Which term represents the study of crime and its causes?

Which term represents the study of crime and its causes?

• A. Criminology
• B. Corpus Delicti
• C. Choice Theory
• D. Cultural Deviance Theory

Answer: (A)

Criminology is the study of crime, its causes, and the social responses to it. It explores why people commit offenses, how crime rates fluctuate, and how laws, policies, and institutions influence crime. It draws on multiple disciplines to understand patterns and develop strategies to prevent and control crime. The other terms don’t fit because corpus delicti refers to the body of the crime—the facts that establish that a crime occurred—rather than the study of crime. Choice Theory is a specific approach within criminology that emphasizes rational decision-making by individuals, not the entire field. Cultural Deviance Theory is another theory explaining crime through subcultural norms, not the broad study itself.

Criminology is the study of crime, its causes, and the social responses to it. It explores why people commit offenses, how crime rates fluctuate, and how laws, policies, and institutions influence crime. It draws on multiple disciplines to understand patterns and develop strategies to prevent and control crime. The other terms don’t fit because corpus delicti refers to the body of the crime—the facts that establish that a crime occurred—rather than the study of crime. Choice Theory is a specific approach within criminology that emphasizes rational decision-making by individuals, not the entire field. Cultural Deviance Theory is another theory explaining crime through subcultural norms, not the broad study itself.