BEYOND CRIME: Crime, Society and Criminal Justice

The final chapter features five distinct analytical scenarios, each examined through the criminological theories and concepts explored throughout the book, connecting theoretical learning with practical analysis.What is crime? Who becomes an offender? And who determines the boundary between lawful and criminal conduct?Beyond Crime: Crime, Society and Criminal Justice explores these questions by looking beyond the criminal act itself and examining the wider social, legal, economic and institutional contexts in which crime is defined, committed, prevented and punished. Drawing on classical and contemporary criminological perspectives, the book examines the relationship between individuals, society and the law. It explores key themes including criminalisation and decriminalisation, criminal policy, the criminal justice system, crime prevention, social and environmental influences on offending, inequality, rehabilitation, victimisation and the changing landscape of cybercrime. At the heart of the book is a simple but important principle: explaining crime is not the same as justifying it. Understanding the pressures, opportunities and social conditions associated with offending does not remove individual responsibility. Instead, it allows crime to be examined more critically and comprehensively. The book concludes with five original analytical scenarios that bring criminological theory into practical situations. Through cases involving organised crime, domestic violence, cybercrime, corruption and the relationship between policy-making and criminalisation, readers are invited to apply theoretical perspectives to complex questions of offending, victimisation, responsibility, prevention and justice. Written in a clear and accessible style, Beyond Crime is intended for students of criminology and criminal justice, academics, professionals, and general readers interested in understanding crime beyond purely legal definitions. Beyond Crime invites the reader to ask not only "Who committed the crime?" but also: Why did it occur? What conditions made it possible? Could it have been prevented? Who was harmed? And ultimately, who determines the boundary between crime and law?