The Scientific Basis of Criminology

Abstract

Criminology as a science has evolved over the past 50 years from a “sub-discipline” into a self-reliant and contemporary discipline. Many adjacent to criminology Social Science experts believe that criminology has ‘nothing to offer’ but mere theoretical explanations while other experts are cynical about criminology's relevance, independence, practical application and possible contribution to the criminal justice system (inter-disciplinary approach). Specifically in South Africa there has been a criminological evolution from traditionally unapplied theoretical approaches to applied and practical contributions in various sectors of society. Current worldwide criminological contributions and outputs are noted within criminal justice policy and reform strategies, lawmaking, lawbreaking, reactions to crime, development of empirical scales to evaluate and predict criminal behaviour, sound explanations of crime, and pioneering scientific methods (methodology) in studying crime. This paper aims to underscore Criminology's evolution from a somewhat conjectural entity to its current practical, discursive and utilitarian status within the South African criminal justice and criminological landscape.