Hale et al: Criminology 2e 
Glossary
Test bankHale et al: Criminology 2e
Chapter 2
From the works of Sir William Blackstone in his Commentaries on the Laws of England in 1765 that represent the first attempt to fully elucidate the form and function of the English criminal law, to the pre 1970's domination by "Whiggish" notions of progress and the influences of positivism, crime has tended to be seen as an absolute: it was largely understood in terms of such things as theft and, to a lesser extent, violence. Crime was something perpetrated by 'criminals' on the law-abiding majority of the population. In the 1960s and 1970s movements were made towards a critical positivist approach with a particular emphasis on the value of quantitative methods in understanding crime. Since the 1980s empiricism and quantitative methods tend to be incorporated within a more "holistic" approach and a stronger engagement has been sought between historians of crime and criminologists, and to some extent with practitioners in the criminal justice system.
This Chapter looks at these theoreticians that have shaped the history of crime and the nature and definitions of criminality that have been provided over time with a particular focus on youth crime and the development of the idea of a "criminal class". The Chapter further provides an overview into the history of the prosecution, police and institutions that make up the criminal justice system. It also examines the shift in methods of punishment from public physical sanctions to private penal servitude and considers whether there is a focus on punishment or reformation.
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