Crime: Readings

The Third Edition of Crime: Readings features the latest theoretical and empirical works on crime, maintaining an ideal balance between major theoretical explanations of crime and crime control and each respective theoretical treatment while tying in policy issues. Updated and revised, the readings in this edition have been carefully pruned by the editors for maximum impact, providing undergraduate students with an accessible introduction to major issues in the field while eliminating excessive technical, methodological details that might hamper comprehension. This anthology includes both traditional yet still vital theories used by scholars of crime and newer explanations for law-violating behavior. Covering a realm of diverse criminological literature, the editors include a variety of readings that reflect the range of perspectives about the causes of criminal behavior and how best such behavior should be addressed.

New to the Third Edition

• Links criminological theories with the latest empirical research: The book features even more discussion of the ties between theory and actual policy in the Part introductions and in several new articles.
• Highlights recent developments in the field: The editors address a number of new issues related to crime control and also place greater emphasis on critical criminology, psychological, and biological approaches.
• Recognizes the growing importance of comparative criminology: This edition includes a number of articles by criminologists from outside of North America, providing a more comprehensive and global perspective.
• Keeps readers up-to-date in the literature: The sections on the history of criminology, research methods, and correlates of crime incorporate recent publications, and the section on enduring and changing patterns now includes entries on gangs, sex offenders, cyber crime, and terrorism.
• Inspires students to think critically about the theory and research of crime: Revised discussion and essay questions maximize student reflection on the concepts covered and include web-based data to give students practical experience working with criminological research.

Companion Web Site
Homework assignments and data exercises have been moved to a companion Web site at www.sagepub.com/crimereadings3study.

Intended Audience

This is an excellent text for undergraduate courses such as Introduction to Criminology and Criminological Theory in the fields of criminal justice, sociology, law and society, and social work.