Do you find criminologists fascinating? Whether it’s the chronicles of Sherlock Holmes or thrilling stories like Mindhunter, everyone loves an exciting story about a criminologist. You’d be surprised to know that a famous criminologist inspired many of the fictional criminologists we love today.
Before we get into the most important criminologists in history, we need to define who exactly is a criminologist. Most accurately, researchers who study the causes of crime are called criminologists.
We’ll be looking at the impact criminologists had in shaping how we understand crime today for today’s list. Read on to find out who is known as the father of criminology and which learning theorist is considered the founding father of positivistic criminology?
Cesare Beccaria
You’re probably not a fan of the death penalty in a lot of cases. But it wasn’t like that always. The public opinion and the justice system have significantly shifted their stance on the death penalty in recent years, and we owe this change to Cesare Beccaria. The mathematician turned lawyer was the first person to argue against the death penalty and question its efficiency in reducing crime.
Next time someone asks you who is the father of modern criminology, tell them it’s Cesare Beccaria.
Alexandre Lacassagne
Just like Beccaria, Lacassagne didn’t start off as a criminologist but instead as a physician. Lacassagne is the voice of criminology that argues that criminal behavior is built by society and isn’t inherited. This strong opinion made room for rivalries with other criminologists like Cesare Lombroso who attributed it to biology.
Alexandre Lacassagne created Lacassagne school of Criminology in Lyon, France.
Cesare Lombroso
Which individual is known for saying people were born criminal? Cesare Lombroso. A known rival to Lacassagne’s school of thought, Lombroso believed that criminal behavior runs in genes. In fact, Lombroso was behind the term “born criminal.”
Lombroso also proposed a model to predict criminal behavior in people. He even categorized criminals into four boxes: Criminaloids, Criminals by Passion, Born Criminals, and Occasional Criminals. Lombroso’s work can also help answer which of the following is a characteristic of occasional criminals?
Enrico Ferri
As a student and disciple of Lombroso, Enrico Ferri came from a similar school of thought. However, unlike his mentor, Ferri wasn’t known for his staunch support of inheriting criminality. Instead, this radical socialist made his mark on criminology through his most known work: Criminal sociology. This book greatly influenced Argentina’s 1921 penal code reforms.
Ferri was also different from Lambroso because of his focus on preventing crime rather than the root of crime. He firmly believed that avoiding crime is much better than having to punish the criminal afterward.
Jane Addams
Known as the mother of social work, Jane Addams put her mark in everything she did. As a woman with a privileged upbringing, Addams devoted her life to ending economic insecurity. This was a brave and commendable act because Addams did not go down the expected path -getting married and having kids.
Addams believed that economic insecurity was the real reason behind the crime. This belief shaped Addams’s contributions as a criminologist. Most notably, Addams played a significant role in establishing the US settlement house movement in 1889. She also holds the honor of being the second woman ever to get the Nobel peace prize.
Robert D. Hare
This Canadian researcher made a name for himself in criminology through his criminology books. Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, published in 1993, is a criminology essential. Hare’s work across psychopathology helped criminologists conclude that sometimes a psychopath’s charm makes it impossible to catch them.
However, Hare’s most outstanding contribution to criminology was the 20-item checklist used to determine psychopathy. To this day, it is regarded as the most reliable and accurate measure of psychopathy.
Edwin Sutherland
Edwin Sutherland is the mind behind the phrase “white-collar criminals.” As this suggests, Sutherland’s work was based around the differences in crime across economic classes. This principle is similar to Jane Addams’s work. However, Sutherland stood by his belief that the biggest motivator of crime is social disorganization.
Sutherland is undeniably one of the most influential figures in criminology in the 20th century. His work, particularly the textbook Principles of Criminology, is highly regarded in the field of criminology. If you’re fascinated by the world of criminal justice, then this book is a great place to start learning.
Being a criminologist is as cool as it sounds. Who wouldn’t want to be looking at criminal behavior and figuring out its roots for a living! The work these criminologists have done has helped bring justice to many people and deserves to be acknowledged more broadly.