Criminological knowledge is based on providing a detailed and comprehensive picture of criminality, extending beyond our everyday understanding, thus paving the way for new insights and interventions. Criminological knowledge is applied across various sectors in both public and private employment.
Criminologists develop perspectives and methods to study criminality, primarily focusing on three areas: how crime is defined, why criminality occurs, and societal responses to legal violations. These areas also include studies of the extent, development, and structure of criminality. Criminology also investigates the causes of criminality, striving to understand the factors and circumstances that lead to crime.
Criminology also examines reactions to criminality. Criminal policy is central to understanding crime, addressing questions about how we respond to criminality, the measures taken, and how preventive actions are designed. The various interventions and measures stemming from criminal policy are crucial for understanding criminality. Crime prevention in public as well as private sectors also constitutes a significant research area within criminology.
