal justice is constantly changing. Choosing a subject for research in criminal justice, consider a relevant topic. There are many pressing issues in the field. Exploring them will undoubtedly win you points from your professor. Just make sure to choose a direction that will give you the opportunity to show off both your knowledge and your analytical skills.

Not sure that your original research direction will be appreciated? Then choose one of the standard topics. Something that is widely discussed in the media. And, of course, make sure that you are truly interested in the subject. Otherwise, your disinterest will translate into your writing, which may negatively affect the overall impression. Also, it’s just more enjoyable to work on something that resonates with you.

What can you do with your research paper? Literally anything. Explore the background of the issue. Make predictions. Compare the different takes on the matter. Maybe there are some fresh new discoveries that have been made recently. What does science say about that?

Also, remember to backup all your arguments with quotes and examples from real life. The Internet is the best library and research ground a student could hope for. The main idea of the paper, aka the thesis, must be proven by enough factual material. Otherwise, it’s best to change your research direction.

And, of course, don’t put it all off till the last minute. Make a plan and stick to it. Consistency and clever distribution of effort will take you a long way. Good luck!

🤔 Criminal Justice Research FAQs

Criminological and criminal justice research are the scientific studies of the causes and consequences, extent and control, nature, management, and prevention of criminal behavior, both on the social and individual levels.

Criminal justice and criminology are sciences that analyze the occurrence and explore the ways of prevention of illegal acts. Any conducted personal research and investigation should be supported by the implemented analytical methods from academic works that describe the given subject.

There are six interrelated areas of criminology research:

• Cybercrime research makes law enforcement professionals keep up to date with the evolving technology.
• Counter fraud research investigates cases of fraud and corruption.
• Forensics research utilizes science: DNA recovery, fingerprinting, and forensic interviewing.
• Research in policing investigates individual factors that may influence the work of police officers.
• Penology explores the role of punishment in the criminal justice system.
• The study of missing persons helps to identify patterns of victims’ behavior.

There are seven research methods in criminology:

• Quantitative research methods measure criminological and criminal justice reality by assigning numerical values to concepts to find patterns of correlation, cause and effect.
• Survey research collects information from a number of persons via their responses to questions.
• Experimental research assesses cause and effect in two comparison groups.
• Cross-sectional research studies one group at one point in time.
• Longitudinal research studies the same group over a period of time.
• Time-series designs study the same group at successive points in time.
• Meta-analysis employs quantitative analysis of findings from multiple studies.

The basis of criminological theory is criminological research. It influences the development of social policies and defines criminal justice practice.

Criminological research doesn’t just enable law students to develop analytical and presentational skills. The works of criminal justice professionals, scholars, and government policymakers dictate the way law enforcement operates. The newest ideas born out of research identify corrections and crime prevention, too.

Here is a step-by-step instruction on how to write a criminal justice research paper:

• Choose a topic
• Read the materials and take notes
• Come up with a thesis
• Create an outline for your work
• Draft the body
• Start with a cover page, an abstract, and an intro
• List the methods you used, and the results you got
• Include a discussion
• Sum it up with a conclusion
• Don’t forget a literature review and appendices
• Revise, proofread, and edit

The most common types of methodologies in criminal justice research include:

• Observation of participants.
• Surveys and interviews.
• Observation of focus groups.
• Conducting experiments.
• Analysis of secondary data and archival study.
• Mixed (a combination of the above methods).

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• The Differences Between Criminal Justice and Criminology: Which Degree Is Right for You? (Concordia St. Paul)
• Corporate Crime: Britannica
• The Development of Delinquency: NAP
• Databases for Research & Education: Gale
• A CS Research Topic Generator: Purdue University
• A Introduction To The Federal Court System: US Department of Justice
• Criminal Justice Research Topics: Broward College
• Research Topics in Criminology: Cambridge Institute of Criminology
• CRIMINOLOGY: University of Portsmouth
• Research: Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Maryland
• Criminal Justice: RAND
• Research Methods in Criminal Justice: Penn State University Libraries
• Research: School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
• Criminology – Research Guide: Getting started (Penn Libraries)
• Criminology Research Papers: Academia
• The History & Development of the U.S. Criminal Justice System: Study.com
• CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY: Marshall University
• Criminal Justice: Temple University
• Criminal Justice: University of North Georgia
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200 Best Criminology Research Topics For Students

Criminology studies crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. Picking a good research topic is essential. It should match your interests and help us understand crime and how to prevent it.

There are many types of criminology research topics to choose from. You could look at criminal behavior, crime prevention, the justice system, theories about crime, or new issues like cybercrime. This guide will help you pick a research topic and get excited about criminology research. We’ll look at different topic ideas across criminology.

Whether you’re interested in why people commit crimes, how to stop crimes, the courts and jails, theories about crime, or new issues like internet crime, this guide will help you find a good research topic. Let’s explore criminology research topics and find great research ideas together! 

What are Criminology Research Topics?

Table of Contents

Criminology research topics involve studying crime, criminals, and the justice system using scientific methods. This includes looking at:

• Why crimes happen
• Patterns in criminal behavior
• How crime impacts people and communities
• How the justice system, like police, courts, and jails, work
• Theories about the causes of crime
• Ways to prevent crimes
• New types of crimes like internet crime
• How crime is different in various times and cultures
• How crime affects victims
• What the public thinks about crime
• Ideas for improving crime laws and policies

Criminology Research Topics For Students

Here are over 200 criminology research topics for students categorized into different subfields of criminology:

General Criminology

• The significance of restorative justice programs in decreasing recidivism rates.
• Exploring the role of genetics in criminal behavior.
• The impact of socioeconomic status on crime rates.
• Analyzing the relationship between drug policies and crime rates.
• Investigating the effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime.
• Analyzing the role of mental health in criminal behavior.
• Understanding the link between poverty and crime.
• Exploring the use of technology in crime prevention.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for offenders.
• Investigating the role of media in shaping perceptions of crime and criminals.

Criminal Justice System

• The influence of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on crime rates.
• Exploring racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of plea bargaining in reducing court backlogs.
• Investigating the role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations.
• Examining the ethics of using informants in criminal investigations.
• Understanding the influence of incarceration on families and communities.
• Exploring the role of prosecutorial discretion in shaping criminal justice outcomes.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of probation and parole programs.
• Investigating the use of body cameras in policing.
• Examining the role of juries in the criminal justice system.

Crime Prevention

• Exploring the effectiveness of gun control policies in reducing violent crime.
• Analyzing the impact of CCTV cameras on crime rates in urban areas.
• Investigating the role of environmental design in crime prevention.
• Examining the effectiveness of school-based anti-bullying programs.
• Understanding the link between unemployment and property crime.
• Exploring the role of parenting in preventing juvenile delinquency.
• Analyzing the efficacy of early intervention programs for at-risk youth.
• Investigating the impact of neighborhood watch programs on community safety.
• Studying the role of social media in facilitating or preventing cyberbullying.
• Exploring the effectiveness of drug education programs in schools.

Juvenile Delinquency

• The effect of family structure on juvenile delinquency rates.
• Studying the role of peer pressure in juvenile offending.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders.
• Investigating the link between childhood trauma and later delinquent behavior.
• Examining the role of schools in preventing juvenile delinquency.
• Understanding the influence of media on juvenile behavior.
• Exploring the effectiveness of mentoring programs for at-risk youth.
• Analyzing the impact of juvenile curfew laws on crime rates.
• Investigating the role of substance abuse in juvenile offending.
• Studying the efficacy of rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders.
• The impact of dark web marketplaces on illicit drug trade.
• Exploring the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures in preventing cyber attacks.
• Analyzing the role of cryptocurrencies in facilitating money laundering.
• Investigating the link between online gaming and cyberbullying.
• Examining the effectiveness of law enforcement responses to cybercrime.
• Understanding the role of social media in cyberstalking cases.
• Exploring the impact of data breaches on consumer privacy.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
• Investigating the role of artificial intelligence in cybercrime detection.
• Examining the legal and ethical issues surrounding hacking and hacktivism.

White-Collar Crime

• The impact of corporate culture on white-collar crime.
• Exploring the effectiveness of regulatory agencies in preventing corporate fraud.
• Analyzing the role of whistleblowers in exposing corporate misconduct.
• Investigating the link between executive compensation and financial fraud.
• Examining the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs.
• Understanding the role of technology in facilitating white-collar crime.
• Exploring the impact of globalization on white-collar crime.
• Analyzing the role of government oversight in preventing financial crimes.
• Investigating the effectiveness of anti-money laundering measures.
• Examining the psychological profiles of white-collar offenders.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

• The impact of globalization on terrorism.
• Exploring the role of ideology in terrorist recruitment.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies.
• Investigating the link between poverty and terrorism.
• Examining the role of social media in terrorist propaganda.
• Understanding the psychology of terrorism.
• Exploring the impact of state-sponsored terrorism.
• Analyzing the role of intelligence agencies in preventing terrorist attacks.
• Studying the effectiveness of border security measures in combating terrorism.
• Examining the ethics of targeted drone strikes in counterterrorism efforts.

Victimology

• The impact of victim-blaming attitudes on reporting rates of sexual assault.
• Exploring the psychological effects of victimization.
• Analyzing the role of victim support services in aiding recovery.
• Investigating the link between domestic violence and homelessness.
• Studying the effectiveness of restorative justice practices for victims.
• Understanding the role of trauma-informed care for victims.
• Exploring the impact of victim compensation programs.
• Analyzing the prevalence of revictimization among survivors.
• Investigating the role of victim-offender mediation in reducing trauma.
• Examining the experiences of marginalized victims within the criminal justice system.

Gender and Crime

• The impact of gender stereotypes on sentencing outcomes.
• Exploring the link between masculinity and violent crime.
• Analyzing the role of gender in shaping criminal opportunities.
• Investigating the prevalence of intimate partner violence against men.
• Examining the experiences of transgender individuals within the criminal justice system.
• Understanding the role of gender in white-collar crime.
• Exploring the intersection of race, gender, and crime.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of gender-responsive programming for female offenders.
• Investigating the link between gender identity and hate crimes.
• Examining the role of gender in criminal victimization experiences.

Race and Crime

• The influence of racial profiling on policing practices.
• Exploring the link between race and sentencing disparities.
• Analyzing the role of systemic racism in contributing to crime rates.
• Investigating the prevalence of hate crimes against racial minorities.
• Examining the experiences of Indigenous peoples within the criminal justice system.
• Understanding the impact of racial segregation on crime.
• Exploring the intersection of race, poverty, and crime.
• Analyzing the role of race in shaping perceptions of criminality.
• Investigating the effectiveness of diversity training for law enforcement.
• Examining the experiences of racial minorities as crime victims.

Policing and Law Enforcement

• The influence of body-worn cameras on police behavior.
• Exploring the effectiveness of predictive policing algorithms.
• Analyzing the role of police discretion in shaping law enforcement outcomes.
• Investigating the prevalence of police brutality and accountability measures.
• Examining the impact of community-oriented policing initiatives.
• Understanding the role of police unions in shaping department policies.
• Exploring the use of technology in crime mapping and analysis.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of de-escalation training for police officers.
• Investigating the role of implicit bias in police interactions.
• Examining the impact of police militarization on community relations.

Criminal Behavior Theories

• The impact of strain theory on understanding criminal behavior.
• Exploring the role of social learning theory in juvenile delinquency.
• Analyzing the influence of biological theories on criminal behavior.
• Investigating the relevance of rational choice theory in explaining white-collar crime.
• Examining the role of labeling theory in shaping criminal identities.
• Understanding the impact of control theory on crime prevention strategies.
• Exploring the intersection of feminist theory and criminology.
• Analyzing the relevance of routine activities theory in cybercrime.
• Investigating the role of social disorganization theory in understanding neighborhood crime.
• Examining the influence of psychoanalytic theories on criminal profiling.

Comparative Criminology

• The impact of cultural differences on crime rates.
• Exploring the effectiveness of different legal systems in combating crime.
• Analyzing the role of globalization in transnational crime.
• Investigating the prevalence of human trafficking in different regions.
• Examining the effectiveness of drug policies in different countries.
• Understanding the impact of political instability on crime rates.
• Exploring the role of corruption in facilitating organized crime.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in different cultural contexts.
• Investigating the prevalence of honor crimes in different societies.
• Examining the role of religion in shaping attitudes towards crime.

Environmental Criminology

• The impact of urban design on crime rates.
• Studying the significance of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).
• Analyzing the role of natural landscapes in preventing crime.
• Investigating the impact of lighting on crime in public spaces.
• Examining the role of surveillance in deterring criminal activity.
• Understanding the influence of architecture on criminal behavior.
• Exploring the impact of weather on crime patterns.
• Analyzing the role of public transportation in facilitating crime.
• Investigating the effectiveness of neighborhood revitalization efforts in reducing crime.
• Examining the influence of housing policies on neighborhood safety.

Criminal Profiling and Forensics

• The impact of offender profiling on criminal investigations.
• Exploring the reliability of forensic evidence in court.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of DNA databases in solving cold cases.
• Investigating the role of forensic psychology in criminal profiling.
• Examining the ethics of using familial DNA searching.
• Understanding the limitations of eyewitness testimony in court.
• Exploring the use of forensic linguistics in criminal investigations.
• Analyzing the role of digital forensics in cybercrime investigations.
• Investigating the effectiveness of geographic profiling techniques.
• Examining the impact of forensic anthropology on missing persons cases.

Drugs and Crime

• The influence of drug legalization on crime rates.
• Exploring the role of drug trafficking organizations in organized crime.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in reducing drug-related crime.
• Investigating the link between substance abuse and property crime.
• Examining the impact of drug courts on recidivism rates.
• Understanding the role of addiction in driving criminal behavior.
• Analyzing the impact of drug policy on marginalized communities.
• Investigating the prevalence of prescription drug abuse and crime.
• Examining the role of drug treatment programs in reducing criminal recidivism.

Human Trafficking

• The impact of globalization on human trafficking patterns.
• Exploring the role of organized crime in human trafficking networks.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of anti-trafficking laws and policies.
• Investigating the link between human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
• Examining the role of technology in combating human trafficking.
• Understanding the experiences of human trafficking survivors.
• Exploring the intersection of migration and human trafficking.
• Analyzing the role of demand in driving human trafficking.
• Investigating the effectiveness of victim identification and support programs.
• Examining the impact of cultural attitudes on human trafficking.

Organized Crime

• The impact of globalization on the expansion of organized crime networks.
• Exploring the role of cybercrime in organized criminal enterprises.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of law enforcement strategies against organized crime.
• Investigating the connection between organized crime and terrorism.
• Examining the role of corruption in facilitating organized crime activities.
• Understanding the structure and hierarchy of organized crime groups.
• Exploring the impact of drug trafficking on organized crime syndicates.
• Analyzing the role of money laundering in legitimizing criminal proceeds.
• Investigating the use of violence and coercion in organized crime operations.
• Examining the role of technology in disrupting organized crime networks.

Prisons and Incarceration

• The influence of mass incarceration on communities of color.
• Exploring the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in prison.
• Analyzing the role of privatization in the prison industrial complex.
• Investigating the link between mental illness and incarceration rates.
• Examining the impact of solitary confinement on mental health.
• Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in prison.
• Exploring the effectiveness of reentry programs for ex-offenders.
• Analyzing the role of education and vocational training in reducing recidivism.
• Investigating the prevalence of overcrowding in prisons.
• Examining the ethics of for-profit prison systems.

Restorative Justice

• The impact of restorative justice practices on victims and offenders.
• Exploring the role of community involvement in restorative justice processes.
• Analyzing the effectiveness of restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
• Investigating the cultural considerations in implementing restorative justice.
• Examining the role of restorative justice in addressing historical injustices.
• Understanding the impact of restorative justice on recidivism rates.
• Exploring the role of restorative justice in cases involving juvenile offenders.
• Analyzing the challenges of implementing restorative justice in rural communities.
• Investigating the effectiveness of restorative justice in cases of hate crimes.
• Examining the ethical considerations of restorative justice practices.

Factors To Consider When Selecting a Criminology Research Topic

Here are some factors to consider when picking a criminology research topic:

• Importance – Choose a topic that matters today, is socially important, and will add useful information to criminology. Look at issues people are talking about in the media.
• Interest – Pick a topic you find really interesting and will enjoy researching. Your excitement will show in your work.
• Doable – Make sure the topic can be researched well in the time you have, with the data you can access, and follow ethical rules. Avoid topics that are too broad.
• New – Try to provide new insights or a fresh viewpoint. Look at existing research to find gaps you can help fill.
• Meaningful – Choose a topic that can potentially improve criminological knowledge, theory, or practice importantly.
• Methods – Match the topic to research methods you know or want to learn, like statistical analysis, interviews, etc.
• Sources – Consider access to articles, datasets, people to interview, etc. Can you find good information sources?
• Audience – Keep your intended readers in mind. Adjust the scope and approach to give useful information to academics, policymakers, practitioners, etc.

Tips for Conducting Criminology Research

Here are some tips for doing criminology research:

• Get organized – Make a plan for your research steps and deadlines. Keep your notes, sources, and documents in order.
• Review existing research – Read and analyze other studies about your topic to find gaps, debates, and theories to build on.
• Choose suitable methods – Pick research methods like surveys, interviews, field studies, or crime data analysis that match your research questions.
• Follow ethical rules – Get approval for your research plan. Protect participant privacy and anonymity.
• Find quality sources – Use scholarly journals, crime databases, court records, and trustworthy sources for good data and information.
• Analyze data carefully – Use appropriate qualitative or statistical techniques to analyze your data and draw valid conclusions.
• Make persuasive arguments – Interpret your findings to make evidence-based arguments that address your research questions.
• Write clearly – Use academic but understandable language. Explain terminology. Use an organized structure.
• Note limitations – Identify limits of your methods, data sources, and ability to determine causation. Suggest future research.
• Proofread thoroughly – Check for typos, grammar issues, consistent formatting, and complete citations.
• Share your research – Present at conferences, publish articles or apply findings to inform criminology practice.

Final Remarks

To wrap up, our journey through criminology research has been an exciting exploration of the complex world of crime and solutions. We’ve discovered exciting areas like criminal behavior, prevention, the justice system, and theories by seeing how important it is to pick the right topic.

Remember, your research can help shape real-world policies and practices. As you explore this changing field, connect with experts, use reliable sources, and follow your curiosity. 

A criminology is a powerful tool for positive change, and your work can impact our understanding of crime. Keep exploring, stay curious, and let your criminology research journey unfold! I’m glad we could explore these meaningful topics in a straightforward, easy-to-grasp way.

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Home » 500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

500+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

Criminal justice is a complex and critical field that encompasses various aspects of crime prevention, law enforcement, legal proceedings, and punishment. Research plays a crucial role in understanding and addressing the challenges and opportunities in this field. From studying the causes and consequences of crime to exploring the effectiveness of policies and interventions, there is a wide range of fascinating and important criminal justice research topics to explore. Whether you are a student, a scholar, a practitioner, or a curious citizen, delving into the world of criminal justice research can deepen your knowledge, sharpen your critical thinking skills, and contribute to creating a safer and fairer society. In this post, we will introduce some of the most compelling and relevant criminal justice research topics that you may find intriguing and informative.

Criminal Justice Research Topics

Criminal Justice Research Topics are as follows:

• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police accountability and public trust
• The causes and consequences of police use of excessive force
• The role of race and ethnicity in police-citizen interactions and perceptions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs in reducing recidivism among juvenile offenders
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing on crime rates and prison populations
• The challenges and opportunities of restorative justice as an alternative to punitive justice
• The role of mental health and substance abuse treatment in reducing criminal behavior
• The ethics and implications of using predictive policing algorithms
• The impact of private prisons on the criminal justice system and society
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation in reducing the harm of crime
• The prevalence and causes of wrongful convictions and the implications for justice
• The role of media in shaping public perceptions of crime and justice
• The effectiveness and fairness of the death penalty as a form of punishment
• The role of international law in addressing transnational crimes such as terrorism and human trafficking
• The impact of the War on Drugs on drug use, drug-related crime, and public health
• The effectiveness of gun control laws in reducing gun violence and crime rates
• The role of technology in enhancing or challenging the criminal justice system, such as DNA analysis or facial recognition software
• The prevalence and causes of domestic violence and the effectiveness of intervention programs
• The impact of sentencing disparities based on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status
• The role of plea bargaining in the criminal justice system and the implications for justice
• The effectiveness of sex offender registries and notification laws in reducing sex crimes
• The impact of pretrial detention on defendants’ rights and outcomes
• The role of community-based corrections in reducing recidivism and promoting reentry
• The ethics and implications of using unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for surveillance and law enforcement
• The effectiveness and implications of using risk assessment tools in pretrial decision-making
• The prevalence and impact of hate crimes and the challenges of prosecuting them
• The role of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials and the reliability of memory
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crime and improving outcomes for offenders
• The impact of race and ethnicity on the administration of the death penalty
• The role of juries in the criminal justice system and the factors that affect their decisions
• The effectiveness and ethics of using informants in criminal investigations and prosecutions
• The prevalence and impact of cybercrime and the challenges of investigating and prosecuting it
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice reforms in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The impact of community-based policing on police-citizen relations and trust
• The role of social media in shaping perceptions of crime and justice
• The effectiveness of prison education and vocational training programs in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The prevalence and impact of human rights abuses in the criminal justice system, such as torture or discrimination
• The effectiveness of gang prevention and intervention programs in reducing gang-related crime
• The role of implicit bias in the criminal justice system and its impact on outcomes
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health, behavior, and reentry outcomes
• The impact of police body cameras on public trust and police accountability.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders.
• The impact of community policing on crime reduction
• The use of predictive policing in law enforcement
• The impact of decriminalizing marijuana on crime rates
• The role of mental health professionals in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of de-escalation training for police officers
• The impact of technology on police surveillance practices
• The relationship between gender and sentencing disparities in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between poverty and crime
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of the War on Drugs on mass incarceration
• The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in offender rehabilitation
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for people with substance use disorders
• The role of implicit bias in jury selection
• The impact of police officer stress on use of force incidents
• The use of big data in criminal investigations and decision-making
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in school disciplinary policies
• The relationship between mental illness and homelessness in the criminal justice system
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on juvenile offenders
• The role of drug courts in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of offender reentry programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of restorative justice programs on victims of crime
• The use of therapeutic jurisprudence in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and the use of force by private security personnel
• The effectiveness of educational programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of eyewitness identification procedures on wrongful convictions
• The role of community-based policing in reducing crime rates
• The use of predictive analytics in bail decisions
• The effectiveness of correctional education programs on recidivism
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on immigrant communities’ trust in law enforcement
• The relationship between mental health and juvenile detention
• The use of biometrics in criminal investigations and identification
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing recidivism among people with co-occurring disorders
• The impact of gender and sexuality on hate crime victimization and reporting
• The role of cultural competence in police training
• The use of risk assessment tools in pretrial detention decisions
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for people with substance use disorders
• The impact of social and economic policies on criminal justice outcomes
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and criminal case outcomes
• The use of therapeutic communities in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of specialized courts for domestic violence cases
• The impact of gun violence on public safety and crime rates
• The role of eyewitness memory and recall in criminal investigations and trials
• The use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations and exoneration
• The effectiveness of probation and parole programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of victim impact statements on sentencing decisions
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial and ethnic disparities in incarceration rates
• The use of unmanned aerial vehicles in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of community-based restorative justice programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of public defender workload on criminal case outcomes
• The role of community activism and advocacy in criminal justice reform
• The use of risk assessment tools in school disciplinary policies
• The effectiveness of family-focused interventions in reducing juvenile recidivism
• The impact of police officer race and ethnicity on use of force incidents
• The relationship between race and ethnicity and prosecutorial decision-making
• The use of virtual reality simulations in police training
• The effectiveness of mental health diversion programs for people with traumatic brain injuries
• The impact of juvenile life without parole sentences on individuals and society.
• The use of drones in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to incarceration for nonviolent offenders
• The impact of wrongful convictions on the criminal justice system
• The role of implicit bias in criminal justice decision-making
• The use of risk assessment tools in child welfare investigations
• The effectiveness of offender reentry programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of hate crimes on marginalized communities
• The relationship between mental health and the use of force by police officers
• The use of body language analysis in criminal interrogations
• The effectiveness of community policing strategies in building trust between police and communities
• The impact of race on police use of force and police brutality
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in the criminal justice system
• The use of algorithms in pretrial detention decisions
• The effectiveness of victim-centered approaches to sexual assault investigations
• The impact of domestic violence on child custody decisions
• The relationship between social media and cybercrime
• The use of facial recognition technology in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of police officer training programs on cultural sensitivity and bias reduction
• The impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on youth
• The role of mental health courts in diversion programs
• The use of virtual reality technology in criminal justice education and training
• The effectiveness of crisis intervention teams in responding to mental health crises
• The impact of immigration policies on crime reporting and victimization rates in immigrant communities
• The relationship between police department size and use of force incidents
• The use of predictive analytics in parole and probation supervision
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice system diversion programs for LGBTQ+ youth
• The impact of bail reform on pretrial detention rates and recidivism
• The role of trauma-informed care in the criminal justice system
• The use of artificial intelligence in forensic investigations
• The effectiveness of prison entrepreneurship programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of COVID-19 on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between mental health and incarceration rates
• The use of social network analysis in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of drug testing and monitoring programs for probationers and parolees
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on drug offenses
• The role of the media in shaping public perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system
• The use of body-worn cameras in courtroom proceedings
• The effectiveness of mental health diversion programs for veterans involved in the criminal justice system
• The impact of race and ethnicity on the plea bargaining process
• The relationship between police department diversity and community trust
• The use of crime mapping in law enforcement strategies
• The effectiveness of animal therapy programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of the death penalty on families of victims and offenders
• The role of prosecutorial misconduct in wrongful convictions.
• Racial disparities in the use of capital punishment
• The effectiveness of electronic monitoring as an alternative to incarceration
• The role of restorative justice in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related offenses
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police behavior and citizen complaints
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing and release decisions
• The effectiveness of boot camp programs for juvenile offenders
• The use of eyewitness testimony in criminal trials
• The impact of victim-offender mediation on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between education level and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of parole and probation in reducing recidivism
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal justice decision-making
• The role of public defenders in the criminal justice system
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on the prison population
• The effectiveness of therapeutic courts for individuals with substance abuse disorders
• The impact of social media on the reporting of crimes and public perception of crime
• The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy in reducing recidivism
• The impact of mental health courts on the criminal justice system
• The role of community service in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between domestic violence and gun ownership
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with mental illnesses
• The impact of sentencing guidelines on judicial discretion
• The use of police body language in detecting deception during interviews
• The relationship between incarceration and employment opportunities post-release
• The effectiveness of community-based supervision programs for released offenders
• The impact of the war on drugs on the criminal justice system
• The role of race and ethnicity in plea bargaining decisions
• The use of risk assessment tools in juvenile justice
• The effectiveness of animal-assisted therapy in correctional facilities
• The impact of restorative justice on the victims of crime
• The relationship between gun laws and gun violence rates
• The effectiveness of pretrial diversion programs for individuals with mental illnesses
• The role of reentry programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies in domestic violence cases
• The use of polygraph tests in criminal investigations
• The relationship between gang membership and criminal behavior
• The effectiveness of drug treatment courts in reducing recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and behavior
• The role of gun buyback programs in reducing gun violence
• The relationship between substance abuse and child abuse
• The effectiveness of victim impact panels in reducing drunk driving
• The impact of juvenile detention on mental health and behavior
• The use of forensic science in criminal investigations
• The relationship between race and wrongful convictions
• The effectiveness of prison education programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and safety
• The relationship between race, ethnicity, and police use of force.
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on incarceration rates.
• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime rates.
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior.
• The role of gender in criminal justice sentencing and outcomes.
• The impact of the war on drugs on incarceration rates and drug use.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism.
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and rehabilitation.
• The relationship between poverty and crime rates.
• The role of technology in modern policing and criminal justice.
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crime.
• The relationship between immigration and crime rates.
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies in cases of domestic violence.
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation in reducing recidivism.
• The role of social media in modern crime and policing.
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and safety.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between gun ownership and violent crime.
• The impact of wrongful convictions on individuals and the criminal justice system.
• The role of race and ethnicity in jury selection and decision-making.
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between education and crime rates.
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police officer behavior and decision-making.
• The effectiveness of drug treatment programs in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between domestic violence and gun ownership.
• The impact of the death penalty on deterrence and sentencing outcomes.
• The role of implicit bias in policing and criminal justice decision-making.
• The effectiveness of community-based reentry programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between crime rates and social inequality.
• The impact of predictive policing on crime rates and community trust.
• The effectiveness of probation and parole programs in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between mental health and policing.
• The impact of police unions on police accountability and reform efforts.
• The role of the media in shaping public perceptions of crime and justice.
• The effectiveness of pretrial diversion programs in reducing incarceration rates.
• The relationship between police use of force and police training.
• The impact of mandatory minimum drug sentences on racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of juvenile detention alternatives in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between mass incarceration and economic inequality.
• The impact of police body language on civilian compliance.
• The role of community organizations in crime prevention and intervention.
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people with disabilities.
• The relationship between mental health and criminal justice reform.
• The impact of immigration policies on community safety and trust.
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in the criminal justice system.
• The effectiveness of job training programs for formerly incarcerated individuals.
• The relationship between race and drug policy.
• The impact of pretrial detention on case outcomes and incarceration rates.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with mental health issues
• The prevalence and impact of police corruption and the challenges of rooting it out
• The role of victim impact statements in the criminal justice system and their impact on sentencing
• The impact of social inequality on crime rates and the criminal justice system
• The role of political ideology in shaping criminal justice policy and practice
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation and reentry programs for adult offenders
• The prevalence and impact of sexual harassment and assault within the criminal justice system
• The role of the Fourth Amendment in regulating police searches and seizures
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in addressing campus sexual assault
• The impact of mass incarceration on families and communities
• The ethics and implications of using artificial intelligence in criminal justice decision-making
• The role of bail reform in promoting justice and reducing pretrial detention
• The prevalence and impact of police misconduct and accountability mechanisms
• The effectiveness of drug policy reform in reducing drug-related harm and promoting public health
• The impact of globalization on transnational crimes and the challenges of international cooperation
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in shaping criminal justice outcomes
• The prevalence and impact of white-collar crime and the challenges of prosecution
• The role of public defenders in ensuring access to justice for indigent defendants
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in diverting mentally ill offenders from the criminal justice system
• The impact of the criminal justice system on immigrant communities and the challenges of immigrant detention and deportation
• The role of forgiveness in restorative justice and its implications for healing and reconciliation
• The effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in reducing court congestion and promoting justice
• The prevalence and impact of hate speech and the challenges of regulating it
• The role of public opinion in shaping criminal justice policy and practice
• The effectiveness of community supervision in reducing recidivism and promoting reentry
• The impact of the criminalization of homelessness on vulnerable populations
• The role of community activism and advocacy in promoting criminal justice reform
• The effectiveness of therapeutic jurisprudence in promoting rehabilitation and well-being
• The prevalence and impact of police militarization and its implications for public safety and civil liberties
• The role of eyewitness identification procedures in criminal investigations and the reliability of identification evidence
• The effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in reducing drug-related harm and promoting public health
• The impact of the criminal justice system on Indigenous communities and the challenges of decolonizing justice
• The role of hate crime legislation in promoting justice and reducing hate-motivated violence
• The effectiveness of police training programs in reducing racial and ethnic bias and promoting cultural competence
• The prevalence and impact of gun violence and the challenges of gun control policy
• The role of the Eighth Amendment in regulating cruel and unusual punishment
• The effectiveness of problem-solving courts in addressing complex social issues and promoting justice
• The impact of the criminal justice system on LGBTQ+ communities and the challenges of achieving equality and inclusivity
• The role of victim services in promoting healing and well-being for crime victims
• The effectiveness of drug testing and monitoring programs in promoting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism
• The prevalence and impact of prison gangs and the challenges of managing them
• The role of implicit bias in eyewitness identification and the implications for justice
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with substance abuse issues
• The impact of social media on crime reporting and law enforcement
• The role of mental health diversion programs in reducing mass incarceration and promoting treatment
• The prevalence and impact of wrongful convictions of innocent people and the challenges of exoneration
• The relationship between immigration and crime rates
• The impact of drug courts on drug-related offenses and recidivism rates
• The use of restorative justice practices in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people released from prison
• The use of polygraph tests in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The impact of bail amounts on pretrial detention and case outcomes
• The relationship between gun ownership and crime rates
• The effectiveness of mental health screening and assessment for individuals involved in the criminal justice system
• The use of virtual courtrooms in criminal proceedings
• The impact of juvenile detention on mental health and future criminal behavior
• The relationship between poverty and crime rates
• The use of eyewitness identification procedures in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of community service programs as a sentencing alternative
• The role of racial profiling in law enforcement practices
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing and parole decisions
• The impact of mandatory reporting laws on child abuse and neglect cases
• The relationship between parental incarceration and children’s wellbeing
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for drug-related offenses
• The use of cognitive-behavioral therapy in offender rehabilitation programs
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and recidivism rates
• The relationship between social capital and crime rates
• The use of DNA evidence in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of crisis response teams in reducing police use of force incidents
• The role of race and ethnicity in jury selection and decision-making
• The impact of court fines and fees on individuals involved in the criminal justice system
• The relationship between education and crime rates
• The use of risk assessment tools in domestic violence cases
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The impact of court-appointed attorneys on case outcomes and access to justice
• The role of victim impact statements in sentencing decisions
• The use of mental health courts for individuals with co-occurring disorders
• The effectiveness of court-mandated treatment programs for drug offenders
• The impact of gender on the sentencing and treatment of offenders
• The relationship between drug policy and crime rates
• The use of forensic psychology in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The effectiveness of cognitive interviewing techniques in witness testimony
• The impact of the media on public perceptions of the criminal justice system
• The relationship between neighborhood characteristics and crime rates
• The use of body-worn cameras in police-community interactions
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on sentencing disparities
• The role of mental health providers in prisons and jails
• The use of civil asset forfeiture in law enforcement practices
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with mental illness involved in the criminal justice system
• The impact of police militarization on community trust and police accountability
• The relationship between unemployment and crime rates
• The use of artificial intelligence in identifying and preventing human trafficking
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with traumatic brain injuries
• The impact of community-based alternatives to policing on public safety and crime rates.
• The impact of the militarization of police on community relations
• The effectiveness of restorative justice practices in reducing recidivism
• The relationship between socioeconomic status and juvenile delinquency
• The impact of police department culture on officer behavior
• The role of community courts in addressing low-level offenses
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people who were formerly incarcerated
• The impact of body-worn cameras on police officer behavior and community perceptions
• The relationship between mental illness and police use of force
• The use of neuroscience in criminal sentencing
• The effectiveness of gun control policies in reducing gun violence
• The role of alternative dispute resolution in the criminal justice system
• The use of biometrics in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of gang prevention and intervention programs
• The impact of domestic violence on employment and economic stability
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations and sentencing
• The role of implicit bias in eyewitness identification
• The use of drug courts in addressing drug addiction and drug-related crimes
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of social media on crime and victimization
• The relationship between mental health and incarceration of women
• The use of surveillance technologies in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of victim-offender mediation programs
• The impact of prosecutorial discretion on plea bargaining outcomes
• The role of mental health assessments in competency to stand trial determinations
• The use of biographical information in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for people with mental illness
• The impact of police body language on community perceptions
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial disparities in healthcare
• The use of geospatial analysis in predicting crime patterns
• The effectiveness of community service programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of court fines and fees on people with low incomes
• The role of neuroscience in detecting deception
• The use of technology in victim advocacy and support services
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice diversion programs for LGBTQ+ youth
• The impact of parental incarceration on children and families
• The relationship between race and juvenile justice system involvement
• The use of facial recognition technology in correctional facilities
• The effectiveness of community-based mental health services in reducing incarceration rates
• The impact of prison labor on employment opportunities for formerly incarcerated people
• The role of community-based restorative justice in addressing hate crimes
• The use of predictive analytics in child welfare investigations
• The effectiveness of alternative sentencing programs for drug-related offenses
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on crime reporting in immigrant communities
• The relationship between implicit bias and jury decision-making
• The use of technology in improving language access in the criminal justice system.
• The impact of police body language on citizen perceptions and trust
• The effectiveness of police academy training on officer decision-making in high-pressure situations
• The role of technology in the spread of human trafficking
• The relationship between mental health and probation and parole revocation rates
• The use of community courts in addressing quality of life offenses
• The effectiveness of prisoner reentry programs on family reunification and support systems
• The impact of public defender caseloads on the quality of legal representation
• The role of implicit bias in jury selection and decision-making
• The use of diversion programs for juveniles involved in prostitution
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for offenders with serious mental illness
• The impact of immigration enforcement policies on the criminal justice system
• The relationship between recidivism rates and prison education and vocational programs
• The use of body-worn cameras in prison settings
• The effectiveness of alternative dispute resolution in reducing court congestion
• The impact of prison labor on reentry and recidivism rates
• The role of risk assessment tools in parole and probation decision-making
• The effectiveness of drug courts in addressing substance abuse and recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and behavior in prison
• The relationship between domestic violence and firearm possession
• The use of mental health diversion programs for veterans involved in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of juvenile drug court programs on reducing recidivism
• The impact of private prisons on inmate rehabilitation and public safety
• The role of implicit bias in pretrial detention decisions
• The use of GPS monitoring in pretrial release and probation supervision
• The effectiveness of offender education and job training programs in reducing recidivism
• The impact of collateral consequences on reentry and recidivism rates
• The use of crisis intervention teams in responding to mental health emergencies
• The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to detention for juveniles
• The role of public opinion in shaping criminal justice policy
• The effectiveness of police body-worn cameras in reducing police misconduct and excessive use of force
• The impact of incarceration on family dynamics and relationships
• The relationship between access to legal representation and case outcomes
• The use of community supervision and support programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The impact of pretrial detention on case outcomes and recidivism rates
• The role of prosecutorial discretion in plea bargaining and sentencing
• The use of facial recognition technology in criminal investigations and surveillance
• The effectiveness of problem-solving courts in addressing specialized criminal cases
• The impact of prison privatization on inmate rights and access to services
• The relationship between race, gender, and criminal justice outcomes
• The use of mental health courts in diversion programs
• The effectiveness of community policing strategies in building trust and reducing crime rates
• The impact of police militarization on community perceptions and police-citizen interactions
• The role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations and court proceedings
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting criminal behavior and recidivism.
• The use of restorative justice in the criminal justice system
• The impact of police militarization on community policing efforts
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with substance use disorders
• The relationship between economic inequality and crime rates
• The use of artificial intelligence in pretrial risk assessment
• The impact of mandatory minimum sentences on non-violent drug offenses
• The impact of the War on Drugs on communities of color
• The relationship between mental health and probation violations
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing recidivism rates
• The role of eyewitness testimony in wrongful convictions
• The use of facial recognition technology in criminal investigations and prosecutions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders
• The impact of probation and parole supervision on recidivism rates
• The relationship between police use of force and mental health disorders
• The use of predictive analytics in criminal sentencing
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for individuals with mental illness
• The impact of bail systems on low-income individuals and communities
• The role of implicit bias in sentencing decisions
• The use of social media in criminal investigations
• The impact of mandatory sentencing on judicial discretion
• The relationship between drug addiction and property crime
• The use of predictive analytics in risk assessment for pretrial release
• The effectiveness of substance abuse treatment programs in correctional facilities
• The impact of police body-worn cameras on police-citizen interactions
• The role of forensic evidence in wrongful convictions
• The use of drones in border patrol and immigration enforcement
• The effectiveness of community supervision programs for individuals with mental illness
• The impact of mandatory sentencing on the prison population and corrections costs
• The relationship between gang activity and violent crime
• The use of artificial intelligence in criminal investigations and evidence collection
• The effectiveness of juvenile diversion programs for first-time offenders
• The impact of prosecutorial misconduct on wrongful convictions
• The role of implicit bias in police use of force incidents
• The use of risk assessment tools in pretrial detention decisions for juvenile defendants
• The effectiveness of prison education programs in reducing recidivism rates
• The impact of racial profiling on policing practices and community trust
• The relationship between homelessness and criminal behavior
• The use of predictive analytics in identifying and preventing cybercrime
• The effectiveness of mental health treatment programs for incarcerated individuals
• The impact of the school-to-prison pipeline on students of color
• The role of community-based programs in reducing crime rates and recidivism
• The use of neuroscience in criminal investigations and sentencing decisions
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for individuals with co-occurring disorders
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health and recidivism rates.
• The effectiveness of diversion programs for offenders with substance use disorders
• The impact of judicial discretion on sentencing outcomes
• The relationship between access to legal representation and sentencing disparities
• The use of body-worn cameras in reducing police misconduct and brutality
• The impact of bail practices on pretrial detention and racial disparities
• The relationship between police unions and police accountability
• The effectiveness of community supervision in reducing recidivism
• The impact of solitary confinement on mental health outcomes for inmates
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and racial wealth inequality
• The use of risk assessment tools in sentencing decisions
• The effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences in reducing crime rates
• The impact of victim impact statements on sentencing outcomes
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and environmental justice
• The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) in law enforcement
• The effectiveness of juvenile justice diversion programs for at-risk youth
• The impact of police militarization on community relations
• The relationship between immigration enforcement and public safety
• The use of artificial intelligence in predicting recidivism risk
• The effectiveness of police training on de-escalation tactics
• The relationship between the criminal justice system and income inequality
• The use of geographic profiling in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of mental health courts in reducing incarceration rates
• The impact of mandatory arrest policies on domestic violence victims
• The relationship between criminal justice policies and public health outcomes
• The use of body-worn cameras in reducing false accusations against police officers
• The effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy in reducing domestic violence recidivism
• The impact of race and ethnicity on police use of force during traffic stops
• The use of predictive analytics in parole and probation revocation decisions
• The effectiveness of offender treatment programs for intimate partner violence offenders
• The impact of prison education programs on post-release employment and recidivism
• The relationship between prison labor and modern-day slavery
• The use of predictive modeling to prevent child abuse and neglect
• The effectiveness of community courts in reducing recidivism rates
• The impact of community-based organizations on crime prevention
• The relationship between mental health and substance use disorders in the criminal justice system
• The use of mobile forensic technology in criminal investigations
• The effectiveness of gender-responsive programming in reducing female recidivism rates
• The impact of anti-immigrant sentiment on policing in immigrant communities
• The relationship between police legitimacy and public trust
• The use of data analytics in law enforcement resource allocation
• The effectiveness of reentry programs for people with disabilities
• The impact of police misconduct on wrongful convictions
• The relationship between restorative justice and school discipline
• The use of location tracking technology in the criminal justice system
• The effectiveness of anti-bias training for law enforcement officers
• The impact of drug decriminalization on public safety and health.

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Top 110 Criminal Justice Research Topics

Table of contents

• 1 What is a research paper in criminal justice?
• 2 Basic Criminal Justice Research Topics
• 3 Controversial Criminal Justice Research Topics
• 4 Criminal Justice Research Topics to Provoke Debate
• 5 Criminology Research Topics
• 6 Criminal Justice System Research Topics
• 7 International Crimes Research Topics
• 8 Racism and Discrimination Criminal Justice Research Topics
• 9 Court Cases Research Topics
• 10 Crime and victimization Research Topics
• 11 Criminology Theories Research Topics
• 12.1 Conclusion

What is a research paper in criminal justice?

The best way to gain more data or information is via research. Research is an important tool that can be used in the subject one is studying and criminal justice research paper topics. A paper in criminal justice is comprehensive writing by scholars to argue for a situation, usually criminal. This paper is different from other types of research papers It requires an investigation of case studies and real-life situations. Many research paper topics on criminal justice can help students write their essays.

Research on criminal justice helps students and professionals alike to gain an in-depth understanding of the field. It also helps government officials who work in law enforcement, discipline, and crime prevention to do their job well.

In-depth study or research on criminal justice helps bridge the rift between the existing practice within the profession. The progression in recent knowledge.

Criminal justice research enables students to become critical thinkers. This makes them evaluate policies based on evidence and facts.

Criminal justice research topic ideas also inspire scholars to challenge intrinsic prejudice. Also, assumptions by cross-checking data objectively. Students may not always have the time to write their research papers by themselves. This can be due to loads of other assignments and impending deadlines. They can easily buy a research paper for their coursework in such situations. This article looks at many paper topics in criminal justice.

Here is a list of captivating and provoking criminal justice research proposal topics that students can work on. PapersOwl experts can help with choosing the best topic and writing a stunning paper.

Basic Criminal Justice Research Topics

When it comes to choosing research topics , students can easily run out of ideas. These are easy criminal justice research topics for college students.

• How reliable is eyewitness testimony? Should eyewitness statements be allowed in court? Who should be considered an eyewitness?
• The relationship between police and people of different races. Does the media present police violence against people of colour appropriately?
• Methods for preventing international drug trafficking. How should law enforcement agencies handle trafficking cases? What should be the punishment for drug trafficking?
• Crime during emergencies. Do public emergencies give room for criminal activities?
• Gender disparity in the criminal justice system. How can both genders be treated fairly? To what extent can gender equality be exercised?
• Solitary confinement. What is the impact of solitary confinement on prisoners?
• The efficiency of drug courts. Do drug courts help or hurt addicts?
• Domestic violence. Why are women more likely to be victims? What should happen to minors of abusive parents?
• Capital punishment. Is capital punishment a violation of human rights? What crimes deserve capital punishment?
• Bail. What criminal offenses should be granted bail? What is the maximum that can be charged as bail?

Controversial Criminal Justice Research Topics

Certain topics lead to controversies in the field. Controversial topics should be able to lead to extensive discussions on the situation. Students who have a tough time choosing a topic can find research papers for sale online. Some controversial criminal justice topics include:

• Cyberbullying. Where should the line be drawn between freedom of speech and cyberbullying?
• Jail structures. Why and how should female jails differ from male ones? What are the dangers of mixed prisons?
• Hate crime. What is the history of hate crime in the United States of America? How severe should the punishment for hate crimes be?
• Serial killers. Should serial killers be tried as mentally unstable? Should serial killers be charged with capital punishment?
• Juvenile crimes. Should minors be sent to jail? Should minors be charged with the death penalty? Is an 18-year-old an adult?
• Pornography. Can pornography be considered sexual abuse? Can porn sites be sued for pop-up pornographic images and ads?
• Police shootings. In what situations are the police allowed to shoot? What is the punishment for shooting an innocent person?
• Carrying concealed weapons. Should there be punishment for carrying weapons? What is considered self-defence?
• Murder and homicide. What is the difference between murder and homicide? Should the punishment for murder and homicide be equal?
• Reform vs. punishment: which one has more benefits?

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Criminal Justice Research Topics to Provoke Debate

There are research topics for criminal justice topic ideas that lead to debate and analysis. Such topics make sense from different angles, depending on your perspective. Examples of topics that spring debates are:

• Self-defense. Where to draw the line between self-defense and premeditated crime. Should there be a punishment for self-defense?
• Prostitution. Should prostitution be considered a crime? Should there be a minimum wage for prostitutes?
• Stalking. Should stalking be considered a violation of human rights? Should stalking punishable by the law?
• Child abuse. What is the line between discipline and child abuse? Should the state take minors away from abusive parents?
• Sexual abuse. Should BDSM be considered sexual abuse? Can sexual abuse occur between a married couple?
• The impact of prison on children of incarcerated individuals. Who cares for the children of incarcerated people? How does foster and kinship care affect these children?
• Media. To what extent should the media show domestic violence?
• Drunk driving is a serious offense. What should be the penalty for driving when inebriated? Should an intoxicated driver be charged with first-degree murder in the event of a tragic accident?
• Body camera. Is the use of body cams by the police an intrusion of privacy?
• Homicide and murder. Is homicide murder?

Criminology Research Topics

Criminology topic ideas will help students understand crime theories better. Below are topics are drawn from different areas of criminology.

• What have ex-convicts to say about criminology for convicts? Is the state prepared to assist ex-convicts who have completed their sentences?
• Is punishment a deterrence to crime in criminal justice theory?
• False conceptions about crime and criminal justice are debunked through media criminology. Fake news and how to handle it.
• Criminality is a result of culture, according to cultural criminology. What kinds of cultural traditions are compatible with criminal behaviour?
• According to cultural transmission theory, how are criminal norms conveyed in social contact?
• Does fear of penalty deter individuals from committing crimes? Is that anything that should be taken into account in a court of law?
• The rational choice theory explains how the perpetrator’s personal goals are connected with their criminal behaviour.
• How prevalent criminal theories marginalize women, according to feminist criminology.
• Minorities and people who deviate from social norms are negatively branded.
• Life-course criminology is the study of how events in one’s life influence criminal behaviour.

Criminal Justice System Research Topics

This criminal justice research topic enables students to investigate the judicial system and evaluate the current policies. Some of these criminal justice research questions include:

• Firing gun: how to determine whether it was deliberate or happened by accident? On what grounds should the police fire a gun.
• Cybercrime: what is the legal perspective of cybercrime? Is cyberbullying a cybercrime?
• Internet vigilantism: can revenge leaks be considered a criminal offence.
• Hate crime on the Internet: what are the policies against revenge leaks, trolling, and defamation?
• Crime and justice in mass media. How does the media influence the system?
• Kidnapping and ransom: what are common features and behaviour patterns?
• Sex offender registry: what are the pros and cons?
• The theories of deterrence rational choice: are they relevant in the modern justice system?
• Sexual assault. What is the punishment for sexual assault in schools and workplaces?
• Jury selection: how is it performed? What is the requirement for selecting members?

If you’re struggling to find the time or resources to complete a research paper in criminal justice, paying someone to write your research paper may seem like a viable option. However, it’s important to ensure that the service you use is reputable and trustworthy, as it’s essential to know the research paper will be written in a professional and reliable way. Doing research on the service provider to make sure they have experience in the field is highly recommended before making a decision.

International Crimes Research Topics

This criminal justice research topic has to do with domestic criminal laws and international crimes. Here are examples of international crimes topics for criminal justice research.

• International Criminal Court (ICC): The role of the ICC in the fight against crimes against humanity.
• International intervention. Define and analyze the effectiveness of intervention with examples.
• War crimes. How are other states tried for committing a crime against humanity in another state?
• Plea bargaining in international criminal law.
• International justice and peace. How can countries and international organizations make the world more just and peaceful? How should international organizations intervene in countries’ situations?
• International justice and human rights violations. What is a just society in the global context?
• International criminal law. What are the history, source, and objectives of international criminal laws?
• Feminism. A feminist’s point of view of international criminal laws.
• Child soldiers in Africa. Discuss the facts, history, and why they become soldiers at that age.
• International criminal laws treaties. Research various international criminal laws treaties and tell your reader what they entail.

Racism and Discrimination Criminal Justice Research Topics

The issues of racism and discrimination are still prevalent in society. The following topics can be researched to investigate the situation appropriately.

• Systemic bias. How does it affect criminal justice as well as the system?
• Minority groups. How is criminal justice affected by the discriminatory depiction of minorities in the media?
• Racial profiling: how minority groups are targeted based on ethnicity and race.
• African-Americans: how are racism and discrimination more towards them?
• Racial profiling: The disadvantages.
• The UK Court System. Is the UK court system discriminatory?
• The US Court System. Is the US court system discriminatory?
• Class Discrimination. What is societal class discrimination?
• Does the crime rate depend on the neighbourhood?
• Corporate crime: who constitutes the ruling class? What are corporate crimes?

Court Cases Research Topics

There are common criminal cases that are tried in court. Some topics about include:

• What is the difference between civil and criminal cases?
• Felony: when do disenfranchisement laws apply?
• Are organized crime and corruption the same thing?
• Victim services: can crime victims get any help?
• Prison rape and violence: how can sexual and domestic violence be prevented in prison?
• Forensics: how effective is forensics science in modern criminal justice.
• Shoplifting: how serious are shoplifting cases?
• Protection Program: who is eligible, and what type of protection is offered?
• Date rape: what type of legal assistance is available to victims?
• Substance use, abuse, and crime: does one cause a trigger for the other?

Crime and victimization Research Topics

Crime And victimization are captivating aspects of criminology. Several research and surveys have been done better to understand this field over the last few years. Below are some intriguing crime and victimization research topics for college students to consider.

• Crime and victimization among ethnic minorities: this paper will take an interesting look into how minor ethnicities experience crime and victimization in society.
• The victimization of females in the workplace: researchers explore the treatment of females in an especially male-dominated workspace and how it affects them.
• Political opposition: how the oppositions are victimized. Political oppositions in many countries are seen as threats by the ruling powers.
• Criminal victimization of the elderly – the elderly are mostly defenseless and, as a result, the targets of criminals.
• Victimization on campus – how college students are victimized on campus.
• Victimization in prisons and correctional facilities – are inmates subject to harassment and various form of physical abuse?
• Racial profiling and victimization – is racial profiling a thing? How does it affect the individuals of the race?
• Domestic violence: the victimization of romantic partners physically or emotionally.
• Sexual harassment and stalking.
• Cyberbullying, cybercrime, and victimization.

Criminology Theories Research Topics

Several criminology theories exist. This research covers how these theories are interpreted, used, and discovered. Some topics that cover this include:

• Theoretical integration of criminology theories – two criminology theories are better than one and how they can be integrated.
• Biological theory; how biological factors affect crime – Are some individuals more predisposed to cringe than others, and do biological factors play an important role.
• Deterrence theory: crime and the fear of punishment – are crimes with severe punishments less rampant than those with less punishment; how the freezer of punishment deters crime.
• Theory of rational choice – people restore to criminal behaviour because it is the best option.
• Advancement of criminology theories – how knowledge of criminal theories could be furthered.
• Social theory: how good socialization affects crime – are people around criminals predisposed to crime?
• How criminal behaviours are learned through observation: social learning theory: are criminal behaviours learned through observation of criminals or not?
• Self-control theory: how effective self-control affects crime rate – are individuals with better self-control less likely to be involved in crime? Is crime a resume of a lack of self-control?
• Theory of Routine activities- do daily routines affect criminal behaviours.
• Ownership of arms. Is this regarded as a law violation?

Reasonable Criminology Research Topics

Other reasonable criminology topics for students to explore are:

• Criminology as a social science – how criminology Is a social science because it deals with social science issues.
• Implications of hate crime: hate crime and how it affects the victims and society. Are the punishments effective in deterring hate crimes?
• Tracing the roots of criminology from ancient times – a history of criminology.
• Of crimes among age groups: how criminal behaviours vary among ages.
• Effects of childhood upbringing on the crime rate in society – does a child’s upbringing affect the crime rate in society? Are criminals a result of a bad childhood upbringing?
• The Portrayal of Serial killers in media – how serial killers are portrayed in the media and how it affects serial killers.
• Crime vs punishment – how punishment relates to crime and its deterrence.
• How does society affect drug abuse – is society to be blamed for drug abuse?
• Literacy vs Illiteracy and its effect on criminal behaviour: does literacy or Illiteracy affect criminals? Are literates less likely to commit crimes than illiterates?
• Gender bias in investigations. Does one gender receive better judgment than the other?

There are quite a number of areas you can conduct research in criminal justice. You may choose to focus on one particular area, or even multiple areas, depending on your research paper’s requirements. You will, however, need to ensure you do sufficient research for your work to be relevant. To make the research process easier, you can enlist the help of a professional writing service to write a research paper for you . They can provide you with the necessary resources and expertise to ensure that your paper is well-researched and accurate.

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Criminal Justice

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Criminal justice research topics.

This collection provides overviews of   nearly 100 key criminal justice research topics comprising traditional criminology and its more modern interdisciplinary outgrowths. These topics are divided into six thematic parts:

• Criminology
• Correlates of Crime
• Criminology Theories
• Crime Research
• Types of Crime
• Criminal Justice System

Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Topics

Research topics in criminology:.

• Criminology as Social Science .
• Criminology and Public Policy .
• History of Criminology .

Research Topics in Crime and Victimization:

• Age and Crime .
• Aggression and Crime .
• Citizenship and Crime .
• Education and Crime .
• Employment and Crime .
• Families and Crime .
• Gender and Crime .
• Guns and Crime .
• Immigration and Crime .
• Intelligence and Crime .
• Mental Illness and Crime .
• Neighborhoods and Crime .
• Peers and Crime .
• Race and Crime .
• Religion and Crime .
• Social Class and Crime .
• Victimization .
• Weather and Crime .

Research Topics in Criminology Theories:

• Biological Theori es.
• Classical Criminology .
• Convict Criminology .
• Criminal Justice Theories .
• Critical Criminology .
• Cultural Criminology .
• Cultural Transmission Theory .
• Deterrence and Rational Choice Theory .
• Feminist Criminology .
• Labeling and Symbolic Interaction Theories .
• Life Course Criminology .
• Psychological Theories of Crime .
• Routine Activities Theory .
• Self-Control Theory .
• Social Construction of Crime .
• Social Control Theory .
• Social Disorganization Theory .
• Social Learning Theory .
• Strain Theories .
• Theoretical Integration.

Research Topics in Criminology Research and Measurement:

• Citation and Content Analysis .
• Crime Classification Systems .
• Crime Mapping .
• Crime Reports and Statistics .
• Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) and Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) .
• Edge Ethnography .
• Experimental Criminology .
• Fieldwork in Criminology .
• Program Evaluation .
• Quantitative Criminology .

Research Topics in Types of Crime:

• Campus Crime .
• Child Abuse .
• Cybercrime .
• Domestic Violence .
• Elder Abuse .
• Environmental Crime .
• Hate Crime .
• Human Trafficking .
• Identity Theft .
• Juvenile Delinquency .
• Organizational Crime .
• Prostitution .
• Sex Offenses .
• Terrorism .
• Theft and Shoplifting .
• White-Collar Crime .
• Wildlife Crime .

Research Topics in Criminal Justice System:

• Capital Punishment .
• Community Corrections .
• Crime Prevention .
• Criminal Courts .
• Criminal Justice Ethics .
• Criminal Law .
• Criminal Specialization .
• Drug Courts .
• Drugs and the Criminal Justice System .
• Felon Disenfranchisement .
• Forensic Science .
• Juvenile Court .
• Juvenile Justice .
• Mass Media, Crime, and Justice .
• Offender Classification .
• Offender Reentry .
• Police–Community Relations .
• Prison System .
• Problem-Solving Courts .
• Public Health and Criminal Justice .
• Racial Profiling .
• Restorative Justice .
• Sentencing .
• The Police .
• Victim Services .
• Wrongful Convictions .
• Youth Gangs .

Because just listing suggestions for criminal justice research topics will be of limited value we have included short topical overviews and suggestions for narrowing those topics and divided them into 6 parts as in the list above. If you’re interested in some topic in the list follow the links below for more information.

Example   criminal justice research papers   on these topics have been designed to serve as sources of model papers for most criminological topics. These research papers were written by several well-known discipline figures and emerging younger scholars who provide authoritative overviews coupled with insightful discussion that will quickly familiarize researchers and students alike with fundamental and detailed information for each criminal justice topic.

This collection begins by defining the discipline of criminology and observing its historical development (Part I: Criminology ). The various social (e.g., poverty, neighborhood, and peer/family influences), personal (e.g., intelligence, mental illness), and demographic (e.g., age, race, gender, and immigration) realities that cause, confound, and mitigate crime and crime control are featured in   Part II: Correlates of Crime . The research papers in this section consider each correlate’s impact, both independently and in a broader social ecological context. The sociological origins of theoretical criminology are observed across several research papers that stress classical, environmental, and cultural influences on crime and highlight peer group, social support, and learning processes. Examination of these criminological theory research papers quickly confirms the aforementioned interdisciplinary nature of the field, with research papers presenting biological, psychological, and biosocial explanations and solutions for crime (Part III: Criminology Theories ).

Part IV: Criminology Research provides example research papers on various quantitative and qualitative designs and techniques employed in criminology research. Comparison of the purposes and application of these research methods across various criminal justice topics illustrates the role of criminologists as social scientists engaged in research enterprises wherein single studies fluctuate in focus along a pure–applied research continuum. This section also addresses the measurement of crimes with attention to major crime reporting and recording systems.

Having established a theoretical–methodological symmetry as the scientific foundation of criminology, and increasingly the field of criminal justice,   Part V: Types of Crime   considers a wide range of criminal offenses. Each research paper in this section thoroughly defines its focal offense and considers the related theories that frame practices and policies used to address various leading violent, property, and morality crimes. These research papers also present and critically evaluate the varying level of empirical evidence, that is, research confirmation, for competing theoretical explanations and criminal justice system response alternatives that are conventionally identified as best practices.

Ostensibly, an accurate and thorough social science knowledge base stands to render social betterment in terms of reduced crime and victimization through the development of research–based practices. This science–practitioner relationship is featured, advocated, and critiqued in the research papers of the final section,   Part VI: Criminal Justice System . Here, the central components of criminal justice research paper topics (law enforcement, courts, and corrections) are presented from a criminology–criminal justice outlook that increasingly purports to leverage theory and research (in particular, program evaluation results) toward realizing criminal justice and related social policy objectives. Beyond the main system, several research papers consider the role and effectiveness of several popular justice system and wrap-around component initiatives (e.g., specialty courts, restorative justice, and victim services).

See also: Domestic Violence Research Topics and School Violence Research Topics .

Criminology Research Paper Topics

Criminology research paper topics cover a broad range of issues related to crime and criminal behavior. As a student of criminology, it can be challenging to select a research paper topic that is both interesting and relevant to your field of study. This page from iResearchNet offers a comprehensive list of criminology research paper topics, organized into 10 categories, with expert advice on how to choose the best topic and write a successful research paper. In addition, the page highlights the writing services offered by iResearchNet, providing students with the opportunity to order a custom criminology research paper on any topic of their choice.

Criminology Research Topics Guide

Criminology is a complex and interdisciplinary field that encompasses the study of crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. Students pursuing a degree in criminology are often tasked with writing research papers on a variety of topics within this field. However, with the multitude of topics available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task.

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Choosing the right topic is crucial to the success of any research paper. By selecting a topic that is both interesting and relevant, students can engage in a more meaningful and productive research process. In this page, we will discuss various strategies for choosing a topic, such as considering personal interests, consulting with instructors or librarians, and conducting preliminary research. We will also provide tips on how to develop a strong thesis statement and organize one’s research notes effectively. Ultimately, our goal is to equip students with the tools and resources needed to produce high-quality research papers that demonstrate a deep understanding of the field of criminology.

100 Criminology Research Paper Topics

Theoretical Perspectives in Criminology

• Classical criminology
• Biological theories of crime
• Psychological theories of crime
• Social disorganization theory
• Strain theory
• Labeling theory
• Social learning theory
• Critical criminology
• Feminist criminology
• Cultural criminology

Crime Types and Patterns

• Sexual offenses
• Drug offenses
• Organized crime
• White-collar crime
• Hate crimes

Criminological Research Methods

• Survey research
• Experimentation
• Case studies
• Content analysis
• Ethnography
• Longitudinal studies
• Meta-analysis
• Secondary data analysis
• Network analysis
• Comparative research

Correlates of Crime

• Poverty and economic factors
• Race and ethnicity
• Gender and crime
• Family structure and dynamics
• Education and crime
• Employment and crime
• Social capital and crime
• Neighborhood factors
• Peer influence and deviance
• Substance abuse and addiction

Criminal Justice System

• Police organization and management
• Policing strategies and tactics
• Courts and the criminal justice process
• Sentencing and punishment
• Corrections and rehabilitation
• Community-based corrections
• Probation and parole
• Juvenile justice system
• Mental health and the criminal justice system
• Victimology and victim services

Crime Prevention and Control

• Community policing
• Crime prevention through environmental design
• Crime prevention programs and policies
• Situational crime prevention
• Early intervention and prevention for youth
• Restorative justice programs
• Technology and crime prevention
• Gun control policies
• Terrorism and counterterrorism strategies
• Human trafficking and exploitation

Criminal Justice Ethics and Professionalism

• Police use of force and accountability
• Police discretion and decision-making
• Ethical dilemmas in the courtroom
• Confidentiality and privacy in the criminal justice system
• Bias and discrimination in the criminal justice system
• Professionalism and integrity in corrections
• Ethics in forensic science
• The role of media in criminal justice ethics
• Corruption in law enforcement
• The ethics of punishment

Historical and Comparative Criminology

• The history of criminal justice systems
• Cross-cultural comparisons of crime and justice
• Historical perspectives on punishment
• The evolution of policing and law enforcement
• The history of prisons and corrections
• Colonialism and its impact on crime and justice
• Comparative analyses of legal systems
• Transnational crime and criminal justice cooperation
• International criminal law
• Globalization and crime

Special Topics in Criminology

• Mental illness and crime
• Immigration and crime
• Race, crime, and social justice
• Climate change and environmental crime
• LGBTQ+ issues in criminology
• Disruptive technology and crime
• School violence and prevention
• The impact of COVID-19 on crime and justice
• Animal cruelty and animal rights in criminology
• The role of religion in crime and justice

Choosing a Criminology Research Paper Topic

Choosing a research paper topic in criminology can be a daunting task, as the field encompasses a wide range of topics and perspectives. However, with careful consideration and planning, selecting a topic can become a manageable and even enjoyable process. Here are some expert tips on how to choose a criminology research paper topic:

• Understand the assignment requirements and guidelines : Before selecting a topic, make sure you understand the specific requirements and guidelines provided by your instructor. This can include the length of the paper, the research methods required, and the formatting and citation style to be used.
• Consider your personal interests and passions : Choosing a topic that you are personally interested in can make the research and writing process much more enjoyable and engaging. Think about your personal experiences, hobbies, or areas of expertise that could inspire a relevant and interesting topic.
• Look for current and relevant topics in the field : Stay up-to-date with current events and trends in the field of criminology by following relevant news outlets and academic journals. This can help you identify relevant and timely topics that are of interest to both you and your audience.
• Focus on a specific aspect or issue within a broader topic : Narrowing down a broad topic can help you focus your research and analysis, making it more manageable and effective. For example, instead of researching “crime prevention,” you could focus on a specific method or strategy, such as community policing.
• Conduct preliminary research to ensure there is enough information available : Before committing to a topic, conduct some preliminary research to ensure there is enough information available to support your thesis statement and arguments. This can include reviewing academic journals, news articles, and other relevant sources.
• Consult with your instructor or a librarian for topic suggestions and resources : If you’re struggling to identify a relevant and engaging topic, don’t hesitate to consult with your instructor or a librarian for suggestions and resources. They may be able to provide valuable insight and guidance that can help you find the perfect topic for your research paper.
• Stay organized and keep track of sources and notes : As you conduct research and develop your ideas, make sure to stay organized and keep track of sources and notes. This can help you avoid plagiarism and ensure that you have all the necessary information to support your arguments and analysis.
• Narrow down your topic and develop a thesis statement : Once you’ve identified a broad topic of interest, narrow it down and develop a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the focus and purpose of your research paper.
• Brainstorm and outline your paper before writing : Before diving into writing your research paper, take some time to brainstorm and outline your ideas. This can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that you’re addressing all the necessary points and arguments.
• Revise and edit your paper multiple times before submitting : After completing your first draft, make sure to revise and edit your research paper multiple times to ensure that it’s clear, concise, and error-free. This can help you improve the quality of your work and ensure that you’re presenting your ideas in the best possible light.

Choosing a topic for your criminology research paper requires careful consideration of your personal interests, the assignment guidelines, and the available resources. Take the time to conduct thorough research, organize your notes, and develop a strong thesis statement. Remember to use clear and concise language throughout your paper and support your arguments with evidence from credible sources. If you need additional assistance, iResearchNet offers expert writing services with experienced writers who can provide customized solutions to fit your specific needs and requirements. With proper research, organization, and writing skills, you can successfully tackle any criminology research paper topic and produce high-quality work that meets your academic goals.

How to Write a Criminology Research Paper

Writing a criminology research paper can be a challenging task, but with proper preparation and attention to detail, it can be a rewarding experience. The following tips can help guide you through the process of writing a successful criminology research paper.

• Choose a topic and develop a thesis statement : Start by selecting a topic that is of interest to you and aligns with the requirements of the assignment. Once you have a topic, develop a thesis statement that outlines the main argument or point you will be making in your paper.
• Conduct thorough research and gather reliable sources : Use a variety of sources, including academic journals, books, and reputable online sources, to gather information about your topic. Make sure to evaluate the credibility of your sources and take detailed notes as you conduct your research.
• Organize your notes and create an outline : Once you have gathered your research, organize your notes and create an outline that will guide your writing. This will help you stay focused and ensure that you cover all the necessary points in your paper.
• Write an introduction that provides background information and introduces the thesis : The introduction should provide context for your paper and introduce the main argument or point you will be making.
• Use clear and concise language throughout the paper : Make sure to write in a clear and concise manner, avoiding overly technical language and jargon.
• Support your arguments with evidence and examples from your research : Use evidence from your research to support your arguments and provide examples that help illustrate your points.
• Write a strong conclusion that summarizes your findings and reinforces your thesis : The conclusion should summarize the main points of your paper and reinforce the thesis statement.
• Edit and revise your paper for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors : Make sure to thoroughly edit and revise your paper for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Properly cite your sources using the appropriate citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) : Make sure to properly cite all of your sources using the appropriate citation style to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors of the works you have used in your research.

By following these tips, you can write a successful criminology research paper that effectively communicates your research and arguments.

iResearchNet Writing Services for Criminology Research Papers

iResearchNet is a leading provider of custom writing services for students in need of assistance with their criminology research papers. Our team of expert writers holds degrees in criminology and related fields, and are experienced in producing high-quality, original research papers tailored to your specific needs and requirements. With our writing services, you can rest assured that your paper will be written to the highest academic standards and delivered on time.

Features of our writing services include:

• Expert degree-holding writers : Our team of writers consists of experts in the field of criminology, with advanced degrees and years of experience in writing and research.
• Custom written works : All of our papers are written from scratch and tailored to your specific needs and requirements.
• In-depth research : Our writers conduct thorough and comprehensive research using credible sources, ensuring that your paper is well-supported and based on the latest research in the field.
• Custom formatting : We can format your paper in the citation style of your choice, including APA, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and Harvard.
• Top quality : Our writers are committed to producing top-quality work that meets the highest academic standards.
• Customized solutions : We work with you to develop a customized solution that meets your specific needs and requirements.
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At iResearchNet, we are committed to providing our clients with the highest quality writing services and ensuring their academic success. Whether you need assistance with a research paper on criminology or any other topic, our team of expert writers is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can assist you with your academic goals.

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Criminology offers a diverse and complex range of research paper topics that require careful consideration and planning to produce a successful paper. Students must choose a topic that is relevant, interesting, and manageable within the given assignment guidelines. Proper research, organization, and writing skills are necessary for crafting a high-quality criminology research paper that effectively addresses the chosen topic.

For students who may be struggling with the research and writing process, iResearchNet offers expert writing services from degree-holding writers with experience in the field of criminology. The company provides custom written works, in-depth research, and flexible pricing options to fit any budget. The company also guarantees timely delivery, 24/7 customer support, and absolute privacy and confidentiality of personal and academic information. By utilizing these services, students can achieve their academic goals and produce top-quality research papers that meet their individual needs and requirements.

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Criminal Justice Research Topics

Are you writing a research paper and having a hard time finding good criminal justice research topics? Thankfully, we have compiled a list of 10 of the best criminal justice research paper topic ideas. We’ve also included several criminal justice research questions and examples of criminal justice research topics to help you write your best paper.

Criminal justice is a great field for both those wanting a greater understanding of the US justice system and those who want to know what it is like to be a lawyer . If you want to write the best criminal justice paper you can, this article is for you.

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What makes a strong criminal justice research topic.

Strong criminal justice research papers consist of a focused question to answer and a specific area of criminal justice like forensic science, serial killers, substance abuse, sexual offenders, cyber criminology, corporate crime, juvenile justice, or criminal behavior. Most educational institutions have guidelines that must be followed for picking criminal justice topics for your criminology research paper, and this list will give you a great place to start researching.

Tips for Choosing a Criminal Justice Research Topic

• Follow the guidelines of your institution. If you are studying criminal justice at any university like Loyola University, Cornell University, Walden University, or even Harvard University, your professor has probably given you guidelines to stick to.
• Keep it focused. When you’re writing a criminal justice research paper it is best to keep a tight focus on your topic. Keep your research focused and remember to stay on task by using study tips, taking breaks, and improving on and practicing your writing skills daily.
• Choose a narrow topic. When choosing your topic the scope of your criminal justice research paper mustn’t be too broad. Ask and answer one question or use one thesis statement that is clear and well-defined.
• Choose a topic that is well-researched. When writing a paper on criminal justice, many topics are too new to have solid research. Pick a topic that has many cases related to it, or is focused on a common issue.
• Choose a topic you are passionate about. There is nothing worse than being stuck writing about a topic you have no interest in. That’s why you should make sure your topic is something that you want to write about. If it ignites your passion, write about it.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The difference between a research topic and a research question is that research topics are the broad area of study and research that is used to answer the research question. Research questions are what you are attempting to answer by researching your criminal justice topic.

Criminology topics can encompass areas of study like crime mapping, crime rates, crime prevention, female crimes, experimental criminology, homegrown crimes, or even criminal psychology. Research questions should be very narrow and like do certain criminal justice laws reduce crime? Do criminal justice practitioners engage in critical criminology? Does education in prison reduce reincarnation?

How to Create Strong Criminal Justice Research Questions

When writing a strong criminal justice research question you should ask three questions. Does this question have sufficient research to reference? Is the question narrow and focused? Am I passionate about this topic? If you ask these questions and use our guide to help you get started, you’ll be well on your way to writing a great criminal justice research paper.

Top 10 Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

1. bad living conditions and access to justice.

In the criminal justice system, sometimes where you live may have an impact on your access to justice. In 2011, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleging that the Chicago police department had slower response times in areas of the city with poor living conditions. The case was settled in 2021 with a plan to improve.

2. White-Collar Crimes Compared to Working-Class Criminals Punishments

White-collar crimes are generally finance-related crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering. According to Cornell University School of Law, white-collar crime costs over $300 billion annually in the US. However, white-collar criminals are prosecuted less severely than their working-class counterparts.

3. False Accusation, False Confessions, and Plea Bargaining

This area of criminal behavior is interesting, as our justice system actually allows for admissions of guilt even if the party did not commit the crime. Sometimes sentences can be reduced if a guilty plea is entered even if the party did not commit the crime.

4. Restorative Justice Efforts on Youthful Offenders

Juvenile and youth offenders have many different rules and avenues for justice. One of these unique approaches to keeping young people from their delinquent behavior employed by problem-solving courts is the concept of restorative justice. Restorative justice is a process that helps offenders make amends with the person or community they hurt with their deviant behaviors.

5. Criminal Justice Reform in Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by hatred of someone or a group of people’s immutable characteristics. In recent years, many states have adopted the federal bias categories as outlined by the Department of Justice. These categories are not adopted by every state, which creates several directions for research questions.

6. Organized Crime and the Social Class Criminal Behavior of Members

Organized crime has been around for centuries, but can be prevalent in communities that see crime as a way of life and family. It can be a robust topic to try and understand the influences that family and community have on organized crime.

7. Criminal Justice Agencies and International Crime Investigation Efforts

One thing that is not often talked about is the relationship between criminal justice agencies that work together across countries. Many agencies work together, and many are made jointly. The most notable agency that does this is Interpol which, in 2021, arrested 1,003 alleged criminals and closed 1,660 cases in just one investigation .

8. Impacts of Wildlife Crime and Environmental Crime

Two little written about criminal justice topics in this scientific field are the topics of environmental and wildlife crime. Pollution, littering, dumping, poaching, and wildfire started by humans are all areas that could be a great place to use your analytical skills and nab a decent grade.

9. Relationship Between Crime and Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness testimonies are a staple of modern justice. Many violent crime convictions hinge on the ability of eyewitness testimony to convince a jury of what occurred. Sometimes eyewitness testimony can be unreliable, or the multiple witnesses can testify something different from one another resulting in a wrongful conviction. Many crimes like drunk driving or theft can rest on this method of testimony.

10. Relationship Between Law Enforcement and Racial Profiling

Racial profiling is a topic that has received a lot of coverage and is one of the major criminal justice issues of today. Human rights careers deal with the impact of racial and social issues in the US. There are many areas in which law enforcement has to improve in the area of social science. This is a broad topic with many implications for criminal justice ethics and the area of distributive justice.

Other Examples of Criminal Justice Research Topics & Questions

Criminal justice research topics.

• Jury nullification
• Online predators
• Drunk drivers
• Gun control
• Campus crime

Criminal Justice Research Questions

• Does restorative justice reduce incarceration rates in juveniles?
• Do drug courts engage with racial profiling in the criminal justice system?
• Are environmental crimes underreported in the criminal justice field?
• Can organized criminal behavior be reduced by new crime control measures?
• Does mental illness cause more false confessions?

Choosing the Right Criminal Justice Research Topic

If you take these criminal justice research topic ideas and start researching, you’ll find a topic that strikes your creativity and deals with current justice issues. If college courses seem like they may not be for you, you can always use your knowledge to get a job in criminal justice without a degree .

As we stated earlier, two important parts to finding a great topic for criminology studies or criminal justice is to follow your institution’s guidelines and find a topic that you’re passionate about. Difficult topics like child abuse, victim services, jury selection, sexual violence, or any other of the wide range of topics are important and you can do them real justice and care in your paper.

Criminal Justice Research Topics FAQ

A good criminal research topic should be a broad area with lots of research and case studies behind it. It follows your institutional guidelines and that you are passionate about.

Controversial topics in criminal justice include issues that the court is not settled on or ones that disrupt long-standing positions in the courts. Issues like private prisons, gun control, reproductive rights, and criminal court reform could all be considered controversial.

Feminist criminology started in the late 60s and early 70s to bring attention to both female criminals and victims. The movement started because of the male-focused approach to criminal psychology with little to no regard for how a woman may be psychologically different.

Current issues in the criminal justice system include topics like racial justice, social justice, police reform, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ discrimination. Many of these topics are being discussed in both state and federal courts.

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135+ Amazing Criminal Justice Research Topics In 2023

Are you a law student or enrolled in law college? Are you looking for criminal justice research topics? Here, in this blog, you can find your criminal justice research topics. Statanalytca.com explains the 135 amazing criminal research paper topic ideas for 2023 in this blog.

When we listen to the word criminal justice, many words come into our mind like “victim,” “enforcement,” “crimes,” “courts,” “prison,” and law sanctions. Criminal justice is a term that governments make to justice for people, reduce and make decisions to prevent crimes. Governments make law sanctions to reduce crimes. Every country has a different criminal justice system.

The criminal justice system in the United States is a complex system of federal, state, and local laws, with state and federal constitutions, international treaties, and customary law. Each layer of government shares responsibility for a different aspect of the process. Federal law enforcement agencies enforce laws that may be broken by people who are not in their jurisdiction.

For example : When an individual from New York City travels to Florida to commit a crime such as a robbery or murder they will be arrested by the Florida police and handed over to federal authorities.

A criminal justice research paper necessarily requires accuracy, attention, and patience. Sometimes students are confused about writing criminal research paper topics, or they have a shortage of time to complete research papers.

Most college students ask for assignments to write criminal justice research papers. If you want criminal justice research paper help, you can take our trusted  research paper assignment help .

How To Choose A Good Research Topics

Table of Contents

Choosing a research topic is a very challenging task. You should pick a topic that is both interesting and relevant to your audience. You should analyze the crime report before choosing the criminal justice research topics. Research the types of crimes in your country and where your country ranks in the global crime index.

Some research topics include the following:

• The role of law enforcement, prosecutors, and public defenders.
• Challenges with eyewitness identifications.
• Different types of evidence are used in criminal cases.
• The effect of jury selection on trials.
• How criminal justice impacts mental health.

What Is a Research Paper in Criminal Justice?

A research paper in criminal justice is an academic paper presenting findings from research on a specific criminal justice topic. These papers typically require extensive research and analysis of primary and secondary sources, such as case studies, official reports, statistics, and academic literature. The research paper aims to contribute new knowledge to the criminal justice field, identify trends or patterns, or assess the effectiveness of interventions or policies.

Research papers in criminal justice typically follow a standard academic format, including an introduction that sets the context and research questions, a literature review that summarizes existing research, a methodology section that outlines the research design and data collection methods, a results section that presents findings, and a conclusion that summarizes the research’s significance and implications.

Criminal justice research papers may focus on various topics, including the legal system’s operations, law enforcement practices, corrections, crime prevention, and victimization. These papers may be used to inform policymakers, practitioners, and academics about the state of the criminal justice system and suggest evidence-based solutions to improve its effectiveness and fairness.

Let’s Discuss The Criminal Justice Research Topics-

Here in this section, we will tell you some of the best criminal justice research topics for 2023:-

Basic Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Basic criminal Research Topics.
• History of Criminal Ethics.
• Criminology as Social Science.
• Criminology and Public Policy.
• Advantages of Private Prisons.
• Civil Crimes vs War Crimes.
• Offenses Against Religion & Cultural Traits.
• Causes of victimization.

Court Cases Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Can victims of crime receive help?
• How serious are shoplifting incidents?
• When do felony disenfranchisement laws apply?
• Is organized crime and corruption synonymous?
• What is legal help available to victims of date rape?
• What is the difference between civil and criminal cases?
• Forensic science: how effective is it in modern criminal justice?
• Is there a link between substance abuse, crime, and substance use?
• Who is eligible for the protection program, and what protection is provided?
• Prison rape and violence: What can be done to prevent sexual and domestic violence in prison?

Controversial Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Gun control causes.
• Struggle with mental health issues.
• Police officers’ legal rights are limited.
• College Violence Causes.
• Gun violence and prevention policies.
• Crimes Propaganda and Modern Music Culture.
• Race and politics of criminal justice.
• An investigation into victim services.
• Eyewitness Evidence Importance.
• Legal codes used in America.
• Zero tolerance policy and crime rates.
• Sexual assault.
• culture, and gender equality.
• What is the best way to reduce recidivism?
• pros and cons of prisons in America.
• Criminalization of poverty.
• Gender and Punishment.
• The effects of drugs on children’s development.
• Effects of drug addiction on mental health.
• Youth offenders and Bootcamps.

Debate Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Failures in criminal justice.
• Criminal justice system expectations.
• Statistical analysis in criminal justice.
• Debate on criminal justice act.
• criminal justice trend evaluation.
• Trends in the criminal justice system.
• Criminal justice system corrections in the USA.
• Find the solution to prevent crimes.

Criminology Research Topics On Theories

• Is employment related to law violations?
• What is the relationship between family status and legal violations?
• Is gender related to the type of law violation?
• What is the relationship between citizenship and law enforcement?
• How does education relate to crime levels?
• How does gun ownership relate to breaking the law?
• Is there a link between immigration status and law violations?
• What types of crimes are common at what ages?
• How does the type of crime relate to the level of aggression?

Top 10 Hot Criminology Research Topics

• Crime is explained culturally.
• The media’s role in criminology.
• The advantages of convict criminology.
• The major issues in postmodern criminology.
• Is politics influencing criminal behavior?
• How does DAWN collect information?
• The shortcomings of crime mapping.
• Crime rates and community deterioration.
• Certain personality traits trigger criminal behavior.
• Does experimental criminology have an impact on social policy?

Criminal Justice Research Topics Based On Crime and Communities

• The impact of community policing on crime prevention in urban areas.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism rates.
• The relationship between poverty and crime in urban communities.
• The role of race and ethnicity in criminal justice outcomes and disparities.
• The effectiveness of community-based interventions in reducing juvenile delinquency.
• The impact of gun laws on violent crime in urban communities.
• Social media’s role in spreading crime and its effects on communities.
• The effectiveness of drug courts in reducing drug-related crimes and improving public safety.
• The relationship between mental illness and criminal behavior in urban communities.
• The impact of immigration policies on crime and public safety in urban areas.
• The effectiveness of re-entry programs for ex-offenders in reducing recidivism and promoting successful reintegration into society.
• The impact of community-based victim services on the criminal justice system and crime prevention.
• The relationship between neighborhood social disorganization and crime rates.
• The role of technology in improving crime prevention and solving crimes in urban communities.
• The effectiveness of community-based diversion programs for non-violent offenders.
• The impact of neighborhood watch programs on crime prevention and community safety.
• The role of community involvement in addressing hate crimes and bias incidents.
• The impact of domestic violence on communities and the criminal justice response.
• The effectiveness of drug treatment programs in reducing drug-related crime and improving public health.
• The criminal justice system’s impact on marginalized communities and efforts to promote equity and justice.

Criminal Justice Research Topics On Racism and Discrimination

• Eliminating discrimination in the criminal justice system.
• Gender Bias in Eyewitnesses.
• African American Legislative Apartheid.
• Racial Discrimination in College Campuses.
• How criminal justice law is enacted on Migrants.
• Inequality in the criminal justice system Research.

General Criminal Justice Research Topics

• Police brutality and excessive force
• Criminal profiling and investigation techniques
• Restorative justice programs
• Cybercrime and cyberterrorism
• Gun control policies and their effectiveness
• The impact of race and ethnicity on sentencing
• Juvenile delinquency prevention and intervention
• Wrongful convictions and the death penalty
• Gender and crime
• Drug policy and its impact on crime.
• Community policing and trust-building strategies
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation and reentry programs for offenders
• Domestic violence and its impact on victims
• Crime prevention through environmental design
• Forensic science and the reliability of evidence in criminal investigations
• Corruption in law enforcement and the criminal justice system
• Mental health treatment for inmates and offenders
• Human trafficking and modern-day slavery
• The use of technology in criminal investigations and surveillance
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the criminal justice system.

Types of Criminal Justice Research Topics  

• Homicide, serial murders, and serial murder are the most popular topics in murder studies.
• A case study of robbery crime, unusual daylight robbery in a news article.
• Identity Theft and Ways to Protect, the prevalence of identity theft in the community, causes, and effects of cell phone theft.
• Analysis and critique of Current fraud cases, Fraud and business ethics, fraud schemes, and investigation.

International Criminal Law Topics

• Criminal ethics, criminal law research assignment paper.
• Criminal courtroom observation reaction.
• Childhood obesity.
• Crime Prevention.
• International crimes and their laws.
• International criminal court.
• Human Rights and Inequality.
• Rape Cases.

Criminal Justice Research Topics For College Students

• The Impact of Police Body Cameras on Law Enforcement Accountability
• Violent Crime Reduction Effectiveness of Restorative Justice Programs
• Racial Disparities in Sentencing and Their Implications for Justice
• The Role of Mental Health Services in Diverting Offenders from the Criminal Justice System
• Media Effects on Perceptions of Crime and Criminal Conduct
• Examining the Use of Technology in Solving Crimes and Enhancing Investigations
• Juvenile Justice Policies: Rehabilitation vs. Punishment
• The Intersection of Immigration Policies and Criminal Justice Outcomes
• Criminal Profiling and its Reliability in Solving Crimes
• The Effect of Minimum Sentence Laws on Incarceration Rates and Public Safety.

Criminology Research Topics

• Armed Crime Groups History Motives.
• Cyber Criminology Correction Methods.
• Art Fraud Cooperation.
• Drunk Driving Prevention Ads.
• Identity Theft & Social Media.
• Topic on Child Abuse & TV Violence.
• Aggression Against Homeless People.
• Unemployment & Street Situation Analysis.
• Forensic Research Identification Methods.
• Crime Witnesses PTSD Rehabilitation.

Career With The Criminology Major

There are a variety of jobs you can get with a criminology degree. We sort listed the top 8 trending jobs that you can get with a criminology degree:

• Criminologist.
• Private investigator 
• Forensic scientist .
• Correction officer.
• Jury consultant.
• Loss prevention specialist 
• Clinical social worker.

Tips On How To Write Criminal Justice Research Topics

A step-by-step guide on how to write criminal justice research topics:

• Choose a particular topic.
• Read the given materials and take some notes.
• Come up with a thesis.
• Create an outline for your project.
• Write down all the information that you have collected.
• Start with a cover page, and an intro.
• List the technique you used and the results you got.
• Include a discussion.
• Always write a conclusion.
• Don’t forget to correct your grammar mistakes.
• Revise, proofread, and if it is incorrect then edit.

Importance of Criminal Justice Research Papers In 2023

Here are some important of criminal justice research papers in 2023: 

1. Informed Policy-Making

Criminal justice research papers provide valuable data and insights that policymakers use to develop effective laws and policies, enhancing the fairness and efficiency of the justice system.

2. Evidence-Based Practices

Research papers help identify evidence-based strategies for law enforcement, corrections, and crime prevention, leading to better outcomes and reduced rates of reoffending.

3. Transparency and Accountability

By revealing systemic issues and gaps, research papers push for greater transparency and accountability within the criminal justice system, fostering public trust.

4. Improved Decision-Making

Policymakers, law enforcement, and other stakeholders use research findings to make informed decisions on resource allocation and allocation of efforts.

5. Advancing Knowledge

Criminal justice research papers contribute to the body of knowledge in the field, allowing researchers and academics to build on existing findings and develop innovative approaches to understanding crime and justice.

6. Addressing Disparities

Research papers shed light on disparities in the justice system, such as racial or socioeconomic disparities, prompting efforts to address and rectify these inequalities.

7. Enhancing Public Awareness

Research papers raise public awareness about issues like wrongful convictions, mental health challenges, and the impact of crime on communities, spurring advocacy and societal change.

Get More Criminal Justice Research Topics At Statanalytica.com

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This is the end of this post about criminal justice research topics. However, diverse criminal justice research topics offer unique insights into various aspects of the criminal justice system. These research areas are crucial for policymakers, practitioners, and academics to comprehensively understand the system’s challenges and develop effective interventions that improve its fairness and effectiveness. 

On the other hand, we mentioned more than 135 criminal justice research topics based on different categories. So that it is easier for you to choose the best criminal justice research topics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1.what are some criminal justice research topics.

Research Topics in Criminal Justice System: 1. Capital Punishment. 2. Community Corrections. 3. Crime Prevention. 4. Criminal Courts. 5. Criminal Justice Ethics. 6. Criminal Law. 7. Criminal Specialisation. 8. Drug Courts.

Q2. How do I choose a research topic?

Two main ways to find a research topic: through your academic interests or by self-initiation. You can find a topic through your academic focus, talk to your professors and classmates about what they’re working on, and they can point you in the right direction and introduce you to the process of conducting research. The other option is to start with The idea that interests you.

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Criminal Justice Research Topics: 150 Ideas for Your Legal Essay

The field of criminal justice offers a wide array of intriguing topics for legal essays, providing opportunities to delve into the complexities of law enforcement, court systems, and corrections. From exploring the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs to discussing the ethical implications of new surveillance technologies, there's no shortage of thought-provoking issues to examine. In this article, we've compiled 150 research topics to inspire and guide your exploration of these fascinating areas within criminal justice. Our expert essay writers are ready to help if you are pressed for time.

What Is Criminal Justice Research Paper

A criminal justice research paper is an academic document that explores various aspects of the criminal justice system, including law enforcement, courts, corrections, and related societal issues. These papers typically involve thorough investigation, analysis, and interpretation of relevant data, literature, and legal precedents to address specific research questions or topics within the field. 

Criminal justice research topics may examine the effectiveness of policies or programs, analyze trends in crime rates, explore the impacts of legal decisions, or propose solutions to address pressing issues within the criminal justice system. Additionally, they often contribute to broader discussions surrounding crime prevention, rehabilitation, social justice, and the protection of individual rights. Since you’ll need to rely on external sources for writing read guide of our research proposal writing service on citation format for research paper . 

Why Students Write a Criminal Justice Research Paper

Students write criminal justice research papers for several reasons, each aimed at enhancing their understanding of the field and developing critical thinking and analytical skills. Firstly, these assignments serve as a means for students to delve deeper into specific criminal justice research topic ideas within the criminal justice system, allowing them to explore areas of interest or concern in greater detail. Through research, students can understand the complexities surrounding law enforcement, judicial processes, corrections, and societal responses to crime. This exploration fosters a deeper appreciation for the nuances and challenges inherent in the criminal justice field, preparing students for future careers in law enforcement, legal practice, policymaking, or academia.

Moreover, criminal justice research papers allow students to hone their research and writing abilities, essential perks for success in both academic and professional settings. Conducting research requires students to gather and critically evaluate relevant literature, data, and legal precedents, enabling them to develop well-informed arguments and conclusions. 

Through writing, students refine their ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, organize their thoughts coherently, and adhere to academic writing conventions. Furthermore, crafting research papers encourages students to engage in thoughtful analysis, synthesis, and interpretation of information, fostering their ability to think critically and creatively about issues within the criminal justice system and beyond. Do you have ideas on how to start a research paper ? If not, feel free to consult our guide.

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How to Choose a Good Research Topic Rules

Good criminal justice research topics are the driving force behind the success of your project, as they will guide your exploration and shape the direction of your study. To select an effective research topic, consider the following steps:

• Identify your interests

Start by reflecting on your interests and passions within criminal justice. Consider topics that intrigue you or issues you feel strongly about. Research is often more engaging and fruitful when genuinely interested in the subject.

• Review existing literature

Conduct a preliminary review of academic literature, textbooks, journals, and reputable websites to identify current trends, debates, and gaps in knowledge within the field of criminal justice. Look for areas where ongoing discussion or emerging research piques your interest.

• Consider relevance and significance

Choose a topic relevant to contemporary issues or debates within the criminal justice system. Consider how your research can address real-world problems, inform policy decisions, or advance theoretical understanding in the field.

• Narrow down your focus

Once you've identified a broad area of interest, narrow your focus to a specific research question or problem. A well-defined research question will help you maintain clarity and focus throughout your study, ensuring that your research remains manageable and achievable.

• Evaluate feasibility

Assess the feasibility of your research topic by considering factors such as access to data, resources, and expertise. Ensure that your chosen topic is feasible within the constraints of your time, budget, and available resources.

• Seek feedback

Discuss your research topic with professors, advisors, peers, or professionals in criminal justice. Their feedback can help you refine your ideas, identify potential challenges, and ensure that your topic is well-suited to your academic goals and interests. If the feedback from your peers and teachers leaves much to be desired, use our coursework writing service to deliver a first-class paper that checks all the quality boxes.

• Stay flexible

Remain open to revising and refining your research topic as you delve deeper into your study. Be prepared to adapt your focus based on new insights, findings, or changes in the research landscape.

Criminal Justice Research Topics: The List

Coming up with strong criminal justice research topics for college students matters because they are the foundation for meaningful inquiry, shaping the direction and scope of academic exploration within a specific field. A well-chosen topic not only captures the researcher's interest but also holds significance within the broader context of the discipline, offering opportunities for original insights, critical analysis, and scholarly contributions. Opt for a custom research paper , and our writers will select compelling and relevant topics that can engage readers, advance knowledge, and address pressing issues or gaps in understanding. 

List of Criminology Research Topics

Begin with the broad research topics in criminology that immediately captivate your reader's attention:

• The impact of social media on crime rates.
• Rehabilitation vs. retribution: effectiveness of different punitive measures.
• Juvenile delinquency: causes and prevention strategies.
• The psychology of criminal behavior.
• Cybercrime: trends and countermeasures.
• The role of gender in criminal justice.
• Illegal substance trafficking and law enforcement challenges.
• White-collar crime: Patterns and detection.
• Community policing: Building trust and reducing crime.
• Mental health and criminal justice system interaction.
• Human trafficking: Modern-day slavery.
• Restorative justice: Healing communities after crime.
• Police brutality and accountability.
• Environmental criminology: Understanding crime hotspots.
• Crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).
• The economics of crime: Cost-benefit analysis.
• Hate crimes: Motivations and impact on society.
• Criminal profiling techniques and accuracy.
• Witness reliability in criminal trials.
• The influence of poverty on crime rates.
• Rehabilitation programs for incarcerated individuals.
• The intersection of race and criminal justice.
• Firearms and violence: Policy implications.
• The role of technology in crime detection and prevention.
• Gangs and organized crime: Structure and activities.
• Domestic violence: Causes and intervention strategies.
• The ethics of punishment: Balancing justice and mercy.
• Crime mapping and geographic information systems (GIS).
• Biological explanations for criminal behavior.
• Crime and deviance: Sociological perspectives.

List of Realistic Crime Research Topics

Continuing with our exploration of criminological research topics, here are some additional options that reflect current global issues in our society, offering a more realistic perspective for study.

• The impact of neighborhood characteristics on crime rates.
• Factors influencing the likelihood of reoffending among convicted criminals.
• The effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime.
• Patterns of illegal substance-related crimes in urban vs. rural areas.
• The role of technology in modern crime detection and prevention.
• Gender disparities in crime victimization and perpetration.
• Strategies for reducing juvenile delinquency in at-risk communities.
• The influence of socioeconomic status on involvement in white-collar crime.
• Cybercrime trends and challenges in the digital age.
• The relationship between mental health issues and criminal behavior.
• The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for offenders.
• The impact of sentencing guidelines on crime rates.
• Trends in organized crime activity in different regions.
• The role of peer influence in youth involvement in criminal activities.
• Arms control policies and their effects on arms-related crimes.
• The correlation between unemployment rates and property crime.
• Cultural factors influencing attitudes towards crime and punishment.
• The prevalence of hate crimes and strategies for prevention.
• The role of media in shaping perceptions of crime and criminal justice.
• Environmental criminology: Exploring the link between crime and urban design.
• The impact of immigration on crime rates in host countries.
• Psychological profiles of serial offenders.
• The effectiveness of restorative justice programs in reducing recidivism.
• The relationship between substance abuse and criminal behavior.
• Policing strategies for reducing gang-related crime.
• The influence of family dynamics on youth involvement in crime.
• Corporate crime: Investigating fraud and corruption in business.
• The effectiveness of early intervention programs for at-risk youth.
• The role of poverty in driving criminal behavior.
• The ethics and implications of using predictive policing technologies.

List of Basic Criminal Justice Topics

Here is a list of fundamental topics in criminal justice. Assess the available information on each issue carefully. Ultimately, the choice of study topics in criminal justice is entirely yours.

• Overview of the criminal justice system.
• Importance of due process in criminal justice.
• Key components of criminal law.
• Role of law enforcement in society.
• Basics of criminal investigations.
• Types of criminal offenses.
• Understanding criminal courts and procedures.
• Principles of criminal sentencing.
• Purpose and function of corrections.
• Victim rights in the criminal justice system.
• Evolution of criminal justice policies.
• Ethics in criminal justice professions.
• Impact of technology on criminal justice.
• Challenges in administering justice fairly.
• Role of forensic science in solving crimes.
• Rehabilitation versus punishment debate.
• Alternatives to incarceration.
• Importance of community policing.
• Mental health and the criminal justice system.
• Restorative justice approaches.
• Juvenile justice system basics.
• Trends in crime rates and patterns.
• Intersection of race and criminal justice.
• Role of probation and parole.
• Challenges in addressing recidivism.
• International perspectives on criminal justice.
• Role of private security in society.
• Importance of evidence in criminal cases.
• Impact of illegal substances and abuse on crime.
• Contemporary issues in criminal justice reform.

List of Criminal Justice Topics on Racial Discrimination

Let's narrow down our focus to specific topics within the realm of criminal justice for research papers. Here, we'll categorize the prompts based on aspects of racial discrimination.

• Racial profiling in law enforcement.
• Disparities in arrest rates among racial groups.
• Impact of implicit bias on criminal justice outcomes.
• Race and sentencing disparities.
• Effects of socioeconomic status on racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
• Policing practices and their differential impact on racial minorities.
• Racial disparities in juvenile justice system involvement.
• Role of race in jury selection and trial outcomes.
• Disproportionate representation of racial minorities in prisons and jails.
• Effects of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on racial disparities.
• Racial disparities in pretrial detention and bail decisions.
• Impact of race on interactions with probation and parole officers.
• Challenges in addressing systemic racism in the criminal justice system.
• Role of media portrayal in perpetuating racial stereotypes in crime reporting.
• Effects of the school-to-prison pipeline on communities of color.
• Racial disparities in access to legal representation.
• Intersectionality of race with other factors such as gender and socioeconomic status in criminal justice outcomes.
• Effects of racial trauma on interactions with law enforcement.
• Role of community activism in addressing racial discrimination in criminal justice.
• Historical roots of racial disparities in criminal justice.
• Impact of illegal substance policies on racial disparities in arrests and incarceration.
• Role of implicit bias training in reducing racial discrimination in law enforcement.
• Effects of racial segregation on policing practices and community trust.
• Racial disparities in use of force incidents and police brutality.
• Role of accountability measures in addressing racial discrimination in criminal justice.
• Impact of racial diversity within law enforcement agencies on community relations.
• Effects of racialized fear and stereotypes on criminal justice decision-making.
• Role of sentencing reform in addressing racial disparities.
• Racial disparities in access to diversion and rehabilitation programs.
• Strategies for promoting racial equity and fairness in the criminal justice system.

List of Crime Research Topics (Crime Types)

Finally, examine the topics for research papers in criminal justice categorized by different types of crime.

• Burglary patterns and prevention strategies.
• Trends in cybercrime and cybersecurity measures.
• Understanding the psychology of serial perpetrators.
• Illegal substance trafficking routes and law enforcement responses.
• White-collar crime: Fraud, embezzlement, and corporate misconduct.
• Human trafficking: Prevalence, victims, and intervention approaches.
• Homicide investigation techniques and case studies.
• Identity theft: Impacts and prevention tactics.
• Robbery dynamics and risk factors for victimization.
• Hate crimes: Motivations, perpetrators, and legal responses.
• Carjacking trends and prevention measures.
• Arson investigations and forensic analysis.
• Money laundering methods and detection strategies.
• Gang violence: Origins, structures, and intervention efforts.
• Stalking behaviors and legal consequences.
• Art theft: High-profile cases and recovery efforts.
• Wildlife poaching: Impacts, perpetrators, and conservation efforts.
• Online scams: Common schemes and protective measures.
• Domestic violence: Patterns, risk factors, and support services.
• Child abuse and neglect: Identification and prevention strategies.
• Environmental crimes: Illegal dumping, pollution, and enforcement challenges.
• Smuggling operations: Contraband and border security.
• Extortion tactics and responses in law enforcement.
• Organized crime syndicates: Structures, activities, and global impact.
• Counterfeiting: Trends in production methods and law enforcement actions.
• Art forgery: Authentication techniques and case studies.
• Food fraud: Adulteration, mislabeling, and consumer protection efforts.
• Political corruption: Types, impacts, and anti-corruption measures.
• Intellectual property theft: Piracy, counterfeiting, and legal responses.
• Terrorism: Ideologies, tactics, and counterterrorism strategies.

Final Thoughts

In summary, writing research papers in criminal justice is incredibly important for students. It helps them learn about various aspects of the criminal justice system and develop skills like critical thinking and research. 

Choosing the right criminal justice research topic ideas allows you to set the direction for your research and ensure that you stay engaged and interested. By picking a topic they're passionate about or relevant to current issues, students can make the most of their learning experience and even contribute new insights to the legal field. If you’re stuck on such a paper while other assignments have already started to stack up, buy essays online to manage the workload more effectively. 

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Article contents

Crime science.

• Ella Cockbain Ella Cockbain Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London
•  and  Gloria Laycock Gloria Laycock Department of Security and Crime Science, University College London
• https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264079.013.4
• Published online: 29 March 2017

Crime science (or more accurately crime and security science) has three core tenets:

• the application of scientific methods

• the study of crime and security problems

• the aim of reducing harm.

Beyond the unifying principles of scientific research (including a clear problem definition, transparency, rigor, and reliability), tools and techniques vary between studies. Rather than following a prescriptive approach, researchers are guided in their selection of data and methods by their research question and context. In this respect, crime scientists take an inclusive view of “evidence.”

“Crime and security” is a broad construct, covering problems associated with diverse illicit goods and acts, offenders, victims/targets, places, technologies, and formal and informal agents of crime control.

Its pragmatic approach distinguishes crime science from “pure research” (i.e., the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake). Contributions to harm reduction might be immediate (e.g., evaluating a novel intervention) or longer term (e.g., building theoretical or empirical knowledge about a particular issue).

Crime science is broad: researchers may contribute to it without self-identifying as crime scientists. Indeed, its early proponents hesitated to draw its parameters, suggesting they should be defined operationally. Under a shared focus on crime, crime science research transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. The prevalence of multi- and interdisciplinary work reflects the inherent complexity of crime and its control. The social, physical, biological, and computer sciences—and their associated technologies—all have contributions to make.

Although the term crime science was first formalized in 2001, its roots go back much further. Within criminology, it particularly overlaps with environmental and experimental criminology. As well as sharing methods with these two areas, crime science’s theoretical underpinning derives from opportunity theories of crime (e.g., routine activity theory, the rational choice perspective, crime pattern theory). Crime is conceptualized accordingly as primarily non-random and as influenced by both individual criminal propensity and environmental factors that facilitate, promote, or provoke, criminal events.

Crime science techniques have been applied to a variety of issues: primarily volume crimes (e.g., burglary), but also more serious and complex crimes (e.g., terrorism and human trafficking). There is now substantial evidence of the effectiveness of targeted interventions in tackling crimes by manipulating their opportunity structures. Claims that such approaches are unethical and merely cause displacement have been discredited. Crime science now faces other, more challenging criticisms. For example, its theoretical underpinnings are arguably too narrow and the boundaries of the field lack clear distinction. Other challenges include expanding interventions into the online world and resolving tensions around evaluation evidence.

Crime science can clearly help explain and address crime problems. Its focus on outcomes rather than outputs speaks to the growing demand that research be impactful. Evidence generated through robust studies has value for policy and designing primary, secondary and tertiary interventions. In times of austerity and increased focus on multi-agency collaboration, there is a clear audience for crime-related research that can inform targeted responses and speaks to a broader agendum than law enforcement alone.

• environmental criminology
• situational crime prevention
• experimental criminology
• harm reduction
• medical model
• opportunity theories
• multiagency collaboration
• interdisciplinary research
• multidisciplinary research

This article covers seven key aspects of crime science. First, the fundamental constructs at the heart of crime science and its distinguishing characteristics are defined. Second, the development of crime science is discussed, together with how it filled a gap in the academic marketplace. This development was not without its critics. Third, key theories underpinning crime science are introduced. Fourth, the practical application of crime science is described, including situational crime prevention and other important principles for the design of crime-reduction initiatives. Fifth, issues to which crime science has been applied and some of the methods used are illustrated. Sixth, the relationships between crime science and other related subjects, such as police science, forensic science, and medical science, are explored. Seventh and finally, some key challenges that crime science faces in the future are raised.

Fundamental Constructs in Crime Science

At its core, crime science involves the application of scientific method, a focus on crime and security problems, and reducing harm.

Science and Scientific Methods

Despite the ubiquity of science in everyday life, its defining characteristics and precise demarcation remain contested (Chalmers, 2013 ). In this chapter, science is understood in simple and inclusive terms as the systematic and rigorous study of the world and how it works. This definition is reminiscent of a view attributed to Huxley, namely that “science is nothing but trained and organized common sense” (Goldstein & Goldstein, 1984 ). Although there are certainly flaws in this crude working definition of science (Chalmers, 2013 ), a more detailed exposition of the history and philosophy of science would be tangential to discussion of crime science. Additionally, Huxley’s conceptualization of science neatly underlines an important point: hypotheses, as tested in science, do not arise in a vacuum, but are formulated by the scientist on the basis of experience, theory, judgment, and common sense.

Given this working definition of science, it follows that scientific methods are simply the approaches and techniques employed in the pursuit of knowledge through science. Crime science is not about reinventing the proverbial wheel, but rather “applying established scientific approaches and techniques to crime control” (Laycock, 2005 ). Scientific methods evidently comprise a broad and diverse group, incorporating both discipline-specific and transdisciplinary approaches, covering both qualitative and quantitative techniques, and including but not being limited to experimentation and observation. Rather than following a prescriptive approach, crime scientists are (or at least should be) guided in their selection of data and methods by their research question and context.

Despite the heterogeneity of scientific methods, they share certain core principles. Fundamental to science are logic, rationality, clarity in problem definition, the rigorous use of evidence, and transparency, not just in methods, but in explicitly detailing any assumptions and underlying theories. While it is generally a misnomer to claim true objectivity, a scientific approach aims to reduce subjectivity by limiting bias wherever possible and by making its sources explicit. Crime and its control are highly emotionally and politically charged topics. A scientific approach to research is particularly critical in building a solid evidence base that can counterbalance myths, stereotypes, and unsubstantiated popular wisdom.

Previous introductions to crime science have often cited testable propositions (i.e., hypotheses) as a defining characteristic of scientific research (Laycock, 2003 , 2005 ), a view that prioritizes experimentation and quantitative study. This point is worth elaboration. There are contributions to be made to crime science by research in which hypothesis testing is neither appropriate nor valid. Such research could include exploratory, descriptive, and/or qualitative studies and may be particularly pertinent when dealing with understudied and complex crimes. Real world examples include work on radicalization of terrorists and its multilevel causality (Bouhana & Wikstrom, 2011 ), research into sex trafficking networks as complex systems (Cockbain, 2013a , forthcoming ; Cockbain & Wortley, 2015 ), and investigations into human smuggling (or “snakehead”) organizations (Zhang, 2008 ; Zhang & Chin, 2002 ). What these studies are doing, and why they are in the crime science domain, it is argued here, assists in the articulation of “a problem.”

One of the major contributions of scientists is that they ask insightful questions, which are often about challenging a commonly held view of the world. For example, the suggestion in Ancient Greek times that the world was round, rather than flat, represented a radical departure from received wisdom of the time and subsequently took astronomy in a completely different direction. When it comes to crime, being clear on the nature of a problem (and its potential complexity) is a vital first step toward tackling it. Crime scientists recognize that a wide range of analytical approaches can contribute to such problem definition.

The “science” in the term “crime science” not only references the scientific method but also deliberately evokes the physical, social, biological, and computer sciences, all seen as having important contributions to make to crime control (Laycock, 2005 ). Other fruitful areas for crime science are applied subjects that have a scientific base, such as engineering, architecture, and design. As well as being an inherently multidisciplinary field, crime science also includes individual studies that often transcend disciplinary boundaries (Laycock, 2003 ). The hard sciences have a key role to play in shaping crime control but the solutions they offer typically benefit from being “tempered by much greater social awareness and sensitivity” (Laycock, 2012 ). Examples include surveillance technologies like automated facial recognition technology or 3D body scanners. Collaboration between engineers and social scientists on the design and implementation of such new technologies can help ensure that the end-products are not only technically sound but also fit for purpose, in that they are context appropriate, ethical, and practical.

To summarize, crime scientists adopt the scientific method in the study of criminal behavior, the control of crime, and the reduction of associated harms. A wide range of scientific disciplines and subjects is embraced in so doing. A clear role for qualitative and other forms of social science research is recognized in articulating problems of crime and criminality. It would be expected, however, that information so gained would not be seen as an end in itself but as a way of informing experimental or quasi-experimental interventions aimed at reducing harm.

At its simplest, crime is activity that violates criminal law. It is well recognized, however, that crime is a social and moral construct. Its boundaries are heavily influenced by sociopolitical, temporal, and geographical factors—a crime in one jurisdiction now may not be one elsewhere and/or at a different point in time.

A broad view of crime is typically taken in crime science, encompassing a spectrum of activities from commonplace but relatively minor forms of disorder (e.g., littering or noise disturbances) to much rarer but more serious events (e.g., homicide or arms trafficking). This breadth and inclusiveness have led some to prefer the phrase “crime and security science.” For brevity’s sake, the simpler term crime science is used here, but it covers diverse forms of disorder, antisocial behavior, volume crime, organized crime, and even terrorism. Crime scientists might concern themselves with the reduction of harm caused by any one of these activities.

While crime science is distinguished by its broad coverage, individual studies may vary greatly not only in terms of the specific crime(s) addressed but the particular dimension(s) subject to analysis. Examples of such dimensions include illicit goods, services, or acts; offenders; facilitators; victims or targets; places; systems; technologies; specific countermeasures; and diverse formal and informal agents of crime control. Even focusing on a fairly narrow offense, for example, rape, one might find very different types of crime science research, depending on whether the dimension under investigation was:

the nature and context of the rape (e.g., familial, acquaintance, or stranger rape; rape in particular settings, such as prisons or schools; male-on-male rape)

rapists’ characteristics

victims’ characteristics

the impact of rape on victims

police responses to rape reports

the use of DNA evidence in rape investigations

geospatial and/or temporal mapping of rape incidents

the effects of specific anti-rape interventions

Crime scientists typically take the view that a problem should be specified if crime is to be reduced, detected, or disrupted. Attempts to prevent robbery, for example, would require the crime to be broken down into its various types and interventions to be targeted accordingly. Controlling armed robbery of banks is likely to require a vastly different approach than street robbery of mobile telephones, or robberies at automatic teller machines (ATMs). This is partly because research has shown that the most effective way to prevent crime is to design against it. So, for example, the significant and near global reductions in vehicle-related crime since the 1990s have been directly linked to the redesign of vehicles: the fitting of deadlocks and immobilizers at the point of manufacture (Farrell et al., 2011 ). Note that this process addresses the target of the offense rather than the offender. There is no evidence that the reduction in vehicle crime was achieved by addressing offenders’ characteristics or somehow deterring, incapacitating, or “treating” them through the criminal justice system. A key aspect setting crime science apart from most traditional research into crime is this focus on crime, not criminality, and offenses, not offenders.

Harm Reduction

Crime science is typically characterized as an applied subject: the end goal is not so much outputs as outcomes (Laycock, 2005 ). This pragmatic perspective distinguishes crime science from “pure research,” or the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. Instead, crime science’s focus is on reducing harms caused by crime and security problems. Harm is another broad construct, incorporating loss or damage that may be physical, emotional, financial, reputational, or social. The term reduction is preferred to prevention because it implies an effort to manage crime rather than the idealistic but ultimately unrealistic pursuit of a definitive end to crime.

Within the diverse body of research done under the crime science umbrella, contributions to harm reduction may vary considerably in terms of their immediacy. An evaluation of a new intervention, for example, might generate findings that can be translated promptly into practice and yield fairly immediate crime reduction gains. In contrast, it may take a lot more time, effort, and follow-up research before the findings of exploratory empirical work, or theoretical studies, can be shown to have a clear application to crime control.

The Development of Crime Science

Although crime science was first labeled as such in 2001 (Laycock, 2001a ), its roots go back at least 50 years, to the development of ideas regarding crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED; Jeffery, 1971 ), environmental criminology, and crime analysis more generally. CPTED focuses on the built environment and the extent to which offender behavior can be controlled through its manipulation. Environmental criminology involves the notion that the analysis of crime events can contribute greatly to the understanding and control of crime. It draws heavily on the work of Ronald Clarke, Marcus Felson, and Paul and Patricia Brantingham, although many other scholars have made, and continue to make, significant contributions.

In a seminal paper, Clarke ( 1983 ) argued that the immediate environment (“situation”) in which a crime occurs was as important, if not more so, than the offender’s own characteristics (disposition) in affecting crime and hence its control. The so-called situational approach to crime analysis and its prevention, which developed over the following decades, heavily influenced the way crime science was conceived and further developed. It hinges on the notion that immediate opportunities are a necessary condition for the commission of crime. It followed that crime could be reduced by controlling, limiting, or otherwise influencing opportunity structures without recourse to detection, punishment, or attempts to “treat” offenders—many of which had proved elusive and largely ineffectual.

Clark highlighted not only the role of opportunity in crime control but also the relative lack of systematic attention paid by the State to actually preventing crime. The criminal justice system, to which the police were typically seen as the gatekeepers, was almost single-minded about the detection of offending and the treatment of offenders. Treatment should be understood here as encompassing both punishment and individual-change strategies, such as educational or vocational training programs or cognitive, psychiatric, or other medical interventions designed to alter behavior (e.g., sex offender treatment programs or drug/alcohol treatment schemes).

The official view was that crime was best prevented through the criminal justice system, by arrest, prosecution, and treatment. While crime prevention was not entirely absent from official discourse, it was rarely taken very seriously. In the United Kingdom, the police had crime prevention officers whose job it was to encourage the public to take care of their property through the various schemes on offer (e.g., Neighborhood Watch and property marking, both popular in the 1980s). Illustrative of attitudes towards prevention more broadly, crime prevention officers’ activities were not typically seen as “real” police work. The situation in the United States was not dissimilar: even in larger police departments crime prevention was perceived as a highly marginal activity.

The emerging crime scientists saw two serious consequences arising from this approach. First, was the implicit encouragement to delegate responsibility for crime management to the police and the State, rather than to see it as a partnership between law enforcement and the community (Christie, 2000 ). Second, the enormous contribution to crime control made in practice by the public, industry, and others was effectively downplayed almost to the point of denial. Although the relationship between medical science and crime science is discussed more fully below, it is worth noting here that preventive medicine, in the form of sewers, clean water, and inoculation programs, has made a greater contribution by far to the control of disease than has any intervention(s) delivered once infection or illness has occurred. So too crime prevention, in the form of walls, bank safes, secure transport systems, locks on homes, cars, and other goods and so on, has played a vital role in controlling crime. Without such practical everyday measures, crime rates would surely have escalated beyond all control. It would be foolish indeed to imagine that there would be no crime consequences were all the existing routine preventative measures taken by individuals, communities, organizations, or industries simply discontinued.

A significant part of the perceived need for crime science was to redress this imbalance: to raise the profile of crime reduction, to maintain the argument that opportunities and situational crime prevention have a great deal to offer in crime control, and to re-engage with communities and industries in encouraging their active involvement in reducing crime. Two main points were argued. First, that no other subjects or disciplines were operating in the area of crime reduction. Second, that the way to control crime or reduce the harm it caused required a different set of skills and outlook on crime and criminality than that found in, say, traditional criminology.

Key Theories in Crime Science

Central to crime science is the idea that opportunity plays an important role in explaining, and therefore tackling, crime. In the 1980s and 1990s, opportunity theories represented a radical break with traditional ways of thinking about crime as the inevitable consequence of a criminal “disposition” or individual propensity to offend. In contrast, opportunity theories involve a shift in focus from criminality to crime itself, and treat crime, like any other form of human behavior, as the product of an interaction between disposition and situation (Mischel, 1968 ; Wortley, 2012 ). Three theories have been particularly fundamental to the development of crime science and are described in turn here: routine activity theory (Cohen & Felson, 1979 ; Felson & Eckert, 2015 ), crime pattern theory (Brantingham & Brantingham, 1984 , 1995 , 2008 ), and the rational choice perspective (Cornish & Clarke, 1986 ).

Routine Activity Theory

Routine activity theory addresses the basic “chemistry” of criminal events. In articulating the theory, Cohen and Felson ( 1979 ) proposed that crime has three core ingredients: a motivated offender, a suitable target or victim, and the absence of a capable guardian. Crimes occur, they argued, only when these elements converge in space and time. As a result, crime is not randomly distributed, but instead reflects patterns in the everyday (“routine”) activities of its ingredients. Later additions to routine activity theory include the “intimate handler” (Felson, 1986 ) and “place manager” (Eck, 1994 ), figures respectively conceptualized as exerting control over would-be offenders and potential crime locations. The standard articulation of routine activity theory today is captured in the so-called “crime triangle” (or “problem analysis triangle”) shown in Figure 1 .

Figure 1. The crime triangle (adapted from Clarke and Eck, 2003 ).

• Crime Pattern Theory

Although developed independently of routine activity theory, crime pattern theory (Brantingham & Brantingham, 1984 , 1995 , 2008 ) also focuses closely on how everyday activities affect the distribution of criminal events. Crime pattern theory attempts to explain why crime is not randomly distributed, but rather clusters in space and time. A central construct is that of “activity spaces”: zones within which offenders regularly move as they go to work, home, and their social activities. According to the theory, offenders typically identify their targets as they move between these key places (or “nodes”) along their standard routes (or “paths”). Research informed by crime pattern theory tends to focus heavily on the geographical distribution of crime, although the temporal patterns reflecting offenders’ (and victims’/targets’) daily rhythms are of interest too. Given this spatial focus, it is hardly surprising that the analytical technique most closely associated with crime pattern theory is crime mapping.

Rational Choice Perspective

The rational choice perspective positions offenders as rational decision makers (Cornish & Clarke, 1986 ). Offending is conceived as a purposive action: it meets commonplace needs for sex, status, excitement, money, and the like. Despite its roots in economics, the rational choice perspective is more often associated with qualitative models of decision making than strict mathematical models of cost-benefit analysis (Clarke, 1997a ). Offenders are seen as operating with bounded, rather than full, rationality: their decision making is rudimentary and constrained by factors like information deficits, the effects of alcohol consumption, and time pressures (Clarke & Cornish, 1985 ). Central to the rational choice approach is the premise that scrutinizing the immediate environmental context of an offense provides clues as to offenders’ decision making (Clarke & Felson, 1993 ; Cornish & Clarke, 1987 ). At the point of deciding whether or not to commit an offense, the potential offender is said to take into account five factors, namely how (s)he perceives the likely risk, reward and effort associated with the crime, the extent to which the crime can be rationalized or excused, and the level of provocation involved. It follows, therefore, that manipulating the environment to shift implicit cost-benefit analysis to disfavor crime can deter it.

Crime Prevention in Practice

The practical application of crime science includes situational crime prevention, which is introduced here and illustrated with some examples, followed by discussion of the principles to be considered in designing crime reduction interventions.

Situational Crime Prevention

Opportunity theories of crime have proved a rich source of ideas for crime scientists and crime reduction practitioners. Although there are numerous different ways in which crime control may be delivered, the approach most closely associated with crime science is situational crime prevention (Clarke, 1980 ). At the core of situational crime prevention is the so-called “five pillars” framework (Cornish & Clarke, 2003 ), a way of conceptualizing the opportunity structures for crime. Crime, it is argued, can be reduced by manipulating the situation to increase risk, to increase effort, to reduce rewards, to remove excuses, or to reduce provocation. Importantly, these factors are not independent: increasing the effort, for example, might lengthen the time required to commit a crime and in so doing increase the associated risk.

The five factors are now seen as major mechanisms through which offending behavior can be reduced (Tilley & Laycock, 2001 ). The concept of mechanisms draws on the realist perspective (Pawson & Tilley, 1997 ), a common feature of crime science. The mechanism describes how a crime reduction initiative might exert its effect. In a given context, the intended mechanism may or may not be “fired.” The complex and context-dependent nature of crime has been used to help explain why the same intervention may succeed in one place and time and fail in another (Eck, 2002 ; Pawson & Tilley, 1997 ; Tilley, 2006 ). Realists talk of “context, mechanism, outcome (CMO) configurations,” all of which must be considered when designing a crime control initiative. Based on work by Clarke and Eck ( 2003 ), Table 1 sets out key means by which the five mechanisms of situational crime prevention may be achieved.

Table 1. Mechanisms and means by which situational crime prevention goals can be achieved.

Source : Clarke and Eck ( 2003 ).

To illustrate the situational approach to crime reduction, consider a hypothetical multilevel car park beset with problems of vandalism and theft of and from motor vehicles. A favored intervention in this context might be the introduction of a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system. The rationale would be that CCTV cameras increase the risk to offenders. There might also be an increase in effort in finding targets not overlooked by the cameras. For the mechanisms to fire, the CCTV must be visible and noticeable. After all, how could it deter offenders if they have not noticed it in the first place? Good signage would therefore be an important component of the intervention. A further advantage is that the signage could help remove excuses for offending by alerting potential offenders’ conscience and setting clear rules. Signage might simultaneously suggest to potential victims that they lock their goods out of sight and lock their doors properly, thereby reducing both provocation and rewards. Firing all these mechanisms should reduce vandalism and theft in the hypothetical car park. Indeed, systematic reviews of the efficacy of CCTV demonstrate the benefits of such an approach (Welsh & Farrington, 2002 ). Returning to the issue of context, note that there is no evidence that CCTV has a similar effect on reducing public disorder on a Friday or Saturday night in town centers. Offenders in this second context are typically inebriated, inhibiting the deterrent effects of even well-signposted CCTV. CCTV might still be useful in town centers, but for other reasons, such as informing the deployment of police resources after an incident, or supporting detection and prosecution.

Developing crime reduction initiatives is normally carried out as part of a problem-solving exercise. Here, problem solving simply refers to the application of the scientific method. Situational crime prevention projects are a form of action research and typically use a five-stage model (Clarke, 1997a ), starting with the articulation of the problem and finishing with an evaluation of the intervention:

Collection and analysis of data about a specific crime issue

Analysis of situational conditions facilitating offending

Identification and assessment of opportunity-reduction measures

Implementation of the measures deemed most promising, practical, cost-effective, and ethical

Evaluation of the effects of the intervention on the problem.

Throughout this process, hypotheses are tested. With a street robbery problem, for example, the initial analysis might involve using recorded crime data to ascertain the precise nature of the problem. The idea might be tested that the observed crime increases were, for example, driven not by a growth in robberies from cash-in-transit vans but by robberies committed by young people against other young people. It might then be suggested that the “real” problem was actually linked to truancy and/or bullying, which would then have implications for the types of responses to be considered.

Other Important Principles in Crime Prevention

Various other principles may usefully be considered in shaping research and crime reduction interventions. Some key examples are briefly outlined here, although the list is certainly not exhaustive.

Crimes Generate Other Crimes

In offending, as in everyday life, one problem often leads to another (Felson & Clarke, 1998 ). Criminal events can be linked in several different ways. A burglar stumbling upon a home’s occupant, for example, might then choose to commit a physical or sexual assault. After a burglary, further offenses might naturally arise from the processing of the spoils (e.g., handling stolen goods or the fraudulent use of credit cards). If multiple burglars were involved, they might fall out violently over splitting the profits. Furthermore, the commission of certain crimes may be predicated on committing other offenses in preparation (e.g., armed robbery may first require illegally obtaining a weapon and stealing a suitable escape vehicle). Minor offenses may follow from major ones or vice versa (e.g., consider the drug wholesaler who consumes some of his/her product on the side). Links between offenses may be coincidental or causal, such as alcohol-related violence that follows from drunken and disorderly conduct. Finally, there are what Van Dijk ( 1994 ) calls “crime chains”: a series of the same offense in which victims offend in retaliation (e.g., bicycle-theft victims’ stealing others’ bicycles in response to their own loss).

Recognizing the interconnectivity of offenses—even those ostensibly very different in nature—is useful in interpreting crime data, prioritizing issues, and estimating levels of harm associated with any given crime. Identifying links between offenses, especially any causal chains, can have important implications for targeting interventions. In combatting alcohol-related violence, for example, resources might be best focused upstream on preventing excessive drinking in known hotspots in the first place.

Crimes Require Certain Facilitating Factors

It has been argued that crime facilitators should be considered a core element of criminal events, just as offenders, victims/targets, and places are (Clarke, 1997b ). Facilitators are factors that promote, provoke, or otherwise enable crimes. One way of conceptualizing them is Clarke and Eck’s ( 2003 ) distinction between physical, social, and chemical facilitators. Physical facilitators include a burglar’s tools, an armed robber’s weapon, or an abductor’s restraints. Social facilitators encompass interpersonal processes that enable offending, such as rowdy interactions between rival football fans that later escalate into crowd violence or overt machismo among fraternity members that may lead to a permissive attitude toward rape. Chemical facilitators include disinhibitors like alcohol, which is implicated in numerous offenses, ranging from domestic assault to sexual violence. Restricting the availability of facilitators can help tackle crime. Practical examples include the bans in England and Wales on the sale of spray paint to under 16 year-olds and knives to under 18 year-olds, measures designed respectively to reduce graffiti and knife crime.

An alternative but essentially complementary way of looking at facilitators is Ekblom and Tilley’s ( 2000 ) idea of “resources for crime.” Resources are a diverse category encompassing both tangible and intangible commodities that influence an individual’s ability and willingness to offend. Ekblom and Tilley classify resources as personal (e.g., strength), cognitive (e.g., knowledge of targets), moral (e.g., neutralization techniques), facilitatory (e.g., weapons), and collaborative (i.e., what is provided by others in one’s criminal network).

Repeat Victimization

Repeat victimization arises when a disproportionately high amount of crime is committed against a small set of targets or victims (Farrell & Pease, 1993 ). Repeat victimization is a statistical fact, well documented both for crimes in which recurrent attacks on certain victims or targets is self-explanatory (most notably, domestic violence) and those for which it is less obvious (e.g., car theft or burglary). Research since the early 1980s has demonstrated that repeat victimization is a very profitable target for crime reduction efforts (Farrell & Pease, 1993 ; Forrester, Chatterton, & Pease, 1988 ; Laycock, 2001b )—it makes good sense to focus on protecting those subject to recurrent offenses—especially in the context of limited resources. Despite this, the importance of repeat victimization is still often overlooked.

Offenders’ Perceptions Matter

If the premise that offending is the product of rational choice is accepted, it follows logically that potential offenders’ perceptions of interventions are critical to their success (Clarke & Eck, 2003 ). In writing about the failure of legislation and punishment as a means of actually preventing crime, Kennedy ( 2009 ) explains how the mechanism of universal deterrence assumed to be at play fails because it rarely corresponds to offenders’ own perceptions of risk and reward. He advocates instead a more targeted approach to deterrence, known as “pulling levers.” Famously used to combat gang-related homicide in Boston, this approach involves scoping a problem to identify the core targets for deterrence and then communicating messages designed to appeal to offenders’ perceptions and priorities through appropriate channels (Kennedy, 2009 ; Laycock, 2001b ). In a similar vein, Ekblom ( 1997 ) encourages those designing and deploying situational crime prevention initiatives to “think thief”—to put themselves in the offenders’ shoes and see the world through their eyes. He argues that this may help to anticipate and to avoid unintended consequences of interventions and maximize their chances of success.

Displacement and Diffusion of Benefits

Displacement is an example of an unintended consequence of intervention. Perhaps the most commonly discussed form of displacement is spatial: when the same crime shifts from one location to another. Five further types of displacement have been identified, involving a change in the timing of an offense, the modus operandi, the type of offense, the victims or targets, and the offenders (Barr & Pease, 1990 ). Displacement has long been a focus for critics of situational crime prevention. In fact, reviews and meta-analyses have shown that displacement is far less likely than generally assumed (Bowers et al., 2011 ; Hesseling, 1994 ). Indeed, research has often shown that, rather than displacing crimes to other forms of offending, initiatives can often lead to a diffusion of benefits—a reduction in offending beyond the boundaries of the initiative itself (Clarke & Weisburd, 1994 ).

Nonetheless, displacement can and does occur. Considering offenders’ perceptions can help identify how certain crime reduction interventions may lead to an escalation in the seriousness of the offense or to some other form of displacement. To illustrate, the introduction of electronic immobilizers into cars has been hailed as the most important contribution to the substantial and sustained decline in car theft seen since the mid-1990s (Laycock, 2001a ). Indicating how at least some thieves have adapted their modus operandi to circumvent immobilizers’ preventative effects, concerns have been raised about so-called “car key burglaries” in recent years (Shaw, Smith, & Bond, 2010 ). Car key burglaries are residential burglaries committed with the specific intention of stealing car keys (and then the car).

Timing is Important

As clichéd as it may be, “nipping problems in the bud” is generally more effective than waiting to act until after they have escalated or become entrenched. So, the timing of interventions is important: both at the level of general crime patterns and at the level of individual victims/targets. In the aggregate, paying close attention to patterns and trends in crime data can help identify emergent problems. The prompt identification of new crime hotspots, “hot products” (frequently targeted goods), or a new modus operandi can inform timely interventions to disrupt, reduce, or detect crimes. At the individual level, the benefits of early intervention are perhaps most pronounced when considering serious interpersonal crimes. A good example is child sexual exploitation. Amid heavy criticisms of the U.K. authorities’ inaction and resultant failure to protect children, there is some (albeit limited) evidence that improved multi-agency collaboration and data-sharing can facilitate early intervention with children at particular risk of being sexually exploited (Beckett et al., 2014 ; Cockbain, 2013b ).

Crime science research can contribute to timely interventions by identifying general patterns underpinning observed crime data. A key example is the growing evidence that burglaries cluster both in space and time. In their work on near repeat victimization, Bowers, Johnson, and Pease ( 2004 ) found that when a residential burglary occurs, there is a short window in which other properties in close proximity are at increased risk of being burgled. At a practical level, findings like these can be—and have been—used to target interventions at high-risk properties within a certain time frame.

Developing and deploying effective early interventions require not only that good quality data are collected in the first place but also that they are collated and analyzed effectively and the findings are fed into the tactical and strategic decision-making process. Unfortunately, this is not the case in many police agencies and local authorities in the United Kingdom, a situation no doubt exacerbated by funding cuts and the associated loss of analyst positions (Cope, 2003 ).

Some Analytical Methods Used in Crime Science

In crime science, as in any scientific endeavor, the domain focus and goals of a given project should determine the selection of a method. In this section, examples are given of a few of the more unusual analytical methods that might be employed in a crime science research project. The list is not exhaustive and featured techniques were selected precisely because they are not necessarily well known or widely understood by those outside the field. Numerous other methods are routinely used in crime science but do not necessarily require the same level of explanation (for e.g., interview- and survey-based techniques of qualitative enquiry, crime mapping using geographical information systems, and various other descriptive and inferential statistical techniques).

Crime Scripting

Initially developed in psychology but now applied across a wide range of fields, a script is a series of actions and decisions that constitute an event. Cornish ( 1994 ) introduced crime scripting to crime science as a way of deconstructing specific crimes into their various components so as to identify “pinchpoints” for intervention. Cornish explained the concept through the classic example of the “restaurant script,” behavior associated with dining out: enter the restaurant, take a seat, peruse the menu, order, eat, request the bill, pay the bill, and leave. He argued that just as such strings of actions are replicated across events in the noncriminal world, so, too, offenders employ a common set of behaviors in committing a given offense. To illustrate, a simple crime script for shoplifting might involve entering a shop, selecting a target, checking for surveillance, concealing the good(s), and leaving the premises.

The reason crime scripting is useful is that it exposes potential vulnerabilities in the offending process, which can be blocked, disrupted, or otherwise interrupted. Returning to the shoplifting example, the script highlights that increasing surveillance (e.g., via security guards or CCTV) is just one way of preventing crime. Alternative interventions might include strengthening exit controls (e.g., electronic arches), target hardening (e.g., putting high-value goods in locked cases or behind the counter), and reducing the reward of theft (e.g., security tags on clothing).

There has been considerable variation in the form and content of crime scripts and the crimes to which they have been applied. The common thread is that they deal with the opportunity structures that facilitate offending. The opportunity structures can become complex and very detailed when considering, for example, organized crimes (Hancock & Laycock, 2010 ), such as cigarette smuggling (von Lampe, 2010 ) or sex trafficking (Brayley, Cockbain, & Laycock, 2011 ).

Agent-Based Modeling

Traditionally, studies of spatial patterns in crime have employed top-down approaches, such as geographical mapping of recorded crime data. In contrast, agent-based modeling is a bottom-up approach rapidly gaining popularity in the social sciences (Hill, Johnson, & Borrion, 2014 ). It involves taking a theoretical model designed to explain a phenomenon, testing it using a computer simulation, and examining the extent to which the behavior thus generated conforms with expectations (Gilbert & Troitzsch, 2005 ). In short, researchers attempt to “grow” the phenomenon of interest using theoretically grounded computer algorithms (Hill, Johnson, & Borrion, 2014 ).

The approach has been applied so far to problems including crowd violence (Batty, Desyllas, & Duxbury, 2003a , 2003b ), poaching (Hill, Johnson, & Borrion, 2014 ; Imron, Herzog, & Berger, 2011 ; Keane, Jones, & Milner-Gulland, 2012 ), and maritime piracy (Marchione, Johnson, & Wilson, 2014 ; Vaněk et al., 2013 ). While the use of simulations in crime science remains fairly novel, its proponents have argued that agent-based modeling can improve understanding of spatial patterns and generate new insights to inform crime control. Another key benefit is that simulations can be built to test the effects of very specific interventions (e.g., increase foot patrol by x % during the hours y to z ) (Hill, Johnson, & Borrion, 2014 ).

Social Network Analysis

Social network analysis involves constructing networks of linked entities (e.g., people or organizations) and analyzing them quantitatively using various metrics. The fundamental premise is that the nature and strength of associations and members’ relational positioning influence both the overall functioning of networks and individual members’ perceptions, capabilities, and activities (Borgatti et al., 2009 ; McAndrew, 2000 ). For crime analysis, social network analysis represents a shift in conceptual focus from individual-level attributes of offenders to webs of association (Van der Hulst, 2009 ). Such connections can be seen as important and previously overlooked opportunity structures for crimes.

Social network analysis can be helpful in informing the gathering of intelligence, detection, disruption, and enforcement (Coles, 2001 ; Morselli, 2009 ). For example, it has been demonstrated that less hierarchical and more dispersed networks are much more resilient to enforcement activity targeted at taking out individual members (McAllister, 2004 ). Social network analyses can also help challenge entrenched misconceptions about organized crime groups: for example, the stereotype that that they form tightly and explicitly structured hierarchies (Morselli, 2009 ).

Although the literature on social network analysis and crime remains fragmented and underdeveloped, researchers have increasingly argued for its utility in combatting serious crime problems (Morselli, 2009 ; Schwartz & Rouselle, 2009 ; Van der Hulst, 2009 ). Examples of issues to which it has been applied include terrorism (Gill et al., 2014 ; Pedahzur & Perliger, 2006 ), drug trafficking (Morselli & Petit, 2007 ; Natarajan, 2000 , 2006 ), and human trafficking (Campana, 2016 ; Cockbain, Brayley, & Laycock, 2011 ; Mancuso, 2014 ).

The Relationships Between Crime Science and Related Approaches

Crime science is particularly closely associated with four other subjects: forensic science, criminology, police science, and medical science. Here, similarities and differences in approach are drawn out and the different perspectives each offers on controlling crime and reducing harm are discussed.

Forensic Science

In simple terms, forensic science is any science used in the criminal justice system (Jackson & Jackson, 2011 ). In reality, the application of science from a parent discipline to the forensic context may not be straightforward or unproblematic (Morgan & Bull, 2007 ). Forensic science involves the collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of scientific evidence in the context of investigation and prosecution (Jackson & Jackson, 2011 ). Like crime science, forensic science is inherently multidisciplinary, drawing on concepts, methods, and empirical evidence from diverse fields. Unlike the bulk of the crime science to date, forensic science typically focuses on high-impact, low-volume crimes (e.g., murder, sexual assault).

Forensic science can support the detection of crime and contribute to target-specific prediction, disruption, and prevention. In this respect, it clearly ties in with crime science’s aims and remit. Nonetheless, relevant researchers and practitioners may not necessarily self-identify as crime scientists. There are no clear-cut rules as to which aspects of forensic science are seen as relevant to crime science. One of the clearest overlaps with crime science is how forensic science research is concerned with building and applying a solid empirical evidence base that can inform the robust treatment of evidence throughout the forensic process. One aspect of this is forensic science research into how different trace materials, such as semen (Brayley-Morris et al., 2015 ), pollen (Morgan et al., 2014 ), and gunshot residue (French, Morgan, & Davy, 2014 ), behave in specific environments and under specific conditions. Such research has evident implications for approaches to detection, intelligence gathering, and analysis (Morgan, French, & Meakin, forthcoming ).

Criminology

Criminology is an established social science that has long enjoyed central relevance to issues of crime and policing. It is one of the many—arguably one of the primary—subjects from which crime science draws. Nevertheless, the relationship between the two fields has often been tense, with examples of antagonism from both sides. Leading crime scientist Ron Clarke, for example, dismissed much of criminology’s mission, theory, and methods as irrelevant (Clarke, 2004 ). Meanwhile, the establishment of crime science was met with skepticism from many criminologists, challenges from some as to why it was needed at all (Loader & Sparks, 2011 ), and accusations from others that it threatened civil liberties (Garland, 1996 ; Weiss, 1987 ).

Given the particularly close relationships between crime science and experimental and environmental criminology, there is a clear risk of overstating the distinction between crime science and criminology. In very simplified terms, factors that are commonly seen to distinguish crime science from traditional criminology include (Loader & Sparks, 2011 ):

a much broader range of sciences on which it draws (the physical, biological, and computer and engineering sciences, as well as the social sciences)

a focus on crime rather than criminals or criminality

the central importance accorded to opportunity in explaining and tackling crimes

concern for immediate crime reduction over long-term reform

a general preference for applied over pure research.

Police Science

Crime science is also closely linked to the evidence-based policing movement (Sherman, 1998 , 2013 ), which in turn often centers on the idea of police science (Weisburd & Neyroud, 2011 ). Crime science and police science have a common core, most obviously their focus on crime and the systematic, rigorous generation of evidence using established techniques. There are also some key differences between the two fields.

First, crime science is more explicitly multidisciplinary and accommodates a broader and more diverse range of methods than police science. Police science’s focus on experimental techniques (especially the randomized control trial) as paramount (Greene, 2014 ) has led to criticisms of its being dogmatic, reductive, and inadequately matched to the complex realities of crime and the agents of its control (Greene, 2014 ; Kennedy, 2014 ; Sparrow, 2011 ).

Second, police science explicitly focuses on the police as the primary agents of crime control in a way that crime science does not. In doing so, police science implicitly excludes a wide swathe of non-police interventions and other agencies with a formal or informal role in combating crime. This can be seen as limiting, given the “pluralization of policing” (Crawford, 2008 ): crime control is increasingly acknowledged as going far beyond the State police.

Finally, police science is less explicitly outcome focused than crime science but also deals with certain topics that crime science does not. Examples include police management issues, such as shift patterns, reward structures, and leadership concerns, issues that would typically only concern a crime scientist insofar as they might affect crime reduction.

Medical Science

From its inception, parallels have been drawn between crime science and medical science (Laycock, 2005 ). Despite the obvious differences in the issues on which they focus, both share a unifying domain focus: reducing harms associated with crime and ill health, respectively. Both draw on a wide range of disciplines to build a coherent and multifaceted knowledge base on complex issues. Some of the contributing disciplines are highlighted in Figure 2 , which provides illustrative examples rather than an exhaustive list. Both share a clear commitment to applied research and attempt to formulate ethical, practical solutions to the presenting problems. Medical science is more mature in this respect: ethical behavior is integrated deeply into the professionalization of medicine in a manner not yet fully realized in crime control.

Figure 2. Disciplinary contributions to medical science and crime science (adapted and expanded from Laycock, 2005 ).

The analogy with medical science is particularly helpful in explaining the idea of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions, which are far more familiar in the context of health care than in crime control. Primary prevention in health care is prevention-focused and covers various routine provisions that reduce the risk of infection, epidemics, and so forth (e.g., drains, sewers, clean water, vaccination programs). Secondary prevention in health care is directed at groups identified as being at high risk (in terms of likelihood or level of harm associated) for particular issues (e.g., influenza vaccinations for elderly or pregnant people, meningitis vaccinations for babies, or diabetes screening tests for Southeast Asians). Finally, tertiary prevention in health care is that provided by general practitioners, hospitals, and the like to those already unwell.

Primary crime prevention is directed at the whole population (e.g., via target-hardening measures like installing immobilizers in cars at the point of production). Secondary prevention is targeted at individuals or locations identified as being at high risk of involvement in crime or already heavily involved. Examples include providing after-school clubs to occupy “at risk” youth or installing CCTV in known theft hotspots. Finally, tertiary prevention operates through the criminal justice system via post hoc confiscation of crime facilitators (e.g., weapons) and treatment of offenders (incarceration alone or active treatment programs). As explained previously, the establishment of crime science was focused on raising the profile of primary prevention as a means of combating crime. Today, other approaches are increasingly accommodated as well, in particular those related to secondary prevention.

In many ways, the so-called “medical model has come to represent an aspiration for what should be a thorough orientation of policing toward effective evidence-based practice” (Kennedy, 2014 ). Although few would disagree with the fundamental aim of better integrating research into policy and practice, it is possible to take the analogy with medicine too far. Critics have cautioned against overstating the model’s goodness of fit to policing and crime control. In particular, they have questioned the ensuing focus on randomized control trials as the primary—even exclusive—source of evaluation evidence and the implicit assumption that policing is at a level of professional development comparable to that of medicine (Kennedy, 2014 ; Sparrow, 2011 ). Indeed, the most relevant methodological approach for the crime scientist is arguably engineering, where initiatives (or products) are developed on the basis of theory and are tested and modified in the light of observations following implementation.

The Future of Crime Science

Crime science has made striking progress since its formulation in the early 2000s. In just over a decade, it has gone from being an unknown upstart to a recognized and respected approach in conceptualizing, analyzing, and responding to crime. As with anything new, there have inevitably been glitches along the way. Rather than dwell here on criticisms of crime science that have long been discredited (e.g., that its interventions are invariably unethical and ineffective) or discuss what might have been done differently in hindsight, the focus here is the future. It is argued that the fruitful development of crime science requires further barriers and challenges to be overcome. Six key issues for consideration are identified and briefly discussed.

Successfully Straddling Disciplinary Boundaries

The manner in which teaching, research, and other operations are conducted within universities creates academic silos (Pease, 2005 ). While this is necessary to the efficient overall operation of the organizations and has evident advantages over some sort of academic anarchy, it comes at a price. The ensuing silos are not only organizational or disciplinary in nature but also silos of thought. Silos are unhelpful when addressing the complex problems of modern societies, such as the control of crime.

In developing crime science as an approach, deliberate attempts were made to break down the silos of thought. Crime science is not a discipline in the strictest sense, but rather a transdisciplinary hybrid that straddles multiple fields. Beyond a unifying focus on crime and opportunity theories, its research draws on a sometimes staggering array of theories, analytical techniques, and empirical evidence. On the positive side, this diversity translates into a vibrant body of research and considerable flexibility in addressing the demands of particular problems. There is a danger, however, that crime science’s development may be hampered by difficulties in securing funding for truly interdisciplinary work, a lack of consistency and coherence across its empirical and theoretical research base, and perhaps even difficulties in identifying relevant research (or relevant researchers not self-identifying as crime scientists).

Further Expanding Crime Science’s Contribution to Dealing with Organized Crime

In theory, crime scientists might deal with virtually any crime, disorder, or security problem. In reality, the bulk of the literature has focused on “volume crime”: relatively high-frequency but low-harm problems like burglary or vandalism (Bullock, Clarke, & Tilley, 2010a ). More serious and organized crimes have long been neglected. Various factors might have contributed to this imbalance, including data availability, prioritization of issues, or simply greater resistance to the idea that opportunity might be a key driver behind serious crimes.

The situation is slowly changing but more needs to be done to reduce the perception that crime science is just about volume crime. One form of low-frequency, high-harm crime into which crime scientists have made modest but notable in-roads is child sexual abuse. Long assumed to be a unique and inexplicable phenomenon (Wortley & Smallbone, 2012 ), child sexual abuse research and responses have traditionally been dominated by a dispositional outlook that prioritizes individual offenders’ psychopathology and their treatment (Wortley & Smallbone, 2006 ). Under the pioneering influence of Smallbone and Wortley, there has been a marked increase in situational research into child sexual abuse (Cockbain & Reynald, 2016 ). In turn, new and potentially promising avenues for intervention are slowly opening (Wortley & Smallbone, 2006 , 2012 ). Similar developments are afoot with the gradual expansion of the crime science approach into other forms of serious and organized crime, such as terrorism, human trafficking, and wildlife crime (Bullock, Clarke, & Tilley, 2010b ; Freilich & Newman, 2009 ; Lemieux, 2014 ).

Improving Design Against Virtual Crime

The power of good design is now recognized as playing a major role in crime reduction, as is the contribution to such design made by engineers, designers, computer scientists, and many others. The crime drop seen in many countries over the past two decades or so is now reliably attributed to situational changes resulting from advances in technology and design changes (Farrell et al., 2010 , 2011 ).

The application of design against crime in the virtual world lags far behind the offline world. Yet, the proliferation of the Internet has evidently created enormous opportunities both for new offenses and for committing old offenses in new ways. Crimes that have shifted online and cause great concern include fraud, the distribution of indecent images of children, and the recruitment and radicalization of terrorists.

Traditional enforcement-led crime control is often stymied by offenses that transcend national borders and jurisdictions. Even when international collaboration works well, it can be expensive, difficult, and time consuming to manage transnational investigations and prosecutions. There is clear and largely untapped potential for crime scientists to contribute to the control of Internet-enabled crime through improved problem analysis and the development of targeted interventions. Such interventions might include hardware, software, and wetware (human) solutions.

Reintegrating the Social Side to Situations

The formalization of situational theories of crime was followed by a period of self-imposed segregation (Clarke, 1997b ). Such segregation was arguably necessary in order to establish the situational approach and distance it from traditional criminology and its dominant foci. A consequence for crime science, drawing as it does on situational approaches, has been a disproportionate focus on the physical environment at the expense of the social (Andresen & Felson, 2010 ). It has been contended that this imbalance limits the explanatory and preventative utility of much situational research (Andresen & Felson, 2010 ).

Crime science would now benefit from greater attention to the immediate social elements to opportunity structures for crime, including interpersonal dynamics, co-offending and offender networking. Such developments are happening but remain fairly marginal. Yet, it is increasingly recognised that social processes influence offenders’ (and victims’) perceptions, beliefs, actions and reactions (Andresen & Felson, 2010 ; Kennedy, 2009 ; Wortley & Mazerolle, 2008 ). For example, associations have been documented between co-offending (criminal collaboration) and involvement both in more prolific offending and committing more serious offenses (Andresen & Felson, 2009 , 2010 , 2012 ; Felson, 2003 ). In seeking to become more “social,” crime science could benefit from greater interdisciplinary exchange with social psychology. The two approaches share a keen recognition of situations’ power in shaping human behavior (Mischel, 1968 ).

Making Sense of Big Data

The generation and collection of ever-increasing amounts of “big data” have the potential to inform crime analysis and intervention. The criminal justice system has long been criticized for an overwhelmingly reactive approach to crime control, epitomized in the traditional focus on investigation, prosecution, and treatment. More efficient capture, collation, and interrogation of big data could help improve early intervention and crime reduction and could facilitate genuinely predictive policing. Crime scientists have a clear role to play in exploring how large volumes of data and/or data from across different systems can be used to improve crime control.

Researchers can contribute, too, in the development of processes and software to manage crime-related data. For example, police investigating child sexual abuse today may retrieve millions of indecent images of children when searching the computer of a single suspect. Research might usefully inform how further investigation is prioritized, safeguarding interventions are deployed, and the processing of such files is automated. To give a very different example, banks currently report to the authorities suspicious activity—as defined by a set of agreed parameters—and employ proprietary algorithms to detect fraud. Crime scientists might investigate whether empirically and theoretically informed algorithms could be developed to detect concerns about other specific criminal activities from individuals’ routine financial transactions. Often, such projects will require not only a mix of disciplinary skills and experiences but also close collaboration with industry partners and end-users.

Working Out “What Works”

As has been highlighted in this article, crime science is avowedly outcome focused. It is intended to inform crime-related policy and practice and thus reduce harms. Consequently, deciding upon “what works” in crime reduction is an area of central concern to crime science. If crime is to be controlled as far as is reasonably possible in a capitalist State, then the police, government, industry, and civil society need to know not only what to do but where and when to do it and why it might work.

Recent years have seen a marked increase in appetite for expanding the knowledge base on evaluations and their effectiveness. This is reflected in a growth in research activity around systematic reviews and, in the United Kingdom, a multimillion pound investment into a “What Works Centre for Crime Reduction.”

A key challenge facing crime scientists is managing—and ideally resolving—tensions that have arisen in the “what works” field. On the one hand, there are the evaluation purists who prioritize experimental and quasi-experimental evidence, sometimes to the exclusion of all else (Sherman, 2013 ). On the other hand, the evaluation realists argue that consideration must be paid not just to the end results (what works) but to the mechanisms (when, where, how it works) by which they are achieved (Tilley & Laycock, 2001 ). If common ground cannot be found, there is a very real risk that crime control efforts will be damaged by conflict between the two approaches.

Links to Digital Materials

• A key source for research-based publications on what works to reduce crime. A number of the references below are also available for free download from this website .
• Open-source journal for crime science research .
• Website of the International CEPTED Association .

Further Reading

• Brantingham, P. J. , & Brantingham, P. L. (Eds.). (1991). Environmental criminology, prospect heights . OH: Waveland.
• Bullock, K. , Clarke, R. V. , & Tilley, N. (Eds.). (2010). Situational prevention of organised crimes . Cullompton: Willan.
• Clarke, R. V. (Ed.). (1997). Situational crime prevention: Successful case studies (2d ed.). New York: Harrow & Heston.
• Clarke, R. V. , & Eck, J. (2003). Become a problem-solving crime analyst: In 55 small steps . London: Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science.
• Clarke, R. V. , & Mayhew, P. (Eds.). (1980). Designing out crime . London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.
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• Cornish, D. , & Clarke, R. V. (1986). The reasoning criminal: Rational choice perspectives on offending . New York: Springer.
• Farrell, G. , Nick Tilley , Tseloni, A. , & Mailley, J. (2010). Explaining and sustaining the crime drop: Clarifying the role of opportunity-related theories. Crime Prevention & Community Safety , 12 (1), 24–41.
• Felson, M. , & Ekert, M. (2015). Crime and everyday life (5th ed.). London: SAGE.
• Felson, M. , & Clarke, R. V. (1998). Opportunity makes the thief: Practical theory for crime prevention . Police Research Series Paper 98, London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate.
• Goldstein, H. (1990). Problem-oriented policing . New York: McGraw-Hill.
• Kennedy, D. (2009). Deterrence and crime prevention: Reconsidering the prospect of sanction , Abingdon: Routledge.
• Pawson, R. , & Tilley, N. (1997). Realistic evaluation . London: SAGE.
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• Tilley, N. , & Laycock, G. (2002). Working out what to do: Evidence-based crime reduction . Crime Reduction Research Series paper 11, London: HMSO. ISBN 1-84082-792-0 available from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/193161.pdf .
• Wortley, R. (2011). Psychological criminology: An integrative approach . Abingdon: Routledge.
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Mixed Methods Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice: a Systematic Review

• Published: 07 January 2021
• Volume 47 , pages 526–546, ( 2022 )

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• Nicole Wilkes 1 ,
• Valerie R. Anderson 1 ,
• Cheryl Laura Johnson 2 &
• Lillian Mae Bedell 1  

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The field of criminology and criminal justice encompass broad and complex multidisciplinary topics. Most of the research that falls under these areas uses either quantitative or qualitative methodologies, with historically limited use of mixed methods designs. Research utilizing mixed methods has increased within the social sciences in recent years, including a steadily growing body of mixed method research in criminal justice and criminology. The goal of this study was to examine how mixed method designs are being employed within research related to criminal justice and criminology. Our systematic review located 327 mixed method articles published between 2001 and 2017. Findings indicated most criminology and criminal justice research is being conducted within the specialty area of victimology. This study provides an overview of mixed methods research in criminology and criminal justice and also illustrates that most publications are not including methodological concepts specific to mixed methods research (e.g., integration). Along with our systematic review, we offer a series of recommendations to move mixed methods research forward in criminology and criminal justice.

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Wilkes, N., Anderson, V.R., Johnson, C.L. et al. Mixed Methods Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice: a Systematic Review. Am J Crim Just 47 , 526–546 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09593-7

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Received : 17 August 2020

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Published : 07 January 2021

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09593-7

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