Critical Criminology

Scope & Guideline

Unpacking the Complexities of Crime and Justice.

Introduction

Welcome to the Critical Criminology information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of Critical Criminology, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN1205-8629
PublisherSPRINGER
Support Open AccessNo
CountryNetherlands
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1996 to 1997, from 2000 to 2002, from 2005 to 2024
AbbreviationCRIT CRIMINOL-NETH / Crit. Criminol.
Frequency4 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
AddressVAN GODEWIJCKSTRAAT 30, 3311 GZ DORDRECHT, NETHERLANDS

Aims and Scopes

The journal 'Critical Criminology' serves as a platform for innovative and interdisciplinary approaches to understanding crime, justice, and social control, emphasizing the critical examination of power dynamics and structural inequalities within the criminal justice system.
  1. Critical Examination of Power Structures:
    The journal focuses on how power dynamics influence the construction of crime and the functioning of the criminal justice system, exploring the roles of race, class, gender, and other social categories.
  2. Interdisciplinary Approaches:
    It welcomes contributions from various disciplines, including sociology, law, political science, and cultural studies, promoting a comprehensive understanding of criminological issues.
  3. Focus on Marginalized Communities:
    The journal emphasizes the experiences and perspectives of marginalized and oppressed populations, particularly in relation to crime, punishment, and social justice.
  4. Engagement with Contemporary Issues:
    Critical Criminology addresses pressing societal issues such as immigration, drug policy, environmental harms, and the impacts of neoliberalism on justice systems.
  5. Advocacy for Social Justice:
    The journal advocates for transformative justice practices and critiques punitive approaches, emphasizing the need for systemic change and abolitionist perspectives.
Recent publications in 'Critical Criminology' indicate a shift towards emerging themes that reflect contemporary social challenges and the evolving landscape of criminological research.
  1. Crimmigration and the Criminalization of Migration:
    There is a growing focus on the intersections of immigration and criminal justice, exploring how migration policies create new forms of criminalization and social control.
  2. Environmental and Green Criminology:
    Emerging discussions around ecological harms and their intersection with crime highlight the importance of understanding environmental issues as critical criminological concerns.
  3. Digital and Cyber Criminology:
    Research addressing the implications of digital technology on crime, surveillance, and social control is gaining traction, reflecting contemporary concerns about privacy and data policing.
  4. Intersectional Analysis of Social Justice:
    An increase in intersectional approaches that examine how various social identities (race, gender, sexuality) intersect to produce unique experiences of crime and victimization.
  5. Feminist and Queer Criminology:
    There is a notable rise in feminist and queer perspectives within criminology, addressing issues related to gendered violence, LGBTQ+ victimization, and the role of gender in the criminal justice system.

Declining or Waning

While 'Critical Criminology' continues to evolve, certain themes have begun to decline in prominence, reflecting shifting priorities and emerging issues in the field.
  1. Traditional Theoretical Frameworks:
    There has been a noticeable decline in the emphasis on classical criminological theories, as the journal increasingly prioritizes contemporary and critical perspectives that challenge established norms.
  2. Focus on Individual Criminal Behavior:
    Research centered on individualistic explanations for crime, such as psychological or biological determinism, appears to be waning in favor of structural and contextual analyses of crime.
  3. Conventional Law Enforcement Perspectives:
    The journal's focus on traditional law enforcement practices is decreasing, as it shifts towards critical examinations of policing and state violence, emphasizing the need for reform.
  4. Generalized Crime Statistics:
    There is less emphasis on the use of generalized crime statistics without context, as the journal increasingly values qualitative and intersectional approaches that highlight lived experiences.
  5. Rehabilitation and Reintegration Models:
    The discussion around rehabilitation and reintegration is diminishing, as the journal leans more towards abolitionist frameworks that critique the efficacy of these models within punitive systems.

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