POLI 100 Chapter 1: Chapter 1 – Criminology
Document Summary
Chapter 1 criminology: its nature and structure. Crime is a generic term used to refer to a wide range of acts that have been defined- socially, culturally and/or legally- as wrong or anti-social . The person wronged by the crime would take their own retribution but in time, crime became known as a social phenomenon and informal reinforcement was replaced by the criminal justice system. A crime is a violation of criminal law. Crime is a socially constructed concept defining certain behaviours as requiring formal control and social intervention. Crimes in canada are defined in the criminal code, as well as the youth criminal justice act and the controlled drugs and substances act. Arrestable: can be arrested without a warrant. Indictable offence: a serious offence such as assault, theft over , robbery, or murder. Summary offence: a less serious offence, such as theft under , impersonating a police officer, or taking a motor vehicle without consent.
