Criminological Analysis

Code:

MCO101

Acronym:

AC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Criminology

Instance: 2025/2026 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	https://moodle2425.up.pt/course/view.php?id=196
Course/CS Responsible:	Criminology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MC	18	Plano Oficial do ano letivo 2017	1	-	3	24

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

This curricular unit focuses on the elements underlying the analysis of the criminal phenomenon, its agents, contexts and social reaction, and it is structured around the following axes: data and its sources, measurement of the criminal phenomenon, advanced methods and tools in data research and analysis. By articulating these elements, it is specifically intended to:

• Provide students with an organizing framework for criminological analysis to which data, measurements, methods and data analysis tools, contribute;
• Introduce students to formal thinking applied to the analysis of social phenomena and problems in general, and crime and justice in particular, using analysers;
• To present sources of information commonly used in the study of Criminology, critically discussing their validity and usefulness for concrete purposes of understanding criminal phenomena and social reaction;
• To provide students with skills in the use and interpretation of existing measures of crime and related phenomena, as well as in the creation of other measures that are optimally adjusted to concrete and new problems;
• To present the latest discussions on the challenges that Big Data and Artificial Intelligence pose for criminological analysis;
• Integrate strategic interdependence in the study of criminal phenomena into criminological analysis and call for the use of new methods of predicting crime;
• Present the major challenges faced by criminologists in communicating the conclusions of their analysis.

 

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Explain the scope of criminological analysis and its importance in explaining the criminal phenomenon and responding to the information needs of the community.
• Critically discuss measures of the criminal phenomenon and related phenomena.
• Demonstrate critical analysis skills on the knowledge produced from previously existing indicators or those constructed for this purpose.
• Identify the most appropriate data sources, measures and methods for analysing specific criminal phenomena, at the micro, meso and macro levels.
• Discuss the challenges that Big Data and Artificial Intelligence pose to criminological analysis, presenting perspectives on how to extract advantages from these new realities and how to mitigate any problems and difficulties they create.
• Adapting criminological analysis to the framework of strategic interdependencies with which the agent - offender, victim or other - is confronted in their deviant behaviour.
• Selecting the most appropriate methods and tools for communicating scientific criminological knowledge.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

None.

Program

1. Introduction to Criminological Analysis




1. Criminology and criminological analysis


2. General frameworks of criminological analysis


3. Criminological analysis needs


4. Quality of the criminological analysis




1. Causal validity




5. Communication of the outcomes of the criminological analysis




1. Importance and care to be taken in communication


2. Means of communication of results and graphs




6. Concluding remarks

1. Measuring Crime




1. Introduction


2. First steps towards measuring crime


3. Measurement challenges




1. Crime indicators and their particularities


2. Reliability and validity of measures


3. Prevalence, concentration and incidence




4. New ways to measure crime – value of crime harm


5. Concluding remarks

1. Sources of information




1. Introduction


2. Reported crime


3. Surveys




1. Victimization


2. Self-reported delinquency


3. Other surveys




4. Crime mapping and georeferencing


5. Big Data


6. Sources of information in cyberspace


7. Concluding remarks

1. New approaches to the analysis of deviant behavior




1. Introduction


2. Behaviour in a framework of strategic interdependencies


3. Deterrence theory in a framework of strategic interdependencies


4. Concluding remarks

Mandatory literature

Aebi, Marcelo F.; Comment mesurer la délinquance?. ISBN: 9782200269395
Dijk Jan J. M. van; The^world of crime. ISBN: 978-1-4129-5678-9
Dijk Jan J. M. van; Victimization surveys
Dijk Jan J. M. van; Experiences of crime across the world. ISBN: 90-6544-544-7
Junger-Tas Josine 340; Delinquent behavior among young people in the western world. ISBN: 90-6299-108-4
Killias Martin 205; European sourcebook of crime and criminal justice statistics 2003. ISBN: 90-5454-408-2
Zauberman Renée 1952-; Les^enquêtes sur la victimation et l.insécurité en Europe. ISBN: 978-2-917565-00-1
Douglas G. Baird; Game theory and the law. ISBN: 0-674-34111-2

Comments from the literature

Other references will be suggested following each class. Materials will be available at the Moodle webpage.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theoretico-pratical classes.

In the classes it will be described and discussed the main contents and it will be held exercises of application of knowledge. The principal internet sites and sources of information will be presented at micro, meso and macro level of analysis. It will be presented relevant criminological studies.

Type of evaluation: Distributed evaluation.

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation without final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Teste	100,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	60,00
Frequência das aulas	20,00
Trabalho escrito	0,00
Total:	80,00

Eligibility for exams

Not applicable.

Calculation formula of final grade

The final grade corresponds to the grade obtained in the written test.

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Not applicable.

Classification improvement

General Regulation