The 6 differences between criminology and criminalistics

A summary of the aspects that make it possible to distinguish between criminology and criminalistics.

When we talk about criminology and criminalistics, it is quite common to think that both words refer to the same thing or that, in essence, there are few differences between one concept and the other.

However, the way in which they relate to crimes, what they study and the investigative method behind both disciplines is very different. Below we will see what are the main differences between criminology and criminalistics, summarized and with some examples.summarized and with some examples.

Most important differences between criminology and criminalistics

It is quite common to think, outside their respective fields, that criminology and criminalistics are essentially the same, or that at most one differs from the other on the basis of nuances.

However, this idea is quite mistaken, since criminology and criminalistics are disciplines that, although they are related to the forensic field, their object of study, their research methodology, their role in society and even their origins are quite different.. We will look at these differences in more detail below.

Origins and scientific classification

Although criminology and criminalistics are two complementary sciences, collaborating very closely in the forensic process, there are many things that differentiate them, starting with their origins.

Criminology is a natural science, with a strong empirical component.. Thus, it relies heavily on the scientific method and induction. It has its origins in the ancient practice of dactyloscopy (the study of fingerprints) and began in the 17th century with the development of forensic medicine. Later, in addition to medicine, physics, chemistry and biology would support this discipline.

On the other hand, criminology is a social scienceIt bases its knowledge on the deductive method and proposes postulates on the deviant behavior of individuals, understood in legal terms.

This description of human behavior is based on knowledge drawn from psychology, sociology, anthropology and philosophy. It has its origins in the time of great philosophers such as Plato or Aristotle, through Thomas Aquinas in the twelfth century, who wondered about what were the causes of a person to commit a crime.

2. Object of study

The object of criminalistics is to study the criminal act by analyzing it with the application of natural and legal sciences, collecting all physical evidence, identifying it and drawing conclusions with the support of medicine, toxicology, anthropology and other sciences.It collects all physical evidence, identifies it and draws conclusions with the support of medicine, toxicology, anthropology and other sciences.

In other words, its object of study is everything left behind by the person who committed the crime and which can be used to incriminate him (e.g., remains of hair, Blood stains on his clothes, type of bullet, force of the stabbing...).

On the other hand, criminology has as its object of study the behavioral patterns of the individual, his social tendencies with respect to crime.In contrast, criminology studies the behavioral patterns of individuals, their social tendencies with respect to crime and the consequences that crime can have on society. In other words, it is in charge of studying the motive, the reason why a crime has been committed, searching and analyzing the evidence or the materials that give clues to the evidence of a particular case.

This is why criminology would not only include the motives that lead a person to commit murder or robbery, but it would also be within its field of study to understand what makes a person use drugs, which in principle only harm him or her, or commit suicide.

3. On the legal aspect

Regarding the legal aspect, criminalistics aims to determine who is responsible for the crimeThe aim of criminalistics is to determine who is responsible for the crime, so that he receives the corresponding verdict and corrective, repressive and punishable measures are applied based on what he has done.

That is to say, it does not go into why the person has behaved as he has done, but to provide evidence to incriminate him and make him responsible for his actions. It serves to define the truth and establish the penalty for the criminal in question.

On the other hand, criminology is more concerned with the non-legal aspects of the criminal process, criminology is more concerned with the non-legal aspects of the criminal process, i.e., it focuses not on the harm done or what legal consequences the person should receiveIt focuses not on the harm done or what legal consequences the person should receive, but on why he has done what he has done and how he could have been prevented from committing a crime.

Thus, criminology takes on a preventive aspect, with the intention of reducing crime by detecting signs of deviant behavior that can evolve into serious antisocial acts. It tries to enter the minds of criminals in order to regulate behavior that is inappropriate in the eyes of society.

4. Method of investigation

In criminalistics the way to investigate is of a practical type, examining the scene of the crime meticulously.. By using specialized techniques from forensic sciences, medicine, biology and chemistry, it is possible to recreate how the events took place, scefinicating it from the evidence found in the victim, the room or other aspects.

Criminology, at the level of the investigative process, is rather theoretical, since it has the quality of studying the behavior, the causes, the causes, the causes and the causes of the crime. study the behavior, causes, consequences and reactions of crime, both of those involved and of society and government.. This science relies on the theories of psychology, especially clinical, forensic and social psychology, along with knowledge from anthropology, with the intention of seeking possible causes and viable solutions.

5. Question to which they respond

As we have seen up to this point, criminology and criminalistics present several differences in aspects such as their object of study and the sciences on which they are based, so it is to be expected that they provide answers to very different questions.

On the one hand, criminology seeks to answer the questions of how, when, where and by whom a criminal act was committed, whatever its nature. On the other hand, criminology answers the question of why the crime was committed.. That is to say, as we have already mentioned, it tries to answer what motivation drove the person to do what he did.

6. Related careers

Given their differences in terms of the sciences from which they draw support and the way in which they relate to the criminal process, there are many different professions that are related to criminalistics and criminology..

Within criminalistics, the professionals working in police departments, forensic laboratories and hospitals that we can find are:

• Crime scene examiner
• Forensic scientist
• Laboratory analyst
• Forensic psychologist
• Forensic expert

In criminology, careers in government agencies, courts and police services include:

• Drug agent
• Probation officer
• Victim care specialist
• Private investigator
• Litigation officer
• Intelligence officer
• Criminology expert
• Family and/or criminal mediator
• Private security
• Investigative journalism

Bibliographical references:

• Sierra, J.C., Jiménez, E.M. and Buela-Casal, G. (Eds.) (2006). Psicología forense: manual de técnicas y aplicaciones. Madrid: Biblioteca Nueva.
• Ibáñez, V. and Ávila, A. (1990). Forensic psychology and legal responsibility. In A. Garzón, Psicología Judicial. Valencia: Promolibro.
• Urra, J. (1993). Confluence between psychology and law. In J. Urra and B. Vázquez (Eds.) Manual de Psicología Forense. Madrid: Siglo XXI.