428 Criminology Research Topics & Questions for Students

428 Criminology Research Topics & Questions for Students

As you might already know, criminology is the study of crime. To be more precise, criminology studies crime as a social trend, including its origin, various manifestations, and its impact on society.

Criminology research influences how the police work, how society treats criminals, and how the community maintains law and order. In this article, you’ll find top criminology research topics for your inspiration. We’ll also look into the main criminology theories and research methods and explain the difference between criminology and criminal justice.

🔝 Top-10 Criminology Research Topics

🔤 what is criminology.

  • 🔎 Criminology Research Methods
  • 📝 Research Topics for Assignments

🦹‍♂️ Crime Research Topics

  • 🚔 Topics in Law Enforcement
  • 🕵️ Criminal Investigation Topics

⚖️ Criminal Law Research Topics

  • 🔒 Topics to Research in Crime Prevention

🧑‍⚖️ Criminal Justice Research Topics

  • 🆚 Criminology Vs Criminal Justice

❓ Criminology Topics: FAQ

🔗 references.

  • Criminology as a science: criminology theories.
  • The importance of eyewitness evidence.
  • The issue of racial bias in the investigation.
  • Crime propaganda on social media.
  • The leading causes of college violence.
  • The benefits of private prisons.
  • The debate around gun control.
  • The analysis of power abuse among police officers.
  • Drunk driving and how to prevent it.
  • The importance of forensic psychology in the investigation.

Criminology is the study of crime and criminal behavior, supported by the principles of sociology and other sciences, including economics, statistics, and psychology.

Criminologists study a variety of related areas, including:

  • Characteristics of people who commit crimes.
  • Reasons behind committing different crimes.
  • Impact of crime on individuals and communities.
  • Measures for preventing crimes.

Criminology Theories

Criminology theories have appeared as an attempt to answer the question, “What is criminal behavior, and what causes it?” The answer to this question affects how society responds to and prevents crime. Proposing new theories and testing existing ones is essential for criminologists to continue working toward understanding the causes of criminal behavior.

Let’s consider the most relevant criminology theories.

🔎 Research Methods Used in Criminology

There are many research methods used within criminology. Usually, they are divided into two groups: primary and secondary research methods.

Primary Research Methods in Criminology

Primary research in criminology is any type of research that you collect yourself rather than based on secondary sources, such as articles or books. Examples of primary research methods in criminology include the following:

  • Surveys and questionnaires. Survey research collects information from individuals through their responses to questions. It is considered one of the most widely used research tools in criminology.
  • Experiments. For experiments , researchers take large samples of people who might become or have already been involved in crimes as victims or offenders. Then, they divide these samples into two groups, each receiving a different treatment.
  • Interviews. An interview requires participants to answer a set of open-ended questions, often on sensitive topics, such as victimization or criminal behaviors. This method allows criminologists to gain more valuable insights into the research topic.
  • Focus groups. A focus group is a small number of demographically similar people gathered to discuss a particular crime-related topic. This method allows criminologists to analyze people’s views, attitudes, and perceptions concerning crime.
  • Observations. Observations involve a researcher studying groups or individuals in their natural setting without interfering. It is a common research method within the social learning theory.

This image shows primary research methods in criminology.

Secondary Criminology Research Methods

Secondary research methods use information that was collected by someone else so that you can analyze it and identify the trends. Here are the two leading types of secondary research in criminology:

  • Secondary analysis of data. A secondary analysis occurs when a researcher uses data collected by other researchers. You can obtain secondary data from surveys, official crime statistics, or official records.
  • Literature review. A literature review involves reading, analyzing, evaluating, and summarizing literature about a specific criminology topic. It helps scholars identify research gaps and problems that need to be addressed.

📝 Criminology Research Topics for Assignments

To write an outstanding research paper on criminology, choose a topic that will spark your interest. Below you’ll find excellent criminology topic ideas for college students.

Criminology Research Paper Topics

  • Criminology theory and its main elements.
  • Criminology discipline and theories .
  • American crime trends and criminological theories.
  • The significance of criminological studies in the US.
  • Criminology: legal rights afforded to the accused .
  • The impact of violence and crime on the tourism industry.
  • How did US crime rates change over the last 20 years?
  • Classical and positivist schools of criminology .
  • Should abortion be treated as a crime?
  • Official and unofficial instruments within the criminal investigation.
  • Criminology: femininity and the upsurge of ladettes .
  • Criminal rehabilitation programs and their significance.
  • Shoplifting and how to prevent it.
  • Emerging technologies in criminology .
  • The effects of illegal immigrants on crime rates.
  • Drug trafficking by organized crime groups.
  • Criminology and victimology: victim stereotypes in criminal justice .
  • Can genetics lead to crime?
  • The procedures of crime scene investigation.
  • Labeling theory and critical criminology: sociological research .
  • Hate crimes in modern society.
  • The phenomenon of white-collar crime and its causes.
  • How to prevent crimes in the workplace?
  • Criminology: the social control theory .
  • Stereotypes that surround serial killers and their crimes.
  • The comparison of organized crime in New York and Chicago.
  • Prevention strategies for small business crimes.
  • Criminology: four types of evidence .
  • Relations between crime, justice, and the media.

Criminology Research Proposal Topics

  • How to prevent intellectual property crimes in cyberspace?
  • Identity theft and cybercrime in modern society.
  • Contemporary theories in criminology .
  • The problem of racial profiling in the US.
  • How has criminology contributed to the study of terrorism ?
  • Possible solutions to the issue of street harassment .
  • Postmodern criminology: the violence of the language .
  • Gender bias in the investigation: pink-collar criminals.
  • The phenomenon of digital terrorism and how to prevent it.
  • How do immigration services help fight against terrorism?
  • Green criminology: environmental harm in the Niger Delta .
  • How has marijuana legalization influenced crime rates?
  • Tools for collecting and analyzing crime evidence.
  • How does international law manage war crimes ?
  • The due process: criminology .
  • What are victimless crimes ?
  • The relation between crime rates and poverty.
  • National system for missing and unidentified persons.
  • Three case briefs in criminology .
  • The impact of mental illness on criminal behavior.
  • The effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in reducing crime rates.
  • The use of AI technology in crime prevention and investigation.
  • Sexual assault: criminology .
  • The role of media coverage in public perception of crime.
  • The impact of community policing on reducing crime rates.
  • The impact of mass shootings on gun control laws.
  • The impact of automation technology on criminology .

Criminology Thesis Topics

  • The role of juvenile justice in preventing future criminal behavior.
  • Feminism and criminology in the modern justice system .
  • The effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentencing in the US.
  • Drug laws : fighting crime or fueling it?
  • Police brutality : a systemic problem in criminal justice.
  • Criminology: USA Patriot Act overview .
  • The impact of hate crimes on marginalized communities.
  • How does organized crime affect the global economy?
  • The significance of DNA evidence for criminal investigations.
  • Use of statistics in criminal justice and criminology .
  • The ethics of plea bargaining in criminal cases.
  • Mental illness and criminal behavior: breaking the stigma.
  • The impact of social media on cyberbullying and harassment.
  • Robert Merton’s strain theory in criminology .
  • Causes and consequences of police corruption .
  • The role of restorative justice in repairing harm caused by crime.
  • The effectiveness of treatment programs in reducing drug-related crimes.
  • Hernando Washington case: criminology .
  • The negative effects of human trafficking on global communities.
  • The role of forensic science in crimes investigation.
  • The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to imprisonment.
  • Integrity as a key value: criminology and war .
  • The relationship between poverty, education, and crime rates.
  • Cybercrime : the dark side of the digital age.
  • Hate crimes: motivations and impact on modern society.
  • Feminist perspectives’ contribution to criminology .
  • The impact of incarceration on families and communities.

Criminology Research Questions for Dissertation

  • Can criminal profiling accurately predict offender behavior?
  • How do hate crimes affect individuals and communities?
  • How were the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights influenced by the classical school of criminology ?
  • What are the psychological effects of cyberbullying on victims?
  • What factors contribute to domestic violence , and how can it be prevented?
  • How have organized crime groups evolved over time?
  • How is statistics used in criminology and criminal justice ?
  • Is the death penalty an effective crime deterrent?
  • What motivates individuals to engage in white-collar crime?
  • What are the consequences of police corruption for society?
  • What is variance analysis in criminal justice and criminology ?
  • How does drug addiction contribute to criminal behavior?
  • How does gender influence criminal behavior and justice outcomes?
  • What drives individuals to commit mass shootings?
  • What is the broken window theory in criminology ?
  • What are the biggest challenges facing criminal justice reform efforts?
  • How do urban gangs perpetuate violence and criminal activity?
  • How do criminal law and procedures protect individual rights and liberties?
  • What is the impact of corporate fraud ?
  • What challenges do individuals with mental health issues face in the criminal justice system?
  • How can society combat human trafficking and exploitation?
  • What measures can be taken to enhance cybersecurity and protect against cybercrime?
  • What is the aboriginal crisis from a criminology perspective ?
  • How can victimology help us better understand the experience of crime victims?
  • What are effective crime prevention strategies for different types of crime?
  • What is legal insanity in criminology ?
  • How does environmental crime impact communities and the environment?
  • How is the peace-making model applied in criminology ?

A significant part of criminology research is dedicated to various types of crimes and their reasons. Consider our crime topic ideas that will spark instant interest in your readers:

  • The psychological impact of kidnapping on victims and their families.
  • The racialization of crime and cultural panic .
  • The ethical considerations surrounding ransom payments in kidnapping cases.
  • The effect of burglary on small businesses and their ability to recover.
  • The impact of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on homicide rates and patterns.
  • Shoplifting: a crime of convenience .
  • The effectiveness of different types of anti-theft devices in preventing motor vehicle theft.
  • The role of forensic science in investigating arson cases, including the use of accelerant detection dogs.
  • The concept of natural legal crime .
  • The psychological profiles of white-collar criminals and their motivations.
  • The psychological effects of burglary on victims and their sense of security.
  • The concept of juvenile crime .
  • The role of social media in facilitating and preventing kidnappings.
  • The use of forensic evidence in homicide investigations and the challenges of prosecuting homicide cases.
  • Sex crime recidivism rates.
  • Illegal immigrantion and its effects on crime .
  • The effectiveness of international efforts to combat money laundering .
  • The efficacy of community watch programs in reducing burglary rates.
  • The role of corporate culture in facilitating or preventing white-collar crime.
  • Crimes in America: the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks .
  • Technology in motor vehicle theft: GPS tracking and remote disabling systems.
  • Human trafficking and the exploitation of vulnerable populations.
  • Crime and criminals: general characteristics .
  • The ethical and moral implications of capital punishment as a response to homicide.
  • The effectiveness of fire prevention and education programs in reducing instances of arson.
  • US gun control measures and crime rates reduction .
  • The use of cryptocurrency in money laundering and illegal activities.
  • White-collar crime and the abuse of power in corporate and financial settings.
  • Cargo crimes and threats: government accountability office .
  • The rise of cyberstalking and its impact on victims’ mental health.
  • The effects of pollution on communities and the legal response to environmental crimes.
  • Cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking as crimes .
  • The effects of society’s reaction to crime.
  • The use of technology in financial fraud schemes .
  • Crimes against property and their characteristics .
  • The intersection of racism and hate crimes against Asian Americans.
  • The impact of deforestation on indigenous communities and wildlife.
  • Crime types and their harm to society .
  • The prevalence of domestic violence and the legal response to it.
  • The exploitation of child labor in the fashion industry .
  • Race and crime among minorities in the US .
  • The ethical implications of using artificial intelligence in law enforcement.
  • The psychological effects of hate crimes on victims and their communities.
  • How does local television news viewing relate to fear of crime ?
  • The evolution of cybercrime and its most common types.
  • Parental responsibility for children’s crimes.
  • The sex crime: influence of childhood experiences .
  • Prostitution : a victimless crime.
  • Sociology and media representation of crime.
  • The profile of a crime victim .
  • A theory of gendered criminology: women’s crime.

🚔 Research Topics in Law Enforcement

Another exciting area within criminology to investigate is law enforcement and police jobs. Have a look at the list of burning and controversial topics we came up with:

  • The impact of community policing on crime rates and public trust.
  • Law enforcement: online crimes and social media .
  • Do body-worn cameras reduce police misconduct?
  • The effects of implicit bias on the police use of force.
  • Law enforcement cameras as an invasion of privacy .
  • The impact of police militarization on community relations.
  • Why is mental health training essential for police officers in crisis situations?
  • Law enforcement officers’ attitudes regarding body-worn cameras .
  • The role of police in addressing hate crimes and bias incidents.
  • The effectiveness of community-based alternatives to traditional policing.
  • Organizational changes in law enforcement agencies .
  • The efficacy of police-community partnership in addressing gang violence.
  • The impact of police officer diversity on community relations and trust.
  • Local, state, and federal law enforcement in the US .
  • The role of police in addressing cybercrime and online harassment.
  • The effects of police body language and nonverbal cues on public perceptions.
  • Cumulative career traumatic stress in law enforcement .
  • Social media and its role in shaping public perceptions of police behavior.
  • The role of police discretion in enforcing drug laws and addressing addiction.
  • Mindfulness practice in law enforcement .
  • The effectiveness of hot spot policing in reducing crime rates.
  • Organizational culture in the police department.
  • Stress in law enforcement officers and available programs .
  • The role of police leadership in promoting ethical behavior and accountability.
  • The effectiveness of community-based justice programs for juvenile offenders.
  • Law enforcement in colonial America .
  • Police-community partnerships for addressing domestic violence.
  • The role of police in addressing human trafficking and exploitation.
  • Misrepresentation of law enforcement by media .
  • School safety and the police.
  • How does stress affect the performance of law enforcement officers?
  • The law enforcement: verbal communication as the best form of interaction .
  • The significance of federal and state law enforcement mechanisms.
  • The adverse effects of toxic leadership in quality law enforcement.
  • Balance between effective law enforcement and personal liberty .
  • The importance of discipline in public services.
  • The connection between police salary and rates of police brutality.
  • Role of police agencies in law enforcement .
  • Police investigative questioning and techniques.
  • The issue of corruption in law enforcement.
  • Significance of computer forensics to law enforcement .
  • Case study: police response to the Ningbo protest.
  • Police actions to stop school bullying .
  • Law enforcement position in society .
  • New technological advances within the police department.
  • Do law enforcement cameras violate privacy right?
  • Different types of evaluation designs in law enforcement .
  • Recognition of women’s right to work as police officers.
  • The effectiveness of foot and bike patrols of the streets.
  • Firearms types and usage in law enforcement .
  • The competencies of international law enforcement authorities.
  • Comparison of police brutality statistics for different genders.
  • Ethical theories in law enforcement practice .

🕵️ Criminal Investigation Research Topics

The criminal investigation process is another criminology area worth discussing in your research paper. Below you’ll find the most intriguing criminal investigation topics:

  • The history and evolution of criminal investigation techniques.
  • Crime scene investigation in media and real life .
  • The role of forensic science in criminal investigations.
  • How does technology impact modern criminal investigations?
  • The importance of preserving crime scenes and evidence.
  • Crime scene investigation effect in the justice system .
  • The ethics of interrogation techniques used in criminal investigations.
  • Eyewitness testimony in criminal investigations.
  • The role of criminal profiling in solving crimes.
  • Organized business crime prosecution and investigation .
  • How does media coverage affect criminal investigations?
  • The use of informants in criminal investigations.
  • The main challenges of investigating white-collar crimes.
  • Undercover police investigations in drug-related crimes .
  • The role of private investigators in criminal investigations.
  • The impact of false confessions on criminal investigations.
  • How is DNA evidence collected in criminal investigations?
  • Importance of toxicology in crime investigation .
  • The role of the FBI in national criminal investigations.
  • The use of undercover operations in criminal investigations.
  • The main challenges of investigating organized crime.
  • Crime level investigation in the United States .
  • Witness protection programs in criminal investigations.
  • The impact of plea bargaining on criminal investigations.
  • Surveillance techniques in criminal investigations.
  • Investigating crime with age and mental illnesses factors .
  • How are cybercrimes investigated?
  • The role of international cooperation in criminal investigations.
  • How do racial biases influence criminal investigations?
  • Drug trafficking: investigation on Frank Lucas .
  • Polygraph tests in criminal investigations.
  • The main challenges of investigating terrorism-related crimes.
  • Homicide investigations and forensic evidence .
  • The role of victim advocacy in criminal investigations.
  • Lie detector tests in criminal investigations.
  • The role of forensic psychology in the investigation .
  • The effects of community involvement on criminal investigations.
  • The problem of false accusations in criminal investigations.
  • Approaches in criminal investigation .
  • The use of forensic accounting in financial crime investigations.
  • How does the media shape public perception of criminal investigations?
  • Key rulings on the conduct of investigators at the scene of a fire .
  • The impact of political pressure on criminal investigations.
  • The main challenges of investigating human trafficking.
  • The Breonna Taylor case and criminal investigation .
  • The role of victim compensation in criminal investigations.
  • Behavioral analysis in criminal investigations.
  • Procedures within crime scene investigation .
  • Crime scene reconstruction in criminal investigations.

Criminology goes hand-in-hand with legal studies. If you’re interested in both areas, you should definitely write a research paper on one of the criminal law research topics:

  • The evolution of criminal law in the US .
  • Criminal law: stolen valor .
  • The difference between criminal and civil law.
  • Human trafficking and criminal law.
  • Types of criminal offenses and the elements of crime.
  • International criminal law and measures .
  • The role of the burden of proof in criminal cases.
  • Criminal defenses and their validity.
  • The insanity defense in criminal law.
  • Actus reus in English criminal law .
  • The controversies around the death penalty.
  • Juvenile delinquency and criminal law.
  • Cybercrime and its legal implications.
  • Criminal law – is graffiti a crime or not ?
  • Domestic violence and criminal law.
  • Hate crimes and their legal consequences.
  • Restitution for victims in criminal law.
  • Civil vs. criminal law and differences between them .
  • Forensic evidence and its admissibility in court.
  • Sexual assault and criminal law.
  • The rights of the accused in criminal cases.
  • Regulatory criminal laws in the criminal justice system .
  • Receiving immunity for testimony in a criminal law case.
  • The legal classification of criminal offenses.
  • Self-defense in criminal law cases.
  • How Canadian criminal law regulates deviant conduct .
  • Sentencing guidelines and their impact on society.
  • The use of DNA evidence in criminal cases.
  • Eyewitness testimony and its reliability in court.
  • Fundamental aspects of Canadian criminal law .
  • The role of the media in criminal trials.
  • The impact of social inequality on criminal justice outcomes.
  • The future of criminal law and its impact on society.
  • Criminal law in India and access to justice .
  • International criminal law and its enforcement.
  • Extradition and its legal implications.
  • The impact of globalization on criminal law.
  • Juvenile vs. adult criminal law .
  • The importance of victim rights in criminal cases.
  • Restorative justice and its benefits for society.
  • Alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders.
  • Automatism as a defence in criminal law .
  • The role of defense attorneys in criminal trials.
  • The role of prosecutors in criminal trials.
  • The right to a public trial in a criminal law case.
  • Civil and criminal law penalties and differences .
  • Car searches in criminal investigations by law enforcement.

🔒 Criminology Topics for Research in Crime Prevention

Researching crime prevention allows you to learn more about the strategies for reducing criminal behavior. Have a look at our outstanding crime prevention topic ideas:

  • Understanding and explaining crime prevention.
  • Theories that explain criminal activities and criminology .
  • The effectiveness of community policing in preventing crime.
  • The benefits and drawbacks of crime prevention in the US.
  • How can education reduce crime rates?
  • Crime prevention programs and criminal rehabilitation .
  • Technological innovations and their impact on crime prevention.
  • The importance of early childhood interventions in preventing criminal behavior.
  • The relationship between poverty and crime prevention strategies.
  • Youth crime prevention and needs assessment .
  • The use of restorative justice in reducing recidivism.
  • The effectiveness of gun control laws in preventing gun-related crimes.
  • The impact of social media on crime prevention and awareness.
  • Crime prevention program in Australia .
  • The use of CCTV cameras in preventing crime.
  • Evidence for crime prevention programs in developing countries.
  • The role of mental health services in preventing criminal behavior.
  • Crime prevention practices: overview .
  • The effectiveness of community-based programs in reducing juvenile delinquency.
  • The use of environmental design in preventing crime by shaping space and behavior.
  • Victim support programs for lowering crime rates.
  • Situational and social crime prevention approaches .
  • The effectiveness of after-school programs in preventing juvenile offenses.
  • Techniques for preventing situational and social crime.
  • The impact of citizen participation in crime prevention.
  • Computer crime prevention measures .
  • The efficacy of community watch programs in preventing neighborhood crimes.
  • The use of community centers for preventing gang-related crimes.
  • The impact of sentencing policies on crime prevention.
  • Biometrics recognition and crime prevention .
  • The relationship between video game violence and youth crime .
  • Social media and cybercrime prevention.
  • The role of social workers in crime prevention.
  • Three-strikes law for preventing violent crimes .
  • Decreasing crime rates through education and medicine.
  • The use of animal-assisted therapy for reducing criminal behavior.
  • The effectiveness of aftercare programs in reducing recidivism.
  • Capital punishment as ineffective crime deterrence .
  • The main strategies for proactive crime prevention.
  • The impact of domestic violence prevention programs on crime rates.
  • The use of probation and parole in preventing criminal behavior.
  • Juvenile weapon crimes and strategies to address .
  • The role of faith-based organizations in crime prevention.
  • The use of diversion programs in juvenile crime prevention.
  • The distinctions between crime prevention and community safety.
  • Preventing crime victimization in international students .
  • The impact of agriculture and rural development on crime prevention.

Criminal justice might be a challenging research topic, but it is worth the time and effort. Consider our unique topic ideas for your successful research:

  • The effectiveness of community policing.
  • The use of statistics in criminal justice and criminology .
  • Rehabilitation programs offered in prisons and their efficacy.
  • The importance of defense attorneys in the criminal justice system.
  • The code of ethics in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice .
  • The significance of restorative justice programs.
  • The impact of mandatory minimum sentencing laws.
  • Criminal justice process: felony criminal charge .
  • The role of judges in the criminal justice system.
  • Probation and parole in the criminal justice system.
  • Veterans in the criminal justice system .
  • The comparison of prison privatization in the US and UK.
  • The main issues women experience in the prison system.
  • US terrorism and criminal justice decision-making model .
  • The prison system in a democratic society.
  • The role of psychologists in the criminal justice system.
  • Transgender offenders in the criminal justice system .
  • The impact of private prisons on crime rates.
  • The effectiveness of victim compensation programs.
  • The successes and failures to reform punishment in the criminal justice system .
  • Community involvement in the criminal justice system.
  • The main challenges of long-term prisoner rehabilitation.
  • Technology application in criminal justice .
  • The role of victim-offender mediation in the criminal justice system.
  • Gender disparity in the criminal justice system.
  • Recidivism in criminal justice: the American prison system .
  • How does solitary confinement impact people in prisons?
  • Legal and ethical issues in international intervention.
  • Racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system .
  • Do mandatory minimum sentences help or hurt?
  • The effects of prison on children of incarcerated individuals.
  • Psychopathy in the criminal justice system .
  • The importance of mental health professionals in the criminal justice system.
  • Techniques for influencing criminal justice system change.
  • Non-inclusiveness of the criminal justice system .
  • The impact of racial profiling on the criminal justice system.
  • The effectiveness of diversion programs for veterans.
  • False confessions in the US criminal justice system .
  • Racism in the criminal justice system of the US.
  • People with disabilities and criminal justice.
  • Ethical dilemmas in the criminal justice system .
  • Forensic psychology guidelines for criminal justice.
  • The impact of technology on jury selection .
  • Effective writing and criminal justice .
  • The effectiveness of mandatory drug testing for probationers and parolees.
  • The effect of wrongful executions on the criminal justice system.
  • Discontinuity of care in the criminal justice system .
  • The influence of media on criminal justice and community.
  • The impact of cybercrime on the global criminal justice system.
  • Criminal justice: coerced confessions .
  • The role of private prisons in the criminal justice system.
  • The effectiveness of diversion programs for people without housing.
  • Criminal justice system and the problem of racism .
  • What can be learned from the history of criminal courts?
  • Comparison between American and British legislative frameworks.
  • Criminal justice case: types of sentences, probation, and final decision .
  • The overview of the modern justice system.
  • The ethical issue of unwarranted arrests.
  • Civil liability in criminal justice .
  • The risk groups of juvenile recidivism .

🆚 Difference between Criminology and Criminal Justice

Students often confuse criminology with criminal justice because both areas study crime and criminal behavior. Understanding their main differences is essential before conducting research in any of these areas.

Is Criminology a Science?

Criminology can be considered as a science because it uses the scientific method. The scientific method involves five steps: stating the problem, forming the hypothesis, collecting the data, interpreting these data, and drawing conclusions. Within criminology, scientists use standard research methods, such as surveys, experiments, interviews, etc.

What Does Criminology Study?

Criminology studies crime, including its causes, methods of prevention, and responses from law enforcement. It relies on other non-legal studies, such as sociology, psychology, and statistics, to examine the characteristics of people who commit crimes and the effects of criminality on individuals and society.

What Are the Principal Areas of Criminology Research?

Four significant criminology areas include:

  • The history of criminology . This area focuses on criminology founders and theories of crime and punishment development.
  • Theory of crime causation . This aspect explores if a criminal’s behavior is determined by their social environment.
  • Typologies of crime . This field describes different types of crimes and the reasons for committing them.
  • Crime prevention efforts . This area studies crime measures that can curb crimes before they occur.

What Are the Principal Types of Research Methods in Criminology?

Criminology uses quantitative (analyzing measurements and statistics) and qualitative (analyzing non-numerical data) research methods to gain valuable insights. The most common scientific methods in criminology are surveys, experiments, secondary data analysis, interviews, historical/comparative research, and ethnography.

  • Criminology and Criminal Justice: Pick a Topic | Marquette University
  • Criminology Questions & Topics | David H. Kessel
  • Topics | Ghent University
  • Emergent Issues in Crime & Justice | University of Maryland
  • Qualitative Research in Criminal Justice | University of North Texas
  • Criminology, Law & Society | UCI Libraries
  • What the Data Says (and Doesn’t Say) about Crime in the United States | Pew Research Center
  • Types of Criminal Offenses | Justia
  • Criminal Justice and Criminology Theses | East Tennessee State University
  • Research Overview | The University of Alabama
  • Criminology Research | University of Portsmouth
  • Research | Arizona State University
  • Research Themes | University of Surrey, Centre for Criminology
  • Advanced Criminology & Criminal Justice Research Guide | Mardigian Library
  • Criminology – Research Guide: Getting Started | PennLibraries
  • Law and Criminology | University of Plymouth
  • Topics for a Criminology Research Paper | Classroom
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256 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology

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  • ⚖️ Criminology vs. Criminal Justice
  • 🔬 120 Criminology Research Topics
  • 💂 116 Criminal Justice Research Topics

🔥 Hot Criminology Research Topics

  • The role of media in criminology.
  • Cultural explanation of crime.
  • Benefits of convict criminology.
  • Main issues of postmodern criminology.
  • Is criminal behavior affected by the politics?
  • How does DAWN collect data?
  • The limitations of crime mapping.
  • Personality traits that trigger criminal behavior.
  • Community deterioration and crime rates.
  • Does experimental criminology affect social policy?

🔬 120 Criminology Research Topics & Ideas

Here are 100 criminology research topics ideas organized by themes.

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General Criminology Research Paper Topics

  • Criminology as a social science.
  • Criminology and its public policies.
  • History of criminology.
  • Crime commission: legal and social perspectives .

Criminal Psychology Research Topics

  • What is the nature of criminal behavior ?
  • How does the lack of education affect the incarceration rates?
  • Childhood aggression and the impact of divorce
  • The effect of the upbringing on antisocial adult behavior
  • How do gender and cultural background affect one’s attitude towards drug abuse ?
  • Forensic psychology and its impact on the legal system
  • What is the role of criminal psychologists?
  • Different types of forensic psychological evaluations
  • What’s the difference between therapeutic and forensic evaluation?
  • Does socioeconomic status impact one’s criminal behavior ?

Criminology Research Topics: Theories

  • What crimes are typical for what ages?
  • How does the type of crime correspond with the level of exerted aggression ?
  • What is the connection between citizenship (or lack thereof) and law violation?
  • How does education (or lack thereof) correspond with crime level?
  • Does employment (or lack thereof) correspond with law violation?
  • What is the connection between family status and law violation?
  • Does gender affect on the type of law violation?
  • How does ownership of firearms correspond with law violation?
  • Does immigrant status correlate with law violation?

Crime and Victimization in Criminology.

  • Is there a connection between mental health and law violation?
  • What are the causes of violence in the society?
  • Does the crime rate depend on the neighborhood ?
  • How does race correspond with the type of crime?
  • Do religious beliefs correspond with law violation?
  • How does social class correlate with crime rate?
  • What are the reasons for the homeless’ improsonment?
  • How does weather correspond with law violation?

Criminology Topics on Victimization

  • Biological theories of crime: how do biological factors correspond with law violation?
  • Classical criminology: the contemporary take on crime, economics, deterrence, and the rational choice perspective.
  • Convict criminology: what do ex-convicts have to say on the subject?
  • Criminal justice theories: punishment as a deterrent to crime.
  • Critical criminology : debunking false ideas about crime and criminal justice.
  • Cultural criminology: criminality as the product of culture.
  • Cultural transmission theory: how criminal norms are transmitted in social interaction.
  • Deterrence theory: how people don’t commit crimes out of fear of punishment.
  • Rational choice theory : how crime doing is aligned with personal objectives of the perpetrator.
  • Feminist Criminology: how the dominant crime theories exclude women.
  • Labeling and symbolic interaction theories: how minorities and those deviating from social norms tend to be negatively labeled.
  • Life course criminology : how life events affect the actions that humans perform.
  • Psychological theories of crime: criminal behavior through the lense of an individual’s personality.
  • Routine activities theory : how normal everyday activities affect the tendency to commit a crime.
  • The concept of natural legal crime.
  • Self-control theory : how the lack of individual self-control results in criminal behavior.
  • Social construction of crime: crime doing as social response.
  • Social control theory : how positive socialization corresponds with reduction of criminal violation.
  • Social disorganization theory : how neighborhood ecological characteristics correspond with crime rates.
  • Social learning theory : how (non)criminal behavior can be acquired by observing and imitating others.
  • Strain theories : how social structures within society pressure citizens to commit crime.
  • Theoretical integration: how two theories are better than one.

Criminology Research and Measurement Topics

  • Citation content analysis (CCA): a framework for gaining knowledge from a variety of media.
  • Crime classification systems: classification of crime according to the severity of punishment.
  • Crime mapping as a way to map, visualize, and analyze crime incident patterns.
  • Reports and statistics of crime: the estimated rate of crime over time. Public surveys.
  • Drug abuse warning network (DAWN): predicting trends in drug misuse.
  • Arrestee drug abuse monitoring (ADAM): drug use among arrestees.
  • Edge ethnography: collecting data undercover in typically closed research settings and groups through rapport development or covert undercover strategy.
  • Experimental criminology: experimental and quasi-experimental research in the advancement of criminological theory.
  • Fieldwork in criminology: street ethnographers and their dilemmas in the field concerning process and outcomes.
  • Program evaluation: collecting and analyzing information to assess the efficiency of projects, policies and programs.
  • Quantitative criminology: how exploratory research questions, inductive reasoning , and an orientation to social context help recognize human subjectivity.

Criminology Topics on Types of Crime

  • Campus crime: the most common crimes on college campuses and ways of preventing them.
  • Child abuse : types, prevalence, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Cybercrime : cyber fraud, defamation, hacking, bullying, phishing.
  • Domestic violence : gender, ways of detection and prevention, activism.
  • Domestic violence with disabilities .
  • Elder abuse : types, prevalence, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Environmental crime. Natural resource theft: illegal trade in wildlife and timber, poaching, illegal fishing.
  • Environmental crime. Illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, hazardous waste; pollution of air, water, and soil.
  • Environmental crime: local, regional, national, and transnational level.
  • Environmental crime: climate change crime and corruption.
  • Environmental crime: wildlife harming and exploitation.
  • Hate crime : how prejudice motivates violence.

Types of crime.

  • Homicide : what motivates one person to kill another.
  • Human trafficking : methods of deception, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Identity theft : methods, risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Gambling in America .
  • Juvenile delinquency : risk groups, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.
  • Juvenile Delinquency: Causes and Effects
  • Organizational crime: transnational, national, and local levels. Ways of disrupting the activity of a group.
  • Prostitution : risk groups, different takes on prevention policies, activism.
  • Robbery : risk groups, ways of prevention, prosecution and punishment.
  • Sex offenses: risk groups, types, prevalence, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Terrorism: definition, history, countermeasures .
  • Terrorism : individual and group activity, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Theft and shoplifting : risk groups, ways of detection, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.
  • Counter-terrorism: constitutional and legislative issues .
  • White-collar crime : types, ways of detection, prevention policies, prosecution and punishment.

Criminology Topics on Racism and Discrimination

  • How systemic bias affects criminal justice?
  • How discriminatory portrayal of minority groups in the media affects criminal justice?
  • Racial profiling : targeting minority groups on the basis of race and ethnicity.
  • Racism and discrimination towards African-Americans .
  • Racial profiling : what are the cons? Are there any pros?
  • How discriminatory is the UK Court System?
  • How discriminatory is the US Court System?

Other Criminology Research Topics

  • Corporate crime : the ruling class criminals.
  • Genetics: illegal research and its dangers.
  • Hate crime : the implications in criminal justice.
  • Serial killers : risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Serial killers: portrayal in media.
  • Organized crime : how does it affect criminal justice?
  • Crime prevention programs.
  • Street lighting: does it reduce crime?
  • Terrorism prevention technology.
  • Identity theft : risk groups, ways of deception, prevention policies.
  • Due process model: procedural and substantive aspects.
  • Crime control in criminal justice administration.
  • Types of drugs: how do they affect the users?
  • Smart handheld devices: their function for security personnel.
  • Social media : its impact on crime rate.
  • Public health: how does criminal justice affect it?
  • Psychometric examinations: what is their role in criminal justice?
  • National defense in the US.
  • National defense in the UK.
  • Sexual harassment : the role of activism, ways of responding, prevention and prosecution.
  • Substance abuse : military.
  • Criminology and criminal justice jobs: a full list.

🌶️ Hot Criminal Justice Topics

  • The history of modern police.
  • Different types of prison systems.
  • Is situational crime prevention effective?
  • How to prevent wrongful convictions.
  • Challenges faced by crime victims.
  • The advantages of community corrections.
  • How do ethics influence criminal justice?
  • Disadvantages of felony disenfranchisement.
  • Does correctional system in the USA really work?
  • Possible problems of prisoner reentry process.

💂 116 Criminal Justice Research Topics & Questions

Here are some of the most typical and interesting criminal justice issues to dazzle your professor.

  • Prison system : the main problems and the hidden pitfalls.
  • The question of gender: why are there more men who receive capital punishment than women?
  • Kidnapping and ransom: common features, motifs, behavior patterns.
  • Crime prevention : key principles.
  • Firing a gun: what helps professionals understand whether it was deliberate or happened by accident?
  • Cybercrime : the legal perspective.
  • Internet vigilantism: revenge leaks.
  • Hate crime on the Internet: revenge leaks, trolling, defamation.
  • Crime and justice in mass media .
  • Parental abduction laws.
  • Sex offender registry: pros and cons.
  • The deterrence theory and the theory of rational choice : are they relevant in the modern world?
  • Sexual assault in schools and workplaces.
  • Jury selection: how is it performed?
  • Experimental criminology: the latest innovations.

Criminal justice system.

  • Wildlife crime: areas of prevalence, ways of prevention.
  • Felony disenfranchisement laws: when do they apply?
  • The relation between organized crime and corruption .
  • Victim services: what help can a victim of a crime get?
  • Prison rape and violence: the psychological aspect, ways of prevention.
  • Juvenile recidivism : what are the risk groups?
  • Forensic science : role and functions in modern criminal justice.
  • Shoplifting: how to prevent theft?
  • Witness Protection Program: who is eligible and how to protect them.
  • Date rape : what are the ways for the victims to seek legal assistance?
  • Substance abuse and crime: correlation or causation?
  • Identity theft: dangers and consequences in the modern world.
  • Online predators: what laws can be introduced to protect kids? Real-life examples.
  • Civil and criminal cases: how to differentiate?
  • Domestic abuse victims: what laws protect them?
  • Elder abuse : what can be done to prevent it?
  • The strain theory : the unachievable American dream.
  • Concepts of law enforcement: pursuing criminal justice .
  • Ethics and criminal justice: the unethical sides of law enforcement.
  • The top problems to be solved by law enforcement today.
  • Information sharing technology: how has it helped in the fight against terrorism ?
  • Terrorism in perspective: characteristics, causes, control .
  • Serial killers : types.
  • Drug use and youth arrests.
  • Aggressive behavior : how does it correlate with criminal tendencies?
  • Community corrections : are they effective?
  • Sentencing: how does it take place?
  • Punishment types and the established terms.
  • Unwarranted arrest: when is it acceptable?
  • Human trafficking in the modern world.
  • Human trafficking: current state and counteracts .
  • The role of technology in modern forensics .
  • Similarities and differences between homicide , murder, and manslaughter.
  • Types of offenders: classification.
  • Effects of gun control measures in the United States .
  • The role of crime mapping in modern criminal justice.
  • Male crimes vs female crimes: are they different?
  • Prisons : the problems of bad living conditions.
  • Victimization : causes and ways of prevention.
  • Victimology and traditional justice system alternatives .
  • Rape victims: what are their rights?
  • Problem-solving courts: what underlying problems do they address?
  • Mandatory sentencing and the three-strike rule.
  • Have “three-strikes” laws been effective and should they be continued?
  • Criminal courts : what can be learned from their history?
  • Hate crimes : what motivates people to commit them?
  • Youth gangs: what is their danger?
  • Fieldwork: how is it done in criminology?
  • Distributive justice : its place in criminal justice.
  • Capital punishment : what can be learned from history?
  • Humanities and justice in Britain during 18th century .
  • Abolition of capital punishment .
  • Criminals and prisoners’ rights .
  • Crime prevention programs and criminal rehabilitation .
  • Campus crime: what laws and precautions are there against it?
  • Criminal trial process: how does it go?
  • Crimes committed on a religious basis: how are they punished?
  • The code of ethics in the Texas department of criminal justice .
  • Comparison between Florida and Maryland’s legislative frameworks .
  • Fraud in the scientific field: how can copyright protect the discoveries of researchers?
  • Prosecution laws: how are they applied in practice?
  • The classification of crime systems.
  • Cyberbullying and cyberstalking: what can parents do to protect their children?
  • Forgery cases in educational institutions, offices, and governmental organizations.
  • Drug courts : how do they work?

Controversial Topics in Criminal Justice

Want your work to be unconventional? Consider choosing one of the controversial topics. You will need to present a number of opposite points of view. Of course, it’s acceptable to choose and promote an opinion that you think stands the best. Just make sure to provide a thorough analysis of all of the viewpoints.

You can also stay impartial and let the reader make up their own mind on the subject. If you decide to support one of the viewpoints, your decision should be objective. Back it up with plenty of evidence, too. Here are some examples of controversial topics that you can explore.

  • Reform vs. punishment: which one offers more benefits?
  • Restorative justice model : is it the best criminal justice tool?
  • The war on drugs : does it really solve the drug problem?
  • Criminal insanity: is it a reason enough for exemption from liability?
  • Juvenile justice system : should it be eliminated?
  • Drug testing on the school ground.
  • Police brutality in the United States .
  • How to better gun control ? 
  • Why Gun Control Laws Should be Scrapped .
  • Pornography: is it a type of sexual violence?
  • Whether death penalty can be applied fairly?
  • Jack the Ripper: who was he?
  • The modern justice system: is it racist?
  • A false accusation: how can one protect themselves from it?
  • Concealed weapons: what are the criminal codes of various states?
  • Race and crime: is there a correlation?
  • Registering sex offenders: should this information be in public records?
  • Juvenile delinquency and bad parenting: is there a relation?
  • Assessing juveniles for psychopathy or conduct disorder .
  • Should all new employees be checked for a criminal background ?
  • Are delinquency cases higher among immigrant children?
  • Restrictive housing: can it help decongest prisons?
  • Homegrown crimes: is there an effective program against them?
  • Prostitution: the controversy around legalization .
  • Eyewitness testimony : is it really helpful in an investigation?
  • Youthful offenders in boot camps: is this strategy effective?
  • Predictive policing : is it effective?
  • Selective incapacitation: is it an effective policy for reducing crime?
  • Social class and crime: is there a relation?
  • Death penalty: is it effective in crime deterrence?
  • Extradition law: is it fair?
  • Devious interrogations: is deceit acceptable during investigations?
  • Supermax prisons: are they effective or just cruel?
  • Zero tolerance: is it the best policy for crime reduction?
  • Marijuana decriminalization: pros and cons.
  • Marijuana legalization in the US .

Now that you have looked through the full list of topics, choose wisely. Remember that sometimes it’s best to avoid sensitive topics. Other times, a clever choice of a topic will win you extra points. It doesn’t depend on just the tastes of your professor, of course. You should also take into account how much relevant information there is on the subject. Anyway, the choice of the topic of your research is up to you. Try to find the latest materials and conduct an in-depth analysis of them. Don’t forget to draw a satisfactory conclusion. Writing may take a lot of your time and energy, so plan ahead. Remember to stay hydrated and good luck!

Now, after we looked through the topic collections on criminology and criminal justice, it is time to turn to the specifics in each of the fields. First, let’s talk more extensively about criminology. If you are training to be a criminologist, you will study some things more deeply. They include the behavior patterns of criminals, their backgrounds, and the latest sociological trends in crime.

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In the field of criminology, the specialties are numerous. That’s why it’s difficult to pinpoint one career that represents a typical member of the profession. It all depends on the background of a criminologist, their education, and experience.

Careers possible with a criminology major.

A criminologist may have a number of responsibilities at their position. For example, they might be called forth to investigate a crime scene. Participation in autopsies is unpleasant yet necessary. Interrogation of suspects and subsequent criminal profiling is another essential duty.

Some professionals work solely in research. Others consult government agencies or private security companies. Courts and law firms also cooperate with criminologists. Their job is to provide expert opinion in criminal proceedings. Some of them work in the prison systems in order to oversee the rehabilitation of the convicted.

Regardless of the career specialty , most criminologists are working on profiling and data collection. A criminologist is another word for an analyst. They collect, study, and analyze data on crimes. After conducting the analysis, they provide recommendations and actionable information.

A criminologist seeks to find out the identity of the person who committed the crime. The time point of a crime is also important, as well as the reason for it. There are several areas covered by the analysis of a criminologist. The psychological behavior of the criminal or criminals is closely studied. The socio-economic indicators are taken into account. There are also, of course, the environmental factors that may have facilitated the crime.

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Some high-profile cases require a criminologist to correspond with media and PR managers extensively. Sometimes criminologists write articles and even books about their findings. However, it should be noted that the daily routine of a professional in the field is not so glamorous. Most criminologists do their work alone, without the attention of the public.

The research a criminologist accumulates during their work is extensive. It doesn’t just sit there in a folder on their desk, of course. The collected statistics are used for developing active criminal profiles that are shared with law enforcement agencies. It helps to understand criminal behavior better and to predict it. That’s why a criminologist’s work must be precise and accurate for it to be practical and useful. Also, criminology professionals must have a good grasp of math and statistics.

Thinking of a career in criminology? You will need to, at the very least, graduate from college. There, you’ll master mathematics, statistics, and, of course, criminology. An associate’s degree may get you an entry-level position. But the minimum entry-level requirement is usually the bachelor’s degree. The best positions, though, are left for the professionals with a master’s degree or a PhD.

Just having a degree is not enough. To succeed as a criminologist, you will require all your intelligence, commitment, and the skill of analyzing intricate situations. An aspiration to better the society will go a long way. You will need to exercise your creative, written, and verbal communication skills, too. An analytical mind will land you at an advantage.

Criminology: Research Areas

Times change and the world of crime never ceases to adapt. The nature of criminal transgression is evolving, and so do the ways of prosecution. Criminal detection, investigation, and prevention are constantly advancing. Criminology studies aim to improve the practices implemented in the field.

There are six unified, coordinated, and interrelated areas of expertise. Within each, the professionals are busy turning their mastery into knowledge and action.

Criminology research areas.

The first research area is the newest worry of criminology – cybercrime. The impact of this type of crime is escalating with every passing day. That’s why it’s crucial for the law enforcement professionals to keep up to date with the evolving technology. Cybercrime research is exploring the growing threat of its subject at all levels of society. Cybercrime may impact people on both personal and governmental levels. Cybercrime research investigates the motivation and methodology behind the offenses and finds new ways to react.

The second research area is counter fraud. Crimes that fall under this category include fraud and corruption. The questions that counter fraud research deals with are many. How widely a crime is spread, what method is best to fight it, and the optimal courses of action to protect people and organizations.

The third research area is that of forensics. The contemporary face of justice has been changed by forensic science beyond recognition. Nowadays, it’s much harder for criminals to conceal their activity due to evolved technologies. The research in forensics is utilizing science in the identification of the crime and in its reconstruction. It employs such techniques as DNA recovery, fingerprinting, and forensic interviewing.

What is forensic interviewing? It helps find new ways to gather quality information from witnesses and crime scenes. It also works on developing protocols that ensure the protection of this human data and its correct interpretation by police.

The fourth research area is policing. Police service is facing a lot of pressing issues nowadays due to budget cuts. At the same time, police officers still need to learn, and there are also individual factors that may influence their work.

The fifth research area is penology. It’s tasked with exploring the role of punishment in the criminal justice system. Does punishment aid the rehabilitation of perpetrators, and to what extent? The answer will help link theory to practice and thus shape how criminal justice practitioners work.

The sixth research area is that of missing persons. Before a person goes missing, they may display a certain pattern of behavior. The study of missing persons helps to identify it. The results will determine the handling of such cases.

Now that we know what criminology is, it’s time to talk about criminal justice.

While criminology focuses on the analysis of crime, criminal justice concentrates on societal systems. Its primary concern is with the criminal behavior of the perpetrators. For example, in the USA, there are three branches of the criminal justice system. They are police (aka law enforcement), courts, and corrections. These branches all work together to punish and prevent unlawful behavior. If you take up a career in criminal justice, expect to work in one of these fields.

The most well-known branch of criminal justice is law enforcement. The police force is at the forefront of defense against crime and misdemeanor. They stand against the criminal element in many ways. For instance, they patrol the streets, investigate crimes, and detain suspects. It’s not just the police officers who take these responsibilities upon themselves. There are also US Marshals, ICE, FBI Agents, DEA, and border patrol. Only after the arrest has been made, the perpetrator enters the court system.

The court system is less visible to the public, but still crucial to the criminal justice system. Its main purpose is to determine the suspect’s innocence or guilt. You can work as an attorney, lawyer, bailiff, judge, or another professional of the field. In the court, if you are a suspect, you are innocent until proven guilty. You are also entitled to a fair trial. However, if they do find you guilty, you will receive a sentence. Your punishment will be the job of the corrections system.

The courts determine the nature of the punishment, and the corrections system enforces it. There are three elements of the corrections system: incarceration, probation, and parole. They either punish or rehabilitate the convicts. Want to uptake a career in corrections? You may work as, including, but not limited to: a parole officer, a prison warden, a probation officer, and a guard.

📈 Criminal Justice: Research Areas

The research areas in criminal justice are similar, if not identical, to those of criminology. After all, those are two very closely related fields. The one difference is that criminal justice research has more practical than theoretical applications. But it’s fair to say that theory is the building blocks that practice bases itself on. One is impossible without the other unless the result you want is complete chaos.

So, the question is – what topic to choose for the research paper? Remember that the world of criminal justice is constantly changing. Choosing a subject for research in criminal justice, consider a relevant topic. There are many pressing issues in the field. Exploring them will undoubtedly win you points from your professor. Just make sure to choose a direction that will give you the opportunity to show off both your knowledge and your analytical skills.

Not sure that your original research direction will be appreciated? Then choose one of the standard topics. Something that is widely discussed in the media. And, of course, make sure that you are truly interested in the subject. Otherwise, your disinterest will translate into your writing, which may negatively affect the overall impression. Also, it’s just more enjoyable to work on something that resonates with you.

What can you do with your research paper? Literally anything. Explore the background of the issue. Make predictions. Compare the different takes on the matter. Maybe there are some fresh new discoveries that have been made recently. What does science say about that?

Also, remember to backup all your arguments with quotes and examples from real life. The Internet is the best library and research ground a student could hope for. The main idea of the paper, aka the thesis, must be proven by enough factual material. Otherwise, it’s best to change your research direction.

And, of course, don’t put it all off till the last minute. Make a plan and stick to it. Consistency and clever distribution of effort will take you a long way. Good luck!

🤔 Criminal Justice Research FAQs

Criminological and criminal justice research are the scientific studies of the causes and consequences, extent and control, nature, management, and prevention of criminal behavior, both on the social and individual levels.

Criminal justice and criminology are sciences that analyze the occurrence and explore the ways of prevention of illegal acts. Any conducted personal research and investigation should be supported by the implemented analytical methods from academic works that describe the given subject.

There are six interrelated areas of criminology research:

  • Cybercrime research makes law enforcement professionals keep up to date with the evolving technology.
  • Counter fraud research investigates cases of fraud and corruption.
  • Forensics research utilizes science: DNA recovery, fingerprinting, and forensic interviewing.
  • Research in policing investigates individual factors that may influence the work of police officers.
  • Penology explores the role of punishment in the criminal justice system.
  • The study of missing persons helps to identify patterns of victims’ behavior.

There are seven research methods in criminology:

  • Quantitative research methods measure criminological and criminal justice reality by assigning numerical values to concepts to find patterns of correlation, cause and effect.
  • Survey research collects information from a number of persons via their responses to questions.
  • Experimental research assesses cause and effect in two comparison groups.
  • Cross-sectional research studies one group at one point in time.
  • Longitudinal research studies the same group over a period of time.
  • Time-series designs study the same group at successive points in time.
  • Meta-analysis employs quantitative analysis of findings from multiple studies.

The basis of criminological theory is criminological research. It influences the development of social policies and defines criminal justice practice.

Criminological research doesn’t just enable law students to develop analytical and presentational skills. The works of criminal justice professionals, scholars, and government policymakers dictate the way law enforcement operates. The newest ideas born out of research identify corrections and crime prevention, too.

Here is a step-by-step instruction on how to write a criminal justice research paper:

  • Choose a topic
  • Read the materials and take notes
  • Come up with a thesis
  • Create an outline for your work
  • Draft the body
  • Start with a cover page, an abstract, and an intro
  • List the methods you used, and the results you got
  • Include a discussion
  • Sum it up with a conclusion
  • Don’t forget a literature review and appendices
  • Revise, proofread, and edit

The most common types of methodologies in criminal justice research include:

  • Observation of participants.
  • Surveys and interviews.
  • Observation of focus groups.
  • Conducting experiments.
  • Analysis of secondary data and archival study.
  • Mixed (a combination of the above methods).

Learn more on this topic:

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  • 501 Research Questions & Titles about Science
  • A List of Research Topics for Students. Unique and Interesting
  • Good Research Topics, Titles and Ideas for Your Paper
  • The Differences Between Criminal Justice and Criminology: Which Degree Is Right for You? (Concordia St. Paul)
  • Corporate Crime: Britannica
  • The Development of Delinquency: NAP
  • Databases for Research & Education: Gale
  • A CS Research Topic Generator: Purdue University
  • A Introduction To The Federal Court System: US Department of Justice
  • Criminal Justice Research Topics: Broward College
  • Research Topics in Criminology: Cambridge Institute of Criminology
  • CRIMINOLOGY: University of Portsmouth
  • Research: Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, University of Maryland
  • Criminal Justice: RAND
  • Research Methods in Criminal Justice: Penn State University Libraries
  • Research: School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
  • Criminology – Research Guide: Getting started (Penn Libraries)
  • Criminology Research Papers: Academia
  • The History & Development of the U.S. Criminal Justice System: Study.com
  • CRIMINAL JUSTICE & CRIMINOLOGY: Marshall University
  • Criminal Justice: Temple University
  • Criminal Justice: University of North Georgia
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The schools of criminology seems like such a fascinating field — it’s definitely not for the lighthearted though! Here in the Philippines, criminology as a course is highly underrated; hopefully that’ll change!

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Top 100 Research Topics & Titles about Food & TVL

When you look for a good research paper topic, you can easily become the severest critic of any proposed idea. Some topics do not interest you at the very least, while others might shock your teachers. Where is the golden mean? Check out this list of top 100 research paper...

research topics on criminology

60+ Criminal Justice Research Topics

research topics on criminology

Criminal Justice Research Paper: Definition

Whether you've been assigned crime research topics by your professor or you simply enjoy exploring exciting topics in criminology, we guarantee you'll read through this article in one fell swoop. Not only will you find out some intriguing criminal justice research topics, but you will also learn the meaning behind the criminal justice system, the purpose of writing about the concept, and, finally, learn some tricks and tips for creating such a paper.

First, let's ease your understanding of criminal justice which primarily attempts to ensure the peaceful coexistence of the civil population through law regulations and judicial studies. Basically, criminal justice is often thought of as a discipline that teaches people how to stop, examine, and evaluate criminal behavior. With this in mind, most college students studying criminal law and justice have to deal with a pile of assignments on criminal cases.

Our expert essay writers suggest that you may be required to study specific situations or even provide your own solutions for a criminology research paper. Additionally, your writing should be based on applicable laws to back up your claims. So, the process of writing a criminal justice research paper usually involves a thorough understanding of the selected problem.

With that said, let's move to our next point, clarifying the purpose of writing about criminal justice issues and finding out more together!

Purpose of Writing Criminal Justice Topics

You might be asking yourself - 'why should I write about criminal justice topics?'; and that's a fair point. Out of myriads of research paper topics, especially if you're not studying law or civil and criminal cases, what's the purpose of conducting criminal investigations? Well, we've got some valid points in response to your inquiry below.

Why Write about Criminal Justice

  • It's fun and interesting - Criminal justice is an ever-changing discipline with many fascinating areas to research. During the writing process, you get to come across some interesting cases. For example, you can identify the correlation between mental health and violent activities, research crime prevention methods, examine how the international criminal court has helped reduce crimes globally, etc. Such topics are enjoyable to write about since you are prompted to use your imagination and come up with answers.
  • You get to explore and solve a mystery - There are several unresolved issues in criminal justice. When you write a research paper, you get to unravel these puzzles. Put another way, you want to address questions that you and others, including law enforcement, have about various topics. ‍
  • It reveals your deeper intelligence - You create research papers to inform the rest of the world about what you've uncovered about a criminal justice topic. While doing so, it promotes critical and creative thinking. So, you're encouraged to think out of the box and unleash your true intelligence. For example, you may need to communicate your opinions and comments with important lawmakers on the problem of the death sentence or child abuse to help them in their decision-making process. So, writing on criminology topics is a great way to show others how intelligent you really are.

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How to Write Criminal Justice Thesis Papers?

It takes careful consideration of several factors to transform your brainstormed collection of notes into a finished research paper. Even though not every criminology topic is the same, the writing structure more or less follows similar techniques. So here we prepared a few key aspects to remember while crafting your criminology topics for research:

Criminal Justice

  • Select a Criminal Justice Topic

First things first, the universal answer to your question - ' how to start a research paper ?' is this: you must carefully select a research topic. Given our limited scope and discipline, picking the criminal justice research paper topics becomes even more vital. Your research goal is to find an issue, analyze it, and provide solutions. This suggests that your topic must be related to your study objectives. Also, while choosing a topic, don't set any restrictions. Create a classification system for your research question that will enable you to group it into a wider range of subtopics.

  • Explore Existing Theories on Criminology Topics

Like any social science conception, criminal justice theories offer helpful resources for explaining social processes and human behavior. Moreover, they provide crucial insights that influence real-world applications and guide policy. However, in terms of the origins and effects of crime and criminal conduct, criminal justice comprises a number of unique theoretical interpretations. So, get familiar with different existing theories for carefully developing your research topics criminology.

  • Conduct Research on Criminal Justice Topics

While exploring your criminal justice topic for research paper, you'll probably combine primary and secondary sources. Books, journals, periodicals, news pieces, and interviews are a few examples. Make sure you only choose those that are reliable and knowledgeable. In contrast to essays or term papers, a research paper needs concrete proof. You must be aware that your viewpoint will only be considered relevant if it is backed up by evidence.

  • Organize Research Findings on Criminology Topics

Your task is not complete until you have arranged and structured the results in your article. Then, you may choose to revise your criminal justice paper topics or conduct more research to obtain proof that validates your stance, depending on what you believe to be appropriate. Additionally, you will need to assess the data you have gathered to see if it supports your theory.

  • Develop Your Criminal Justice Research Paper

After completing the steps above for your criminal justice research paper, you are now prepared to combine the research findings and thoughtful evaluation in your first draft. Develop your criminology paper topics using the facts and justifications presented by academics in earlier research. Never fail to give due credit to all sources from which you have drawn inspiration. And always remember to use a correct citation format for research paper by following the accepted guidelines.

Criminal Justice Paper Outline

Let's briefly explain the criminal justice paper outline for you to stay on the right writing track:

  • The Introduction - After defining criminology research topics, the introduction is the very first section. It covers the broad context of the issue, the research question, objectives, the study's aim, and the thesis statement.
  • The Body - The main body is the most important part of your paper as it combines your critical examination and discussion on the topics for criminal justice paper. You must summarize and explain the results of several prior empirical research in the literature review section. Try to demonstrate how academics debate and counter-dispute the research problem. The techniques for data collecting and the participants in the research design are described in the methodology section. The results of your study are included in the findings sections. Be sure to mention any findings you made from both primary sources and the literature review. Finally, the discussion covers an analysis of the findings as well as their implications.
  • The conclusion - Along with the conclusion, incorporate a recommendation section that reviews the study problem and the thesis statement and highlights the findings before suggesting the next step.

Topics for Criminal Justice Paper

After going through the fundamentals of drafting a solid paper, let's explore some fascinating criminal justice topics for research paper. The list prepared by our coursework writing service is limitless, and we promise you'll find inspiration for your upcoming writing assignment right off the bat.

List of Criminology Research Topics

Let's start with the general research topics in criminology that sparks instant interest in your reader's mind:

  • Investigating and evaluating crime theories
  • How IQ influences crime rates
  • Does the death penalty prevent crime?
  • American police brutality
  • Cyberstalking and cyberbullying: how technology may act as a mediator
  • The relationship between terrorism and organized crime
  • When does exercising professional judgment go beyond the bounds of ethics?
  • Effects of drunk driving on growing accident rates
  • The significance of identifying stalking characteristics
  • Techniques for lowering economic crimes
  • Gender prejudice in investigations
  • Procedures for detaining children
  • The difficulties with the jail system
  • Important guidelines for preventing crime
  • Investigation procedures at crime scenes
  • Long-term implications of school suspensions on adult crime
  • Crime effects of domestic violence
  • The function of media in preventing crime
  • New developments in experimental criminology
  • Wildlife crimes and the role of forensic science

List of Realistic Crime Research Topics

Continuing with our criminological research topics, here you'll find some more realistic research topics for criminology that are relatable to current global issues in our society.

  • Why are homeless people's crime rates high?
  • Social standing and criminal activity
  • History of criminology
  • The relationship between criminal conduct and immigration status
  • The connection between age and criminality
  • Crimes against humanity
  • International laws and cross-border crimes
  • Human rights abuse during armed conflict
  • The connection between mental illness and criminal behavior
  • Global efforts to combat corruption and socio economic crimes

List of Basic Criminal Justice Topics

Moving on, here is a list of basic criminal justice topics. Consider how much information there is about the pertinent issue. In any case, it is entirely up to you to select your study topics in criminal justice. Therefore, look for the most recent materials and analyze them thoroughly.

  • Abduction and ransom: recurring traits, motifs, and behaviors
  • Media coverage of crime and justice
  • How is jury selection carried out?
  • The function of forensic science in contemporary criminal justice
  • Who is eligible for the witness protection program, and how may they be protected?
  • Identity theft in the current world: risks and repercussions
  • Criminal justice ethics: the unethical aspects of law enforcement
  • The main issues that law enforcement must address today
  • Are community corrections successful?
  • Crime mapping function in contemporary criminal justice
  • Issues with poor living conditions in prisons
  • What fundamental issues are resolved by problem-solving courts?
  • What can be learned about criminal courts from their past?
  • The role of distributive justice in criminal justice
  • What happens during a criminal trial?
  • How are prosecution laws used in reality?
  • Incidents of forgery in workplaces, government agencies, and educational institutions.
  • The mechanisms for categorizing crimes
  • How are crimes committed with a religious motive punished?
  • What regulations and security measures are in place to combat campus crime?

List of Criminal Justice Topics on Racial Discrimination

Now let's get more specific with the criminal justice topics for research papers. Here we'll distinguish the prompts by racial discrimination aspects:

  • What are the drawbacks of racial profiling? Are there any advantages?
  • Using racial and ethnic profiling to target minority communities
  • How can institutional prejudice impact criminal justice?
  • How does the unfair representation of minority groups in the media impact the criminal justice system?
  • How biased is the US legal system?
  • Racism and prejudice against African-Americans
  • Conflicts of Race on College Campuses
  • History of Punishment and Slavery

List of Crime Research Topics (Crime Types)

Last but not least, look at the topics for criminal justice research paper broken down by distinct sorts of crime:

  • White-collar offenses in the workplace
  • Worldwide organized crime
  • How people and drug trafficking are made easier by the internet
  • The centers of human trafficking
  • The reasons for property crimes
  • Public order offenses
  • Blue-collar offenses
  • Indian and Chinese human trafficking
  • Violence-related robberies: causes and effects
  • Recognizing and defending against terrorism
  • High-tech crimes in the digital age

Final Thoughts on Criminal Justice Research Papers

Now that we've reached the finish, we'd like to remind you that research topics for criminal justice should always adhere to ethical standards. So do your best to be sensitive and courteous while writing, even when discussing touchy subjects.

Meanwhile, you can always buy essays online handled by a native English speaker. Our writing service is the finest if you need a custom research paper . Let us compose your piece from the beginning and make it the highest-rated paper this semester!

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Associate Professor in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Bond University

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Honorary research affiliate, Centre of Criminology, University of Cape Town

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Director and Senior Researcher, Melbourne Criminological Research and Evaluation, The University of Melbourne

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Matthew Flinders Distinguished Emeritus Professor, Flinders University

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Business Ethics Lecturer, Cardiff University

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Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Monash University

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Criminal Justice

IResearchNet

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Criminal justice research topics.

This collection provides overviews of   nearly 100 key criminal justice research topics comprising traditional criminology and its more modern interdisciplinary outgrowths. These topics are divided into six thematic parts:

  • Criminology
  • Correlates of Crime
  • Criminology Theories
  • Crime Research
  • Types of Crime
  • Criminal Justice System

Criminology and Criminal Justice Research Topics

Research topics in criminology:.

  • Criminology as Social Science .
  • Criminology and Public Policy .
  • History of Criminology .

Research Topics in Crime and Victimization:

  • Age and Crime .
  • Aggression and Crime .
  • Citizenship and Crime .
  • Education and Crime .
  • Employment and Crime .
  • Families and Crime .
  • Gender and Crime .
  • Guns and Crime .
  • Immigration and Crime .
  • Intelligence and Crime .
  • Mental Illness and Crime .
  • Neighborhoods and Crime .
  • Peers and Crime .
  • Race and Crime .
  • Religion and Crime .
  • Social Class and Crime .
  • Victimization .
  • Weather and Crime .

Research Topics in Criminology Theories:

  • Biological Theori es.
  • Classical Criminology .
  • Convict Criminology .
  • Criminal Justice Theories .
  • Critical Criminology .
  • Cultural Criminology .
  • Cultural Transmission Theory .
  • Deterrence and Rational Choice Theory .
  • Feminist Criminology .
  • Labeling and Symbolic Interaction Theories .
  • Life Course Criminology .
  • Psychological Theories of Crime .
  • Routine Activities Theory .
  • Self-Control Theory .
  • Social Construction of Crime .
  • Social Control Theory .
  • Social Disorganization Theory .
  • Social Learning Theory .
  • Strain Theories .
  • Theoretical Integration.

Research Topics in Criminology Research and Measurement:

  • Citation and Content Analysis .
  • Crime Classification Systems .
  • Crime Mapping .
  • Crime Reports and Statistics .
  • Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) and Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) .
  • Edge Ethnography .
  • Experimental Criminology .
  • Fieldwork in Criminology .
  • Program Evaluation .
  • Quantitative Criminology .

Research Topics in Types of Crime:

  • Campus Crime .
  • Child Abuse .
  • Cybercrime .
  • Domestic Violence .
  • Elder Abuse .
  • Environmental Crime .
  • Hate Crime .
  • Human Trafficking .
  • Identity Theft .
  • Juvenile Delinquency .
  • Organizational Crime .
  • Prostitution .
  • Sex Offenses .
  • Terrorism .
  • Theft and Shoplifting .
  • White-Collar Crime .
  • Wildlife Crime .

Research Topics in Criminal Justice System:

  • Capital Punishment .
  • Community Corrections .
  • Crime Prevention .
  • Criminal Courts .
  • Criminal Justice Ethics .
  • Criminal Law .
  • Criminal Specialization .
  • Drug Courts .
  • Drugs and the Criminal Justice System .
  • Felon Disenfranchisement .
  • Forensic Science .
  • Juvenile Court .
  • Juvenile Justice .
  • Mass Media, Crime, and Justice .
  • Offender Classification .
  • Offender Reentry .
  • Police–Community Relations .
  • Prison System .
  • Problem-Solving Courts .
  • Public Health and Criminal Justice .
  • Racial Profiling .
  • Restorative Justice .
  • Sentencing .
  • The Police .
  • Victim Services .
  • Wrongful Convictions .
  • Youth Gangs .

Because just listing suggestions for criminal justice research topics will be of limited value we have included short topical overviews and suggestions for narrowing those topics and divided them into 6 parts as in the list above. If you’re interested in some topic in the list follow the links below for more information.

Example   criminal justice research papers   on these topics have been designed to serve as sources of model papers for most criminological topics. These research papers were written by several well-known discipline figures and emerging younger scholars who provide authoritative overviews coupled with insightful discussion that will quickly familiarize researchers and students alike with fundamental and detailed information for each criminal justice topic.

This collection begins by defining the discipline of criminology and observing its historical development (Part I: Criminology ). The various social (e.g., poverty, neighborhood, and peer/family influences), personal (e.g., intelligence, mental illness), and demographic (e.g., age, race, gender, and immigration) realities that cause, confound, and mitigate crime and crime control are featured in   Part II: Correlates of Crime . The research papers in this section consider each correlate’s impact, both independently and in a broader social ecological context. The sociological origins of theoretical criminology are observed across several research papers that stress classical, environmental, and cultural influences on crime and highlight peer group, social support, and learning processes. Examination of these criminological theory research papers quickly confirms the aforementioned interdisciplinary nature of the field, with research papers presenting biological, psychological, and biosocial explanations and solutions for crime (Part III: Criminology Theories ).

Part IV: Criminology Research provides example research papers on various quantitative and qualitative designs and techniques employed in criminology research. Comparison of the purposes and application of these research methods across various criminal justice topics illustrates the role of criminologists as social scientists engaged in research enterprises wherein single studies fluctuate in focus along a pure–applied research continuum. This section also addresses the measurement of crimes with attention to major crime reporting and recording systems.

Having established a theoretical–methodological symmetry as the scientific foundation of criminology, and increasingly the field of criminal justice,   Part V: Types of Crime   considers a wide range of criminal offenses. Each research paper in this section thoroughly defines its focal offense and considers the related theories that frame practices and policies used to address various leading violent, property, and morality crimes. These research papers also present and critically evaluate the varying level of empirical evidence, that is, research confirmation, for competing theoretical explanations and criminal justice system response alternatives that are conventionally identified as best practices.

Ostensibly, an accurate and thorough social science knowledge base stands to render social betterment in terms of reduced crime and victimization through the development of research–based practices. This science–practitioner relationship is featured, advocated, and critiqued in the research papers of the final section,   Part VI: Criminal Justice System . Here, the central components of criminal justice research paper topics (law enforcement, courts, and corrections) are presented from a criminology–criminal justice outlook that increasingly purports to leverage theory and research (in particular, program evaluation results) toward realizing criminal justice and related social policy objectives. Beyond the main system, several research papers consider the role and effectiveness of several popular justice system and wrap-around component initiatives (e.g., specialty courts, restorative justice, and victim services).

See also: Domestic Violence Research Topics and School Violence Research Topics .

Criminology Research Paper Topics

Academic Writing Service

Criminology research paper topics cover a broad range of issues related to crime and criminal behavior. As a student of criminology, it can be challenging to select a research paper topic that is both interesting and relevant to your field of study. This page from iResearchNet offers a comprehensive list of criminology research paper topics, organized into 10 categories, with expert advice on how to choose the best topic and write a successful research paper. In addition, the page highlights the writing services offered by iResearchNet, providing students with the opportunity to order a custom criminology research paper on any topic of their choice.

Criminology Research Topics Guide

Criminology is a complex and interdisciplinary field that encompasses the study of crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. Students pursuing a degree in criminology are often tasked with writing research papers on a variety of topics within this field. However, with the multitude of topics available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task.

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Criminology Research Paper Topics

Choosing the right topic is crucial to the success of any research paper. By selecting a topic that is both interesting and relevant, students can engage in a more meaningful and productive research process. In this page, we will discuss various strategies for choosing a topic, such as considering personal interests, consulting with instructors or librarians, and conducting preliminary research. We will also provide tips on how to develop a strong thesis statement and organize one’s research notes effectively. Ultimately, our goal is to equip students with the tools and resources needed to produce high-quality research papers that demonstrate a deep understanding of the field of criminology.

100 Criminology Research Paper Topics

Theoretical Perspectives in Criminology

  • Classical criminology
  • Biological theories of crime
  • Psychological theories of crime
  • Social disorganization theory
  • Strain theory
  • Labeling theory
  • Social learning theory
  • Critical criminology
  • Feminist criminology
  • Cultural criminology

Crime Types and Patterns

  • Sexual offenses
  • Drug offenses
  • Organized crime
  • White-collar crime
  • Hate crimes

Criminological Research Methods

  • Survey research
  • Experimentation
  • Case studies
  • Content analysis
  • Ethnography
  • Longitudinal studies
  • Meta-analysis
  • Secondary data analysis
  • Network analysis
  • Comparative research

Correlates of Crime

  • Poverty and economic factors
  • Race and ethnicity
  • Gender and crime
  • Family structure and dynamics
  • Education and crime
  • Employment and crime
  • Social capital and crime
  • Neighborhood factors
  • Peer influence and deviance
  • Substance abuse and addiction

Criminal Justice System

  • Police organization and management
  • Policing strategies and tactics
  • Courts and the criminal justice process
  • Sentencing and punishment
  • Corrections and rehabilitation
  • Community-based corrections
  • Probation and parole
  • Juvenile justice system
  • Mental health and the criminal justice system
  • Victimology and victim services

Crime Prevention and Control

  • Community policing
  • Crime prevention through environmental design
  • Crime prevention programs and policies
  • Situational crime prevention
  • Early intervention and prevention for youth
  • Restorative justice programs
  • Technology and crime prevention
  • Gun control policies
  • Terrorism and counterterrorism strategies
  • Human trafficking and exploitation

Criminal Justice Ethics and Professionalism

  • Police use of force and accountability
  • Police discretion and decision-making
  • Ethical dilemmas in the courtroom
  • Confidentiality and privacy in the criminal justice system
  • Bias and discrimination in the criminal justice system
  • Professionalism and integrity in corrections
  • Ethics in forensic science
  • The role of media in criminal justice ethics
  • Corruption in law enforcement
  • The ethics of punishment

Historical and Comparative Criminology

  • The history of criminal justice systems
  • Cross-cultural comparisons of crime and justice
  • Historical perspectives on punishment
  • The evolution of policing and law enforcement
  • The history of prisons and corrections
  • Colonialism and its impact on crime and justice
  • Comparative analyses of legal systems
  • Transnational crime and criminal justice cooperation
  • International criminal law
  • Globalization and crime

Special Topics in Criminology

  • Mental illness and crime
  • Immigration and crime
  • Race, crime, and social justice
  • Climate change and environmental crime
  • LGBTQ+ issues in criminology
  • Disruptive technology and crime
  • School violence and prevention
  • The impact of COVID-19 on crime and justice
  • Animal cruelty and animal rights in criminology
  • The role of religion in crime and justice

Choosing a Criminology Research Paper Topic

Choosing a research paper topic in criminology can be a daunting task, as the field encompasses a wide range of topics and perspectives. However, with careful consideration and planning, selecting a topic can become a manageable and even enjoyable process. Here are some expert tips on how to choose a criminology research paper topic:

  • Understand the assignment requirements and guidelines : Before selecting a topic, make sure you understand the specific requirements and guidelines provided by your instructor. This can include the length of the paper, the research methods required, and the formatting and citation style to be used.
  • Consider your personal interests and passions : Choosing a topic that you are personally interested in can make the research and writing process much more enjoyable and engaging. Think about your personal experiences, hobbies, or areas of expertise that could inspire a relevant and interesting topic.
  • Look for current and relevant topics in the field : Stay up-to-date with current events and trends in the field of criminology by following relevant news outlets and academic journals. This can help you identify relevant and timely topics that are of interest to both you and your audience.
  • Focus on a specific aspect or issue within a broader topic : Narrowing down a broad topic can help you focus your research and analysis, making it more manageable and effective. For example, instead of researching “crime prevention,” you could focus on a specific method or strategy, such as community policing.
  • Conduct preliminary research to ensure there is enough information available : Before committing to a topic, conduct some preliminary research to ensure there is enough information available to support your thesis statement and arguments. This can include reviewing academic journals, news articles, and other relevant sources.
  • Consult with your instructor or a librarian for topic suggestions and resources : If you’re struggling to identify a relevant and engaging topic, don’t hesitate to consult with your instructor or a librarian for suggestions and resources. They may be able to provide valuable insight and guidance that can help you find the perfect topic for your research paper.
  • Stay organized and keep track of sources and notes : As you conduct research and develop your ideas, make sure to stay organized and keep track of sources and notes. This can help you avoid plagiarism and ensure that you have all the necessary information to support your arguments and analysis.
  • Narrow down your topic and develop a thesis statement : Once you’ve identified a broad topic of interest, narrow it down and develop a clear and concise thesis statement that outlines the focus and purpose of your research paper.
  • Brainstorm and outline your paper before writing : Before diving into writing your research paper, take some time to brainstorm and outline your ideas. This can help you organize your thoughts and ensure that you’re addressing all the necessary points and arguments.
  • Revise and edit your paper multiple times before submitting : After completing your first draft, make sure to revise and edit your research paper multiple times to ensure that it’s clear, concise, and error-free. This can help you improve the quality of your work and ensure that you’re presenting your ideas in the best possible light.

Choosing a topic for your criminology research paper requires careful consideration of your personal interests, the assignment guidelines, and the available resources. Take the time to conduct thorough research, organize your notes, and develop a strong thesis statement. Remember to use clear and concise language throughout your paper and support your arguments with evidence from credible sources. If you need additional assistance, iResearchNet offers expert writing services with experienced writers who can provide customized solutions to fit your specific needs and requirements. With proper research, organization, and writing skills, you can successfully tackle any criminology research paper topic and produce high-quality work that meets your academic goals.

How to Write a Criminology Research Paper

Writing a criminology research paper can be a challenging task, but with proper preparation and attention to detail, it can be a rewarding experience. The following tips can help guide you through the process of writing a successful criminology research paper.

  • Choose a topic and develop a thesis statement : Start by selecting a topic that is of interest to you and aligns with the requirements of the assignment. Once you have a topic, develop a thesis statement that outlines the main argument or point you will be making in your paper.
  • Conduct thorough research and gather reliable sources : Use a variety of sources, including academic journals, books, and reputable online sources, to gather information about your topic. Make sure to evaluate the credibility of your sources and take detailed notes as you conduct your research.
  • Organize your notes and create an outline : Once you have gathered your research, organize your notes and create an outline that will guide your writing. This will help you stay focused and ensure that you cover all the necessary points in your paper.
  • Write an introduction that provides background information and introduces the thesis : The introduction should provide context for your paper and introduce the main argument or point you will be making.
  • Use clear and concise language throughout the paper : Make sure to write in a clear and concise manner, avoiding overly technical language and jargon.
  • Support your arguments with evidence and examples from your research : Use evidence from your research to support your arguments and provide examples that help illustrate your points.
  • Write a strong conclusion that summarizes your findings and reinforces your thesis : The conclusion should summarize the main points of your paper and reinforce the thesis statement.
  • Edit and revise your paper for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors : Make sure to thoroughly edit and revise your paper for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
  • Properly cite your sources using the appropriate citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.) : Make sure to properly cite all of your sources using the appropriate citation style to avoid plagiarism and give credit to the authors of the works you have used in your research.

By following these tips, you can write a successful criminology research paper that effectively communicates your research and arguments.

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  • In-depth research : Our writers conduct thorough and comprehensive research using credible sources, ensuring that your paper is well-supported and based on the latest research in the field.
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200 Best Criminology Research Topics For Students

Criminology studies crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system. Picking a good research topic is essential. It should match your interests and help us understand crime and how to prevent it.

There are many types of criminology research topics to choose from. You could look at criminal behavior, crime prevention, the justice system, theories about crime, or new issues like cybercrime. This guide will help you pick a research topic and get excited about criminology research. We’ll look at different topic ideas across criminology.

Whether you’re interested in why people commit crimes, how to stop crimes, the courts and jails, theories about crime, or new issues like internet crime, this guide will help you find a good research topic. Let’s explore criminology research topics and find great research ideas together! 

What are Criminology Research Topics?

Table of Contents

Criminology research topics involve studying crime, criminals, and the justice system using scientific methods. This includes looking at:

  • Why crimes happen
  • Patterns in criminal behavior
  • How crime impacts people and communities
  • How the justice system, like police, courts, and jails, work
  • Theories about the causes of crime
  • Ways to prevent crimes
  • New types of crimes like internet crime
  • How crime is different in various times and cultures
  • How crime affects victims
  • What the public thinks about crime
  • Ideas for improving crime laws and policies

Criminology Research Topics For Students

Here are over 200 criminology research topics for students categorized into different subfields of criminology:

General Criminology

  • The significance of restorative justice programs in decreasing recidivism rates.
  • Exploring the role of genetics in criminal behavior.
  • The impact of socioeconomic status on crime rates.
  • Analyzing the relationship between drug policies and crime rates.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of community policing in reducing crime.
  • Analyzing the role of mental health in criminal behavior.
  • Understanding the link between poverty and crime.
  • Exploring the use of technology in crime prevention.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs for offenders.
  • Investigating the role of media in shaping perceptions of crime and criminals.

Criminal Justice System

  • The influence of mandatory minimum sentencing laws on crime rates.
  • Exploring racial disparities in the criminal justice system.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of plea bargaining in reducing court backlogs.
  • Investigating the role of forensic evidence in criminal investigations.
  • Examining the ethics of using informants in criminal investigations.
  • Understanding the influence of incarceration on families and communities.
  • Exploring the role of prosecutorial discretion in shaping criminal justice outcomes.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of probation and parole programs.
  • Investigating the use of body cameras in policing.
  • Examining the role of juries in the criminal justice system.

Crime Prevention

  • Exploring the effectiveness of gun control policies in reducing violent crime.
  • Analyzing the impact of CCTV cameras on crime rates in urban areas.
  • Investigating the role of environmental design in crime prevention.
  • Examining the effectiveness of school-based anti-bullying programs.
  • Understanding the link between unemployment and property crime.
  • Exploring the role of parenting in preventing juvenile delinquency.
  • Analyzing the efficacy of early intervention programs for at-risk youth.
  • Investigating the impact of neighborhood watch programs on community safety.
  • Studying the role of social media in facilitating or preventing cyberbullying.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of drug education programs in schools.

Juvenile Delinquency

  • The effect of family structure on juvenile delinquency rates.
  • Studying the role of peer pressure in juvenile offending.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of diversion programs for juvenile offenders.
  • Investigating the link between childhood trauma and later delinquent behavior.
  • Examining the role of schools in preventing juvenile delinquency.
  • Understanding the influence of media on juvenile behavior.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of mentoring programs for at-risk youth.
  • Analyzing the impact of juvenile curfew laws on crime rates.
  • Investigating the role of substance abuse in juvenile offending.
  • Studying the efficacy of rehabilitation programs for juvenile offenders.
  • The impact of dark web marketplaces on illicit drug trade.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of cybersecurity measures in preventing cyber attacks.
  • Analyzing the role of cryptocurrencies in facilitating money laundering.
  • Investigating the link between online gaming and cyberbullying.
  • Examining the effectiveness of law enforcement responses to cybercrime.
  • Understanding the role of social media in cyberstalking cases.
  • Exploring the impact of data breaches on consumer privacy.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of international cooperation in combating cybercrime.
  • Investigating the role of artificial intelligence in cybercrime detection.
  • Examining the legal and ethical issues surrounding hacking and hacktivism.

White-Collar Crime

  • The impact of corporate culture on white-collar crime.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of regulatory agencies in preventing corporate fraud.
  • Analyzing the role of whistleblowers in exposing corporate misconduct.
  • Investigating the link between executive compensation and financial fraud.
  • Examining the effectiveness of corporate compliance programs.
  • Understanding the role of technology in facilitating white-collar crime.
  • Exploring the impact of globalization on white-collar crime.
  • Analyzing the role of government oversight in preventing financial crimes.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of anti-money laundering measures.
  • Examining the psychological profiles of white-collar offenders.

Terrorism and Counterterrorism

  • The impact of globalization on terrorism.
  • Exploring the role of ideology in terrorist recruitment.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of counterterrorism strategies.
  • Investigating the link between poverty and terrorism.
  • Examining the role of social media in terrorist propaganda.
  • Understanding the psychology of terrorism.
  • Exploring the impact of state-sponsored terrorism.
  • Analyzing the role of intelligence agencies in preventing terrorist attacks.
  • Studying the effectiveness of border security measures in combating terrorism.
  • Examining the ethics of targeted drone strikes in counterterrorism efforts.

Victimology

  • The impact of victim-blaming attitudes on reporting rates of sexual assault.
  • Exploring the psychological effects of victimization.
  • Analyzing the role of victim support services in aiding recovery.
  • Investigating the link between domestic violence and homelessness.
  • Studying the effectiveness of restorative justice practices for victims.
  • Understanding the role of trauma-informed care for victims.
  • Exploring the impact of victim compensation programs.
  • Analyzing the prevalence of revictimization among survivors.
  • Investigating the role of victim-offender mediation in reducing trauma.
  • Examining the experiences of marginalized victims within the criminal justice system.

Gender and Crime

  • The impact of gender stereotypes on sentencing outcomes.
  • Exploring the link between masculinity and violent crime.
  • Analyzing the role of gender in shaping criminal opportunities.
  • Investigating the prevalence of intimate partner violence against men.
  • Examining the experiences of transgender individuals within the criminal justice system.
  • Understanding the role of gender in white-collar crime.
  • Exploring the intersection of race, gender, and crime.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of gender-responsive programming for female offenders.
  • Investigating the link between gender identity and hate crimes.
  • Examining the role of gender in criminal victimization experiences.

Race and Crime

  • The influence of racial profiling on policing practices.
  • Exploring the link between race and sentencing disparities.
  • Analyzing the role of systemic racism in contributing to crime rates.
  • Investigating the prevalence of hate crimes against racial minorities.
  • Examining the experiences of Indigenous peoples within the criminal justice system.
  • Understanding the impact of racial segregation on crime.
  • Exploring the intersection of race, poverty, and crime.
  • Analyzing the role of race in shaping perceptions of criminality.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of diversity training for law enforcement.
  • Examining the experiences of racial minorities as crime victims.

Policing and Law Enforcement

  • The influence of body-worn cameras on police behavior.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of predictive policing algorithms.
  • Analyzing the role of police discretion in shaping law enforcement outcomes.
  • Investigating the prevalence of police brutality and accountability measures.
  • Examining the impact of community-oriented policing initiatives.
  • Understanding the role of police unions in shaping department policies.
  • Exploring the use of technology in crime mapping and analysis.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of de-escalation training for police officers.
  • Investigating the role of implicit bias in police interactions.
  • Examining the impact of police militarization on community relations.

Criminal Behavior Theories

  • The impact of strain theory on understanding criminal behavior.
  • Exploring the role of social learning theory in juvenile delinquency.
  • Analyzing the influence of biological theories on criminal behavior.
  • Investigating the relevance of rational choice theory in explaining white-collar crime.
  • Examining the role of labeling theory in shaping criminal identities.
  • Understanding the impact of control theory on crime prevention strategies.
  • Exploring the intersection of feminist theory and criminology.
  • Analyzing the relevance of routine activities theory in cybercrime.
  • Investigating the role of social disorganization theory in understanding neighborhood crime.
  • Examining the influence of psychoanalytic theories on criminal profiling.

Comparative Criminology

  • The impact of cultural differences on crime rates.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of different legal systems in combating crime.
  • Analyzing the role of globalization in transnational crime.
  • Investigating the prevalence of human trafficking in different regions.
  • Examining the effectiveness of drug policies in different countries.
  • Understanding the impact of political instability on crime rates.
  • Exploring the role of corruption in facilitating organized crime.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in different cultural contexts.
  • Investigating the prevalence of honor crimes in different societies.
  • Examining the role of religion in shaping attitudes towards crime.

Environmental Criminology

  • The impact of urban design on crime rates.
  • Studying the significance of crime prevention through environmental design (CPTED).
  • Analyzing the role of natural landscapes in preventing crime.
  • Investigating the impact of lighting on crime in public spaces.
  • Examining the role of surveillance in deterring criminal activity.
  • Understanding the influence of architecture on criminal behavior.
  • Exploring the impact of weather on crime patterns.
  • Analyzing the role of public transportation in facilitating crime.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of neighborhood revitalization efforts in reducing crime.
  • Examining the influence of housing policies on neighborhood safety.

Criminal Profiling and Forensics

  • The impact of offender profiling on criminal investigations.
  • Exploring the reliability of forensic evidence in court.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of DNA databases in solving cold cases.
  • Investigating the role of forensic psychology in criminal profiling.
  • Examining the ethics of using familial DNA searching.
  • Understanding the limitations of eyewitness testimony in court.
  • Exploring the use of forensic linguistics in criminal investigations.
  • Analyzing the role of digital forensics in cybercrime investigations.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of geographic profiling techniques.
  • Examining the impact of forensic anthropology on missing persons cases.

Drugs and Crime

  • The influence of drug legalization on crime rates.
  • Exploring the role of drug trafficking organizations in organized crime.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of harm reduction strategies in reducing drug-related crime.
  • Investigating the link between substance abuse and property crime.
  • Examining the impact of drug courts on recidivism rates.
  • Understanding the role of addiction in driving criminal behavior.
  • Analyzing the impact of drug policy on marginalized communities.
  • Investigating the prevalence of prescription drug abuse and crime.
  • Examining the role of drug treatment programs in reducing criminal recidivism.

Human Trafficking

  • The impact of globalization on human trafficking patterns.
  • Exploring the role of organized crime in human trafficking networks.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of anti-trafficking laws and policies.
  • Investigating the link between human trafficking and other forms of exploitation.
  • Examining the role of technology in combating human trafficking.
  • Understanding the experiences of human trafficking survivors.
  • Exploring the intersection of migration and human trafficking.
  • Analyzing the role of demand in driving human trafficking.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of victim identification and support programs.
  • Examining the impact of cultural attitudes on human trafficking.

Organized Crime

  • The impact of globalization on the expansion of organized crime networks.
  • Exploring the role of cybercrime in organized criminal enterprises.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of law enforcement strategies against organized crime.
  • Investigating the connection between organized crime and terrorism.
  • Examining the role of corruption in facilitating organized crime activities.
  • Understanding the structure and hierarchy of organized crime groups.
  • Exploring the impact of drug trafficking on organized crime syndicates.
  • Analyzing the role of money laundering in legitimizing criminal proceeds.
  • Investigating the use of violence and coercion in organized crime operations.
  • Examining the role of technology in disrupting organized crime networks.

Prisons and Incarceration

  • The influence of mass incarceration on communities of color.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs in prison.
  • Analyzing the role of privatization in the prison industrial complex.
  • Investigating the link between mental illness and incarceration rates.
  • Examining the impact of solitary confinement on mental health.
  • Understanding the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in prison.
  • Exploring the effectiveness of reentry programs for ex-offenders.
  • Analyzing the role of education and vocational training in reducing recidivism.
  • Investigating the prevalence of overcrowding in prisons.
  • Examining the ethics of for-profit prison systems.

Restorative Justice

  • The impact of restorative justice practices on victims and offenders.
  • Exploring the role of community involvement in restorative justice processes.
  • Analyzing the effectiveness of restorative justice in cases of intimate partner violence.
  • Investigating the cultural considerations in implementing restorative justice.
  • Examining the role of restorative justice in addressing historical injustices.
  • Understanding the impact of restorative justice on recidivism rates.
  • Exploring the role of restorative justice in cases involving juvenile offenders.
  • Analyzing the challenges of implementing restorative justice in rural communities.
  • Investigating the effectiveness of restorative justice in cases of hate crimes.
  • Examining the ethical considerations of restorative justice practices.

Factors To Consider When Selecting a Criminology Research Topic

Here are some factors to consider when picking a criminology research topic:

  • Importance – Choose a topic that matters today, is socially important, and will add useful information to criminology. Look at issues people are talking about in the media.
  • Interest – Pick a topic you find really interesting and will enjoy researching. Your excitement will show in your work.
  • Doable – Make sure the topic can be researched well in the time you have, with the data you can access, and follow ethical rules. Avoid topics that are too broad.
  • New – Try to provide new insights or a fresh viewpoint. Look at existing research to find gaps you can help fill.
  • Meaningful – Choose a topic that can potentially improve criminological knowledge, theory, or practice importantly.
  • Methods – Match the topic to research methods you know or want to learn, like statistical analysis, interviews, etc.
  • Sources – Consider access to articles, datasets, people to interview, etc. Can you find good information sources?
  • Audience – Keep your intended readers in mind. Adjust the scope and approach to give useful information to academics, policymakers, practitioners, etc.

Tips for Conducting Criminology Research

Here are some tips for doing criminology research:

  • Get organized – Make a plan for your research steps and deadlines. Keep your notes, sources, and documents in order.
  • Review existing research – Read and analyze other studies about your topic to find gaps, debates, and theories to build on.
  • Choose suitable methods – Pick research methods like surveys, interviews, field studies, or crime data analysis that match your research questions.
  • Follow ethical rules – Get approval for your research plan. Protect participant privacy and anonymity.
  • Find quality sources – Use scholarly journals, crime databases, court records, and trustworthy sources for good data and information.
  • Analyze data carefully – Use appropriate qualitative or statistical techniques to analyze your data and draw valid conclusions.
  • Make persuasive arguments – Interpret your findings to make evidence-based arguments that address your research questions.
  • Write clearly – Use academic but understandable language. Explain terminology. Use an organized structure.
  • Note limitations – Identify limits of your methods, data sources, and ability to determine causation. Suggest future research.
  • Proofread thoroughly – Check for typos, grammar issues, consistent formatting, and complete citations.
  • Share your research – Present at conferences, publish articles or apply findings to inform criminology practice.

Final Remarks

To wrap up, our journey through criminology research has been an exciting exploration of the complex world of crime and solutions. We’ve discovered exciting areas like criminal behavior, prevention, the justice system, and theories by seeing how important it is to pick the right topic.

Remember, your research can help shape real-world policies and practices. As you explore this changing field, connect with experts, use reliable sources, and follow your curiosity. 

A criminology is a powerful tool for positive change, and your work can impact our understanding of crime. Keep exploring, stay curious, and let your criminology research journey unfold! I’m glad we could explore these meaningful topics in a straightforward, easy-to-grasp way.

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The Top 10 Most Interesting Criminal Justice Research Topics

Are you writing a research paper and having a hard time finding good criminal justice research topics? Thankfully, we have compiled a list of 10 of the best criminal justice research paper topic ideas. We’ve also included several criminal justice research questions and examples of criminal justice research topics to help you write your best paper.

Criminal justice is a great field for both those wanting a greater understanding of the US justice system and those who want to know what it is like to be a lawyer . If you want to write the best criminal justice paper you can, this article is for you.

Find your bootcamp match

What makes a strong criminal justice research topic.

Strong criminal justice research papers consist of a focused question to answer and a specific area of criminal justice like forensic science, serial killers, substance abuse, sexual offenders, cyber criminology, corporate crime, juvenile justice, or criminal behavior. Most educational institutions have guidelines that must be followed for picking criminal justice topics for your criminology research paper, and this list will give you a great place to start researching.

Tips for Choosing a Criminal Justice Research Topic

  • Follow the guidelines of your institution. If you are studying criminal justice at any university like Loyola University, Cornell University, Walden University, or even Harvard University, your professor has probably given you guidelines to stick to.
  • Keep it focused. When you’re writing a criminal justice research paper it is best to keep a tight focus on your topic. Keep your research focused and remember to stay on task by using study tips, taking breaks, and improving on and practicing your writing skills daily.
  • Choose a narrow topic. When choosing your topic the scope of your criminal justice research paper mustn’t be too broad. Ask and answer one question or use one thesis statement that is clear and well-defined.
  • Choose a topic that is well-researched. When writing a paper on criminal justice, many topics are too new to have solid research. Pick a topic that has many cases related to it, or is focused on a common issue.
  • Choose a topic you are passionate about. There is nothing worse than being stuck writing about a topic you have no interest in. That’s why you should make sure your topic is something that you want to write about. If it ignites your passion, write about it.

What’s the Difference Between a Research Topic and a Research Question?

The difference between a research topic and a research question is that research topics are the broad area of study and research that is used to answer the research question. Research questions are what you are attempting to answer by researching your criminal justice topic.

Criminology topics can encompass areas of study like crime mapping, crime rates, crime prevention, female crimes, experimental criminology, homegrown crimes, or even criminal psychology. Research questions should be very narrow and like do certain criminal justice laws reduce crime? Do criminal justice practitioners engage in critical criminology? Does education in prison reduce reincarnation?

How to Create Strong Criminal Justice Research Questions

When writing a strong criminal justice research question you should ask three questions. Does this question have sufficient research to reference? Is the question narrow and focused? Am I passionate about this topic? If you ask these questions and use our guide to help you get started, you’ll be well on your way to writing a great criminal justice research paper.

Top 10 Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

1. bad living conditions and access to justice.

In the criminal justice system, sometimes where you live may have an impact on your access to justice. In 2011, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the City of Chicago alleging that the Chicago police department had slower response times in areas of the city with poor living conditions. The case was settled in 2021 with a plan to improve.

2. White-Collar Crimes Compared to Working-Class Criminals Punishments

White-collar crimes are generally finance-related crimes such as fraud, embezzlement, or money laundering. According to Cornell University School of Law, white-collar crime costs over $300 billion annually in the US. However, white-collar criminals are prosecuted less severely than their working-class counterparts.

3. False Accusation, False Confessions, and Plea Bargaining

This area of criminal behavior is interesting, as our justice system actually allows for admissions of guilt even if the party did not commit the crime. Sometimes sentences can be reduced if a guilty plea is entered even if the party did not commit the crime.

4. Restorative Justice Efforts on Youthful Offenders

Juvenile and youth offenders have many different rules and avenues for justice. One of these unique approaches to keeping young people from their delinquent behavior employed by problem-solving courts is the concept of restorative justice. Restorative justice is a process that helps offenders make amends with the person or community they hurt with their deviant behaviors.

5. Criminal Justice Reform in Hate Crimes

Hate crimes are crimes that are motivated by hatred of someone or a group of people’s immutable characteristics. In recent years, many states have adopted the federal bias categories as outlined by the Department of Justice. These categories are not adopted by every state, which creates several directions for research questions.

6. Organized Crime and the Social Class Criminal Behavior of Members

Organized crime has been around for centuries, but can be prevalent in communities that see crime as a way of life and family. It can be a robust topic to try and understand the influences that family and community have on organized crime.

7. Criminal Justice Agencies and International Crime Investigation Efforts

One thing that is not often talked about is the relationship between criminal justice agencies that work together across countries. Many agencies work together, and many are made jointly. The most notable agency that does this is Interpol which, in 2021, arrested 1,003 alleged criminals and closed 1,660 cases in just one investigation .

8. Impacts of Wildlife Crime and Environmental Crime

Two little written about criminal justice topics in this scientific field are the topics of environmental and wildlife crime. Pollution, littering, dumping, poaching, and wildfire started by humans are all areas that could be a great place to use your analytical skills and nab a decent grade.

9. Relationship Between Crime and Eyewitness Testimony

Eyewitness testimonies are a staple of modern justice. Many violent crime convictions hinge on the ability of eyewitness testimony to convince a jury of what occurred. Sometimes eyewitness testimony can be unreliable, or the multiple witnesses can testify something different from one another resulting in a wrongful conviction. Many crimes like drunk driving or theft can rest on this method of testimony.

10. Relationship Between Law Enforcement and Racial Profiling

Racial profiling is a topic that has received a lot of coverage and is one of the major criminal justice issues of today. Human rights careers deal with the impact of racial and social issues in the US. There are many areas in which law enforcement has to improve in the area of social science. This is a broad topic with many implications for criminal justice ethics and the area of distributive justice.

Other Examples of Criminal Justice Research Topics & Questions

Criminal justice research topics.

  • Jury nullification
  • Online predators
  • Drunk drivers
  • Gun control
  • Campus crime

Criminal Justice Research Questions

  • Does restorative justice reduce incarceration rates in juveniles?
  • Do drug courts engage with racial profiling in the criminal justice system?
  • Are environmental crimes underreported in the criminal justice field?
  • Can organized criminal behavior be reduced by new crime control measures?
  • Does mental illness cause more false confessions?

Choosing the Right Criminal Justice Research Topic

If you take these criminal justice research topic ideas and start researching, you’ll find a topic that strikes your creativity and deals with current justice issues. If college courses seem like they may not be for you, you can always use your knowledge to get a job in criminal justice without a degree .

As we stated earlier, two important parts to finding a great topic for criminology studies or criminal justice is to follow your institution’s guidelines and find a topic that you’re passionate about. Difficult topics like child abuse, victim services, jury selection, sexual violence, or any other of the wide range of topics are important and you can do them real justice and care in your paper.

Criminal Justice Research Topics FAQ

A good criminal research topic should be a broad area with lots of research and case studies behind it. It follows your institutional guidelines and that you are passionate about.

Controversial topics in criminal justice include issues that the court is not settled on or ones that disrupt long-standing positions in the courts. Issues like private prisons, gun control, reproductive rights, and criminal court reform could all be considered controversial.

Feminist criminology started in the late 60s and early 70s to bring attention to both female criminals and victims. The movement started because of the male-focused approach to criminal psychology with little to no regard for how a woman may be psychologically different.

Current issues in the criminal justice system include topics like racial justice, social justice, police reform, reproductive rights, and LGBTQ+ discrimination. Many of these topics are being discussed in both state and federal courts.

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155 Captivating Criminology Research Topics For Students To Consider

Criminology is an interdisciplinary field of social and behavioral sciences. This subject mainly studies crimes and criminal behavior from a scientific perspective. In specific, it examines the causes, costs, and consequences of crime from several aspects of diverse disciplines such as biology, economics, psychology, economics, and so on. As this field predominantly focuses on crimes, it also has a direct association with law and justice. If you are a student who is pursuing a degree in law or criminology, then for your assignments, at least once you will be asked to work on any criminology research topics.  

Currently, would you have to submit a criminology research paper? Well, to write a successful research paper, you must have a good topic. Basically, criminology is a complex field that contains a wide range of research areas and topics to focus on. However, when you have many topics, it might be tedious for you to pull one perfect topic from it.   

So, in order to make your topic selection easier, here, in this blog post, we have explained how to choose a good criminology research topic and write a brilliant criminology research paper. Also, especially for you, here, we have carefully prepared a list of captivating criminology research topic ideas on various types of crimes.  

Keep on reading this blog post and get gripping ideas for writing a criminology research paper.  

Criminology Research Topics

How to Write a Criminology Research Paper?

A criminology research paper is an academic paper that is prepared on any criminology topic. Are you aware of the steps for writing a criminology research paper? In case, you have no idea, then execute the below-mentioned steps sequentially to come up with an outstanding criminology research paper.  

  • Firstly, get to know the research paper writing guidelines shared by your professor or university.  
  • Secondly, identify a criminology research area you are interested to conduct research.  
  • Thirdly, in the criminology research area of your choice, search and gather numerous criminology topics with a good research scope.  
  • Fourthly, brainstorm all the gathered ideas and from it select one good topic that you feel is right for you to work on.  
  • Fifthly, perform a basic analysis of the chosen criminology research topic and generate a strong thesis statement.  
  • Sixthly, conduct deep research on the selected topic and collect the necessary ideas or major points for discussion.  
  • Next, with the collected ideas, create a neat and clear outline.  
  • Then, as per the research paper writing guidelines, begin writing the criminology research paper by elaborating the outline. The research paper should explain the thesis statement with valid evidence, and it should be well-structured with essential sections such as the introduction, literature review, methodology, findings, discussion, and conclusion.  
  • At the end of the paper, add a bibliography section, and cite all the sources you have used in your work.  

Tips for Identifying a Good Criminology Research Topic  

Generally, for a research paper, a good topic is necessary because most of the time, your professors will evaluate your work based on the topic you have chosen for discussion. In case, you choose a poor topic, then there are high possibilities for you to score low grades. So, to help you in identify an ideal topic and score an A+ grade, below we have shared some important criminology research paper topic selection tips. Be certain to stick to them all during the topic selection stage.  

  • Choose a topic from a criminology research area you have strong knowledge of.  
  • Pick a topic that matches your interest.  
  • Give importance to a topic that allows you to generate a powerful thesis statement.  
  • Select a topic that has a wide research scope, vast information, and credible sources of references.  
  • Never choose a topic with minimum or no research scope.  
  • Go with a topic that is neither too vast nor too specific.  
  • If your topic is wide, narrow it down to a subtopic.  
  • Consider a topic that has valid facts or evidence to prove your thesis statement.  
  • Instead of choosing a popular topic, give preference to a topic from an unexplored research area or any latest criminology research topic.  
  • Avoid choosing a topic that doesn’t stand in line with your research paper writing guidelines.  

Following all these tips will help you in spotting a good criminology research topic. If you want to know whether you r academic work is progressing o n th e right track, then before you begin writing your criminology research paper, consult with your professor and get approval for the topic . Because s eeking guidance from your professors in advance will help you to perform well and boost your academic scores.  

List of Criminology Research Paper Topics and Ideas  

Human Resources Topics

As criminology is a broad subject, you need not worry about what topic to choose for writing your criminology research paper. Commonly, the crimes are classified into different types such as white-collar crimes, high-tech crimes, public order crimes, violent crimes, property crimes, and organized crimes.  

For writing a criminology research paper, you can choose a topic related to forensics, frauds, cybercrime, penology, or any other serious crimes such as terrorism, racism, discrimination, domestic violence, and so on.  

If you are struggling to search and find a good topic for writing your criminology research paper, feel free to have a look at the list suggested below. The list will give you 100+ criminology research topic ideas on various crimes and criminal behavior.   

Explore them all and pick one topic that is convenient for you to conduct research and prepare a great criminology research paper.  

Simple Criminology Research Topics  

The following is a list of a few simple criminology research topics you can take into consideration for writing a top-class criminology research paper.  

  • Research the history of terrorism and its countermeasures.  
  • Discuss the contributing factors for serial killers.  
  • Explain how counterfeiting has evolved with the advent of new technologies.  
  • How does prejudice motivate violence?  
  • Write about Gambling in America.  
  • What is the role of the school and community in preventing child abuse?  
  • Discuss the causes and effects of Juvenile Delinquency.  
  • What motivates one person to kill another?  
  • How to prevent college campus crimes.  
  • What are the various types of white-collar crimes? How to detect and prevent it?  
  • What are the different Stages and methods of criminology research?  
  • Discuss the portrayal of serial killers in media.  
  • Explain how organized crime affects criminal justice.  
  • Characterization of crimes connected with rape.  
  • What is the role of psychometric examinations in criminal justice?  
  • Write about crime prevention programs.  
  • How to prevent child pornography.  
  • Explain the meaning of fingerprints in the investigation.  
  • Analyze the hidden mechanisms and possibilities of prevention in Lust murders.  
  • Explain the use and function of smart handheld devices in enhancing security.
  • Corporate crime: the ruling class criminals.
  • Genetics: illegal research and its dangers.
  • Hate crime: the implications in criminal justice.
  • Serial killers: risk groups, ways of detection and prevention.
  • Serial killers: portrayal in media

Read More: Criminal Justice Research Topics

Criminology Research Ideas on Crime and Victimization  

In the modern world, the crime rates are increasing and because of it, many victims are getting affected across the world. Listed below are some interesting research topics on crime and victimization you can consider for writing your criminology research paper.  

  • Explain the role of gender in law violations .  
  • How does the weather correspond with law violations?  
  • Explain how the ownership of firearms corresponds with law violations.  
  • What are the reasons for homeless imprisonment?  
  • Analyze the major reasons for the increased crime rate across the globe.  
  • Examine the connection between family status and law violations.  
  • Explain how social class correlates with a crime rate.  
  • Analyze the causes of violence in society.  
  • Explain the connection between mental health and law violations.  
  • Discuss the dependency of the crime rate on the neighborhood.  
  • Incarcerated Parents Responsibilities.
  • Criminal Justice Reform Changes.
  • How Can Economic Crimes Be Reduced?
  • Gun Control Debate.
  • Juvenile Detention Criminal Process.

Criminology Research Paper Topics on Racism and Discrimination  

Since ancient times, one of the serious issues that degrade the life of many people is discrimination. Because of racism and discrimination, a lot of controversies arise across the world, and also both these issues spoil the quality of life. Here are a few research topics on racism and discrimination you can take into account for crafting your law assignments.  

  • How does race correspond with the type of crime?  
  • Discuss the pros and cons of racial profiling.  
  • Is religious discrimination the main cause of crime?  
  • How discriminatory is the US and UK Court System?  
  • Is racist abuse towards international students the major reason for crime and violence?  
  • Write about racism and discrimination towards African-Americans.  
  • Explain the relationship between racist stereotyping and crime.  
  • Analyze how the discriminatory portrayal of minority groups in the media affects criminal justice.  
  • Targeting minority groups on the basis of race and ethnicity.  
  • How systemic bias affects criminal justice?  

Criminology Research Topics on Mental Health and Forensic Psychology  

Basically, the crimes have a close association with the mental health and the behavior of the criminals. Mostly, because of the imbalanced mental health, a lot of critical crimes are happening in society. In general, forensic psychology is professional psychology that handles all the activities related to the judicial and legal system from the psychological viewpoint. The following is a list of some outstanding criminology research paper topics on mental health and forensic psychology.  

  • What is the relationship between aggressive behavior and mental disorders?  
  • Examine the possible mental disorders that make teenagers commit crimes.  
  • Analyze the impact of technological advances in forensic psychology.  
  • Discuss how phobias prevent or trigger people about crime.  
  • Examine the connection between mental illness and crime.  
  • Discuss the different approaches to forensic psychology in criminology.  
  • Analyze the factors that affect eyewitness identification performance.  
  • Explain the possible mental disorders that make teenagers commit crimes.  
  • How to investigate a crime using forensic psychology.  
  • What is the role of a mental check-up in a criminal investigation?  

Criminology Research Ideas on Terrorism  

One of the deadly crimes committed in the world is Terrorism. In order to achieve an ideological aim, a certain group of people uses violence and fear of the people as a weapon. This act to achieve an aim is referred to as Terrorism. In our world, several terrorist groups with different aims are involved in certain terrorist activities. If you are more interested in exploring terrorism and terrorist activities, then for writing your criminology research paper, you can consider any of the below-mentioned research topic ideas on terrorism.  

  • Explain how terrorism creeps into conflict zones.  
  • Suggest effective ways to prevent young men from joining terrorist groups.  
  • What is the role of surveillance in countering terrorism activities?  
  • Explain how technology has helped advance terrorist activities in the country.  
  • Why do terrorists take hostages and threaten to detonate bombs?  
  • Discuss the role of the UN Mission in keeping terrorists at bay.  
  • How to detect terrorist plans before they come of age.  
  • Explain the psychological implications of terrorism activities.  
  • How to cut off funding for terrorist activities.  
  • Explain the role of community anti-terrorism awareness programs.  
  • Assess the effect of terrorism on religious profiling of people.  
  • What is the role of intelligence services in combating terrorism?  
  • Discuss the link between radicalization and terrorism.  
  • Explain how to empower minors against terrorism.  
  • Discuss the breeding of local terrorism in countries.  

Criminology Research Topics on Prisons and Knife Crimes  

In our society, daily a variety of crimes are happening with different weapons. Knife crime is one of the popular crimes that are committed by using a knife as a weapon. Generally, when a person commits a crime, the law will punish the criminal by putting them in prison. A prison is a place of confinement for lawbreakers or those who have committed horrific crimes. The following is a list of some amazing research topics on prisons and knife crimes you can take into account for preparing a criminology thesis.  

  • Review knife crime trends in the 21st century.  
  • Analyze the cases of convicts killed in prisons.  
  • Explain the effectiveness of the pocket knife rules & laws.  
  • Compare the knife rules of the United States and the UK.  
  • Describe the role of prison wardens in shaping the conduct of prisoners.  
  • Discuss the motivating factors for knife criminals.  
  • Compare knife crimes in Europe and Asia.  
  • Investigate reports of sexual abuse in prisons.  
  • Compare and contrast crime in female and male prisons.  
  • Explain how prison wardens contribute to crime in prisons.  

Criminology Research Paper Topics on Drugs  

Another serious crime that is being committed across the world is drugs. In our society, certain gangs are involved in performing organized drug-related crimes such as drug trafficking, illegal drug production, and distribution. Also, as a result of illegal drug distribution and consumption, a lot of college students are spoiling their life and are committing other critical crimes such as murder and rape. Here is a list of a few criminology research ideas on drugs you can consider for writing your criminology research paper.  

  • Explain the influence of drugs on sexual assaults.  
  • Analyze the effectiveness of drug courts.  
  • Explain how to curb drug and substance abuse among college students.  
  • How does the club culture enhance drug abuse in society?  
  • Write about the different types of crimes resulting from drug abuse.  
  • What is the effect of legalizing marijuana on criminal behavior?  
  • Evaluate heroin and cocaine users.  
  • Discuss the post-traumatic drug disorders that lead to criminal activities.  
  • Review the harm done by drugs to society.  
  • Explain how doping technology helps to curb drug and substance abuse.  

Criminology Research Topics on Domestic Violence  

Domestic violence is referred to as the violence committed by family members or relatives in the domestic circle of the victim. In domestic violence, women are the primary victims. If a woman is abused mentally, physically, and sexually in the domestic setting because of something related to a marriage, then it is treated as a crime. Listed below are a few powerful criminology research topics on domestic violence.  

  • Research and write about the various forms of domestic violence in the 21st century.  
  • Review domestic violence within military families.  
  • Discuss the economic impacts of domestic violence.  
  • What are the acts that lead to psychological intimidation in domestic violence?  
  • Analyze the trends of domestic violence in your country.  
  • Explain the social structures that reinforce the suppression of women.  
  • How to look out for warning signs in domestic violence cases.  
  • Analyze the main legal issues faced by women who are victims of domestic violence.  
  • Explain how postpartum depression and domestic violence are associated.  
  • Discuss the implications of the Domestic Abuse Bill in the UK.  

Excellent Criminology Research Topics  

The following is a list of excellent criminology research topics that will help you in scoring an A+ grade.  

  • Explore the unknown world of male rape in the current society.  
  • How does the environment motivate a person towards criminal behavior?  
  • Explore the recent innovation of experimental criminology.  
  • Discuss the predisposing factors behind the activities of serial killers.  
  • Describe the application of the social learning theory in reducing crime.  
  • Explain how to combat crimes committed by gangs.  
  • What is the relationship between crime and unemployment?  
  • Discuss why men are more prone to commit crimes than women.  
  • Analyze the psychology behind human trafficking.  
  • Discuss the relationship between crime and LGBT groups.  
  • How significant is the role of parental supervision in curtailing the rate of crime committed by teenagers?  
  • Discuss the inspection tactics of the crime scene.  
  • Explain how attitudes and emotions compel people to criminal behavior.  
  • Why the majority of the crimes are committed by the youths?  
  • What is the role of music in enhancing crime?  
  • Explain how to regulate prostitution and reduce crime.  
  • What is the effect of parental separation on future violence?  
  • Describe the parental abduction laws.  
  • Analyze how social class correlates with the crime rate.  
  • Explain the efficiency of predictive policing.  

Unique Criminology Research Paper Topics  

Here is a list of unique criminology research topic ideas that will be helpful to you in preparing an informative academic paper.  

  • How to investigate a serial crime in a society.  
  • Explain how developed economies handle corruption-related cases.  
  • Discuss the role of street lighting in reducing crime.  
  • Explain the link between social media and crimes against children.  
  • How to effectively monitor people with suspect criminal behavior.  
  • Explain how illegal immigration contributes to crime within a state.  
  • What is the effect of genocidal acts on community cohesiveness?  
  • Explain the motivation of women to join ISIS.  
  • What is the role of specialized police units in preventing crime?  
  • Analyze the current trends and practices in crime related to psychology.  
  • Discuss the Mental health of the sex offenders from a global perspective.  
  • What is the role of private detectives in solving societal crimes?  
  • Explain how the latest internet technologies induce the frequency of suicides?  
  • Analyze the possible causes of rape and other indecent sexual behavior.  
  • What are the pros and cons of the sex offender registry?  
  • Explain the legal perspective of cybercrime.  
  • How does sentencing take place?  
  • Write about gun control law and its mitigation.  
  • Explain how a person should protect themselves from false accusations.  

Trending Criminology Research Paper Topics

  • Describe how a region’s topography and season affect crime.
  • Crime control and UK immigration policy are key topics.
  • Analyze both the immediate and long-term benefits of crime prevention.
  • Crime lowers poverty: a qualitative analysis.
  • The use of biotechnology and the internet environment to handle crime in the UK
  • How are those who are caught in a trap condemned to a life of crime? mixed-method data.
  • In the US, criminologists are obliged to complete training and academic requirements.
  • Influence of urban environment on criminal behavior
  • Describe how using alcohol and other addictive substances (such heroin, cocaine, and LSD) causes young people to commit crimes.
  • Nature, psychology, and treatment of serial murderers

Get Research Paper Writing Help Online  

We hope you have identified a perfect criminology research topic for your law assignments. In case, you still haven’t found a good topic or need help with criminology research paper topic selection, writing, and editing, then reach out to us quickly. We have well-experienced thesis writers who are experts in the field of criminology, law, and criminal justice to assist you in completing your criminology dissertation or thesis.   

Our ultimate aim is to provide valid solutions for all the academic paper writing issues you experience. So, without any hesitation, try to earn more benefits by availing of our affordable research paper writing services online . We not only offer help for criminology but also provide high-quality assistance with other subject assignments as well.  

To use our academic paper writing services, simply share your requirements with us. Based on what you have shared with us, we will prepare and deliver you a plagiarism-free, top-notch research paper, dissertation, or thesis, without skipping the submission date. Additionally, we will also help you by offering 24/7 customer chat support and endless paper edits.  

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Criminal Justice

  • Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime and deviant behavior. Scholars who study criminology try to understand how to reform criminal law and the causes of crime including behavioral patterns of criminals. The following resources can help you narrow your topic, learn about the language used to describe criminology topics, and get you up to speed on the major advancements in this field.

  • Criminology Research Starter This link opens in a new window

research topics on criminology

Criminology Databases

Research in criminology utilizes core criminal justice resources, as well as resources in sociology and psychology. You may find it helpful to search the following databases for your criminology topics or research questions, in addition to the core resources listed on the home page.

This resource contains full-text articles and reports from journals and magazines.

Criminology Journals

  • Criminology This link opens in a new window
  • Issues in Criminology This link opens in a new window
  • Current Issues in Criminal Justice This link opens in a new window
  • Criminal Justice and Behavior: An International Journal This link opens in a new window

Criminology Subject Headings

You may find it helpful to take advantage of predefined subjects or subject headings in Shapiro Databases. These subjects are applied to articles and books by expert catalogers to help you find materials on your topic.

  • Learn more about Subject Searching

Consider using databases to perform subject searches, or incorporating words from applicable subjects into your keyword searches. Here are some addiction subjects to consider:

  • Criminology -- Economic Aspects
  • Crime -- Sociological Aspects
  • Crime -- Environmental Aspects
  • Sociology / Criminology
  • Criminal Law
  • Criminology & Law
  • Criminal Statistics
  • Criminal Justice System
  • Learn more about Boolean Operators/Boolean Searching

Criminology Example Search

Not sure what you want to research exactly, but want to get a feel for the resources available? Try the following search in any of the databases listed above:

criminology OR (Crim* AND (socio* OR Psych*)) OR (Law AND (socio* OR Psych*))

Criminology is an accepted word for this area of criminal justice, but other ways to talk about this also exist. In this search, we use OR boolean operators to tell the database any of the listed terms or clauses are relevant to our search. We use AND to tell the database when both terms or clauses are required. We use parenthesis to organize our search, and we stem or truncate the words crime, sociology and psychology with the asterisk to tell the database that any ending of the word, as long as the letters root letters are at the beginning of the word, will do. This way, the word crime, criminology, criminal and other related terms will also be included. Where one idea is described with multiple words (criminal justice) we can enclose the words in quotation marks. This is called phrase searching and tells the database that these words are only relevant when they appear together and in that order.

Criminology Organization Websites

  • American Society of Criminology (ASC) This link opens in a new window
  • ASC Division of International Criminology This link opens in a new window
  • ASC Division on Critical Criminology (DCC) This link opens in a new window
  • ASC Division of Experimental Criminology (DEC) This link opens in a new window
  • Center for Evidence-Based Corrections (University of California, Irvine) This link opens in a new window
  • Western Society of Criminology (WSC) This link opens in a new window
  • National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) This link opens in a new window
  • Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS) This link opens in a new window
  • National Criminal Justice Association (NCJA)

Criminology Web Resources

  • National Archive of Criminal Justice Data The mission of the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD) is to facilitate research in criminal justice and criminology, through the preservation, enhancement, and sharing of computerized data resources; through the production of original research based on archived data; and through specialized training workshops in quantitative analysis of crime and justice data.
  • Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
  • Oral History of Criminology Project by the American Society of Criminology
  • International State Crime Initiative
  • How Mapping Helps Reduce Crime and Improve Public Safety
  • Vera Institute of Justice
  • FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program This link opens in a new window
  • BJS: National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) This link opens in a new window
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College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

FSU’s College of Criminology and Criminal Justice is home to the nation’s number one criminology faculty in the world. Our team of experts is ranked number one in the nation for research productivity and are among the top 10 for grant acquisition, as demonstrated below. Many of our faculty are industry experts and offer extensive research on topics like gun control, biosocial criminology and social control, to name a few.

The list below contains nearly 1,000 peer-reviewed journal articles published by our faculty, many of which are co-authored with former and current graduate students. To the left is our one-of-a-kind filter box, which allows you to filter articles by topic and leverage our expertise for your personal interests and research endeavors. We hope you enjoy learning about criminology as much as we enjoy expanding the field of research.

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Crime, Mental Health, and the Law: A Psycho-Criminological Perspective

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Psychological criminology is regarded as the convergence of psychology and criminology, in which psychological criminology is concerned with the use of psychological knowledge to explain or describe, with the attempt to change, criminal behavior. This Research Topic focuses on the application of ...

Keywords : Forensic psychology, legal psychology, crime and delinquency, criminal behavior and the law, mental health and crime, forensic mental health, public health perspective of the crime, environmental conditions and crime, risk and protective factors of criminal behavior, crime prevention and intervention, offender rehabilitation, civil and criminal mental health law

Important Note : All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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  • Published: 04 September 2018

Young and unafraid: queer criminology’s unbounded potential

  • Vanessa R. Panfil   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-3005-4726 1  

Palgrave Communications volume  4 , Article number:  110 ( 2018 ) Cite this article

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  • Criminology
  • Social policy

Queer criminology, a fairly young subfield, deals with matters of import for sexual and gender minorities, particularly LGBTQ+ populations. Areas of interest include reducing invisibility and inequity, though these pursuits can sometimes be accompanied with potential pitfalls or unintended consequences. This article provides an overview of the goals and considerations of queer criminology, while focusing on how to cultivate queer criminology’s unbounded potential to help address pressing social problems. Several global issues of immediate concern for LGBTQ+ people are identified, such as criminalization and devaluation of their lives, which has resulted in their detainment and torture, persecution when they organize for their rights, overrepresentation in criminal justice settings, and even fatal violence. Included alongside these issues are strategies to produce meaningful work during what seems to be a time of imminent crisis. The author provides strong encouragement to fiercely pursue projects that can improve our understanding, and, ultimately, the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

Shared themes in queer criminology

Queer criminology focuses primarily on issues of import for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQ+) people, such as their experiences with crime, victimization, the criminal and juvenile justice systems, and as justice system actors. Thus, broader concepts that queer criminologists investigate include discrimination, harassment, safety, and fairness. Some would also argue for a more expansive version of “queer” that encompasses not just self-identified LGBTQ+ people, but includes anyone who is outside of society’s boundaries pertaining to sex, gender, or sexuality. This is a related reason for the plus sign (+) in the LGBTQ+ acronym, as “LGBTQ” and similar acronyms cannot meaningfully capture everyone. A major thread in queer criminological scholarship is reducing invisibility of LGBTQ+ people in these contexts, which could include: as victims, in the form of improved records-keeping and integration of news coverage; as individuals navigating risk or seeking to avoid victimization or persecution; their overrepresentation and negative experiences in the juvenile and criminal justice systems; as criminal justice professionals who may break norms of paramilitary, hypermasculine organizations; and even as offenders. Many queer criminologists directly advocate for queer people’s equity and dignity, and for resources to be allocated to improve their outcomes.

Queer criminology’s growth has occurred primarily since 2000, with exponential growth happening from 2014 onward. Several full-length edited volumes (Peterson and Panfil, 2014 ; Dwyer et al., 2016 ), special issues of journals (Ball et al., 2014 ), and monographs (Ball, 2016b ; Buist and Lenning, 2016 ) address queer criminology and its relevant topics. A complete bibliography of queer criminological work is beyond the scope of this piece, but a brief review of some recent queer criminological topics will be illustrative of the range of approaches under this umbrella.

Regarding disciplinary concerns, queer criminologists have traced the history of criminology and its heteronormative origins (Woods, 2014 ), argued for integrating queer theory into social science discourses (Ball, 2016b ), and showed the lack of engagement with LGBTQ+ topics in criminology and criminal justice curricula (Cannon and Dirks-Linhorst, 2007 ). Concerning victimization, topics have included hate crimes in a global context (Stotzer, 2014 ), how transgender women navigate their safety after experiencing hate violence (Perry and Dyck, 2014 ), and experiences with intrafamilial hate violence among gay men and lesbians (Asquith and Fox, 2016 ), but has also critiqued hate crime laws (Meyer, 2014 ). Research on the criminal and juvenile justice system experiences of LGBTQ+ people has explored how courts and corrections not only fail them, but cause harm (Mogul et al., 2011 ), the programmatic needs and requests of sexual minority youth (Belknap et al., 2014 ), and how transgender women housed in men’s prisons build community and experience prison life (Sexton and Jenness, 2016 ). Policing research is also well-represented, such as tracing the history of policing queer people and asking whether progressive policies can emerge (Dwyer and Tomsen, 2016 ), assessing the effectiveness of police liaison programs meant to serve LGBTQ+ communities (Dwyer et al., 2017 ), and describing how gay and lesbian police officers navigate their occupation (Colvin, 2012 ). Queer criminology has even explored contexts of offending, such as youth weapons-carrying (Button and Worthen, 2017 ), how gay gang members construct identity through crime and gang membership (Panfil, 2017 ), and the dynamics of same-sex intimate partner violence (Messinger, 2017 ).

Unbounded potential

Among queer criminological circles, there has been some debate about its intellectual heritage, or what branch of criminology it falls under. For example, some might argue queer criminology is squarely within critical criminology, which “includes a variety of progressive, humanistic, and radical perspectives” (Kauzlarich, 2018 , p. 14) that challenge dominant understandings of the contours of crime and criminal justice. Critical perspectives that can be queered also include cultural criminology, with its interest in subcultures, situated meanings and identities, resistance, space/place, and risk and embodiment (Hayward and Young, 2004 ), not to mention a very early call for a “queered criminology” originating in an edited volume setting forth agendas for cultural criminology (Ferrell and Sanders, 1995 ). In contrast, others might suggest that it falls within the purview of feminist criminology, since gender and sexuality have long been foci of this tradition (see, e.g., Daly, 1994 ), and it has arguably included LGBTQ+ people more consistently than any other criminological subfield. There are practical implications for this debate about where queer criminology “lives” within the context of a larger disciplinary structure. For example, scholars may use indicators to help guide them as to where to send manuscripts, such as to Feminist Criminology versus Critical Criminology , or for which divisions of professional organizations they should perform service. All of these streams of criminology have legitimate claims to helping develop queer criminological work.

Personally, I am not interested in figuring out one exclusive “home” for queer criminology, especially as different projects have contributions to make within critical, cultural, or feminist criminology—or elsewhere! In fact, I have argued before that queer criminology, or at least attention to the experiences of LGBTQ+ populations, is of central importance to the larger discipline (Panfil and Miller, 2014 ), and queer criminologists should strive to make at least some of their work accessible to and conversant with mainstream, even orthodox, criminology. Recent examples of this include queer criminologists’ integrations of recognizable criminological concepts such as the “criminal career” (e.g., Asquith et al., 2017 ) or testing well-known criminological theories including general strain theory (e.g., Button and Worthen, 2017 ). And, there are ways forward that would not abandon a critical queer criminology at the discipline’s margins, but would still be active in dialoguing with mainstream criminology in the hopes of “pointing out how its well-entrenched heteronormative and positivistic bad habits are holding it back,” such that we queer criminologists can help make criminology “a better discipline” (Dalton, 2016 , p. 30; original emphasis).

Furthermore, work that makes meaningful contributions to our knowledge about the safety and well-being of LGBTQ+ people may not appear in criminological outlets. One example is research on unnecessary surgical modification of intersex infants and children: although these surgeries are advised against by patient support groups and various human rights organizations and have been shown to cause both mental and physical harm, they continue to be performed daily in the U.S. (Davis and Murphy, 2013 ). Part of queer criminology’s unbounded potential is its ability to answer questions of import in today’s diverse world. Thus, in a more general sense, in order to do queer criminological work, I argue that scholars should not feel constrained by deep-seated disciplinary norms or politics that have systematically excluded LGBTQ+ people from humanistic and nuanced exploration.

To assume that queer criminology only has contributions to make to academic contexts would be selling it wildly short. Queer criminological work should dialogue not just with the broader field or related interdisciplinary fields, but with the public and community institutions. Many LGBTQ+ people who are not academics, but who still experience what it is like to live as a queer person daily, are very interested in trends of violence against queer people or political moves to restrict their rights, and the implications this has on health and well-being. We need to better utilize public criminology to get information out to the communities that could benefit from it, through social media, community forums, press releases, standard websites, and potentially even open access academic journals.

Related to this point of encouraging public criminology and collaboration with community organizations, work on many queer criminological topics exists largely within the public realm already. In fact, much of what we know on topics such as state mistreatment of LGBTQ+ people, fatal violence against transgender women, and experiences of queer people in the criminal and juvenile justice systems comes from the grey literature—reports from organizations that conduct research and release it on their own or outside of academic or commercial publishers. Thus, much information about LGBTQ+ populations’ experiences with crime and justice, especially the experiences of LGBTQ+ people of color, comes not from academics, but from organizations or associations doing work on the ground. These include Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network), National Center for Lesbian Rights, Human Rights Campaign, Trans People of Color Coalition, the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs, Center for American Progress, the Movement Advancement Project, and Black and Pink.

The unbounded potential of queer criminology also exists at the intersection of activism and scholarship. This could be conceived of outside the academy, such as scholars engaging in community organizing or volunteerism. However, scholars can also participate in activism through traditional academic acts such as research, teaching, and service—queer criminology as activism (Ball, 2016a ). Indeed, a diverse group of queer criminologists themselves note the importance of framing certain disciplinary acts as advocacy, and allowing our scholarship to inform our advocacy and vice versa (Dwyer and Panfil, 2017 ).

Of immediate concern

LGBTQ+ people have faced many challenges globally throughout history, and several contemporary revelations are particularly disturbing and concerning. For example, global news media has reported on suspected instances of queer people being systematically rounded up, detained, tortured, “disappeared,” and/or killed en masse—in modern-day Chechnya, for instance (Rainsford, 2017 ). Similarly, it is disconcerting when leaders of republics, such as those of Iran or Chechnya, say, “In Iran, we don’t have homosexuals like in your country [the U.S.]” (Goldman, 2007 ), or that there are no gay people in Chechnya (Rainsford, 2017 ). Although these statements are likely related to issues of visibility combined with those leaders’ goals for social desirability, it also raises unsettling questions about what efforts are being taken to ensure that no gay people exist in their respective locales. Human rights organizations have uncovered state torture and ill-treatment of LGBTQ+ people in countries across the world, in both the global North and the global South (Amnesty International, 2001 ).

In addition, it is estimated that nearly 80 countries have laws criminalizing same-sex sexual contact (Itaborahy and Zhu, 2013 ). Others have laws that dictate guidelines for self-presentation (such as no “cross-dressing”) or sexual contact (such as prohibiting “sodomy”) that may not explicitly mention LGBTQ+ people, but are often used to target their daily lives. In some of these countries, many of which are located in the global South, LGBTQ+ rights activists face extreme stigma and violence. They have been doxxed (their addresses/phone numbers or other identifying information released through local media), subjected to police harassment, targeted for interpersonal violence, and/or forced to flee. Several prominent activists, such as Brian Williamson of Jamaica, Xulhaz Mannan of Bangladesh, and Eric Ohena Lembembe of Cameroon, were murdered after their pro-LGBTQ+ activities were publicized; these activists’ lives and good works have been further devalued by victim blaming, and, in the latter two cases, a lack of sincere effort to bring a perpetrator to justice (for more details on each of these individuals’ activism and their murders, see Asquith et al., 2018 ). Australian queer criminologists in particular are thus far leading the way in combining Southern criminology and queer criminology (e.g., Ball and Dwyer, 2018 ), but hopefully others will serve as allies and collaborators to scholars and advocates in the global South who are motivated to pursue this work.

A related concern that has received much attention in the United States is the incidence of fatal violence against transgender people, especially transgender women of color. Compared to all women, transgender women are estimated to be 4.3 times more likely to be murdered; furthermore, 93 percent of the known transgender homicide victims between 2013–2016 were people of color, three-quarters of whom were African American (HRC and TPOCC, 2016 ). Just over two-thirds of all victims of anti-LGBTQ+ or HIV-motivated hate violence homicides are transgender women of color (NCAVP, 2013 ). Factors that contribute to this violence include misogyny, false and damaging cultural stereotypes of transgender people as “deceptive,” and perceived support for so-called “trans panic” as a legal justification for homicide (Wodda and Panfil, 2015 ). Racist, misogynist, and transphobic cultural forces combine to create dangerous scenarios for transgender women of color, and interventions into these structural forces are vitally necessary.

Queer people, including young LGBTQ+ people, are not only overrepresented in the juvenile and criminal justice systems, but are underserved by social institutions because they are denied equal protection in education, housing, employment, and healthcare. For example, LGBTQ+ youths’ percentages in the juvenile justice system are more than twice their proportion within the general youth population (Hunt and Moodie-Mills, 2012 ). They may end up in the juvenile justice system through mechanisms such as the school-to-prison pipeline, where LGBTQ+ youth are targeted for disciplinary infractions or exclusionary discipline (such as suspension, expulsion, or school transfer) related to their sexual orientation or gender expression (Burdge et al., 2014 ). They are also overcriminalized for activities such as engaging in age-appropriate sexual exploration with same-sex peers, or for their reactions to familial discord resulting from their LGBTQ+ identities (Majd et al., 2009 ). Criminal processing system overreach manifests in many forms, but is perhaps especially egregious in the case of “walking while trans,” where transgender people are arrested for suspicion of prostitution or other “quality of life” offenses simply for existing in certain areas or moving through space (Kellaway, 2015 ). Institutions similarly fail to protect LGBTQ+ people; only 19 states in the U.S. prevent employment discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity (Bellis, 2017 ). Transgender and gender nonconforming people are especially vulnerable to discrimination in the workplace, which perpetuates inequality and can even lead to survival crimes (Walker et al., 2018 ). Furthermore, the current U.S. federal administration has taken steps to allow healthcare workers to refuse services on religious grounds or “conscience” objections, and it seems likely this will include being able to refuse services to LGBTQ+ people (Kodjak, 2018 ). Because of the potential that LGBTQ+ people may be refused necessary healthcare services under government approval, this could soon be a state violence concern.

A caveat relevant to conducting queer criminological research is the risk of unintended consequences, such as our data being used to bolster administrative projects that further surveil, control, or criminalize LGBTQ+ people (Ball, 2014 ; see also Panfil, 2014 ). Because of the potential criminal justice system overreach mentioned prior, it is probably best to draw from the sensibilities of penal abolition as we proceed. After all, some scholars (e.g., Spade, 2013 ) have convincingly argued that we as queer scholars and community members should be hesitant to place our trust or resources in the same institutions that have historically marginalized and harmed people like us.

Meaningful work

The issues and topics that queer criminologists pursue constitute inherently meaningful work. Some projects may not seem to have an immediately obvious policy implication, such as work on identities, but any project that can shine light on LGBTQ+ people’s experiences is valuable. Topics such as those I note directly above are priority areas in my own estimation, but my forthcoming and in-progress projects do not align with all of them. Many of us have our own topical areas of concern that we have been pursuing for years, and I do not mean to imply that we should abandon other work we are doing and take up those particular challenges. In fact, many pressures today may make us feel as though we should be working on something else altogether. Scholars committed to social justice are understandably shaken by both existential and immediate threats to the world order, such as concerns about nuclear warfare and democracy being in crisis. A sense of crisis can accelerate time and make us feel that we must speed up our research process as we race to catch up, but taking more of a “slow science” approach can help us proceed more deliberately and reliably (Werth and Ballestero, 2017 ). While I do not object to research being reactionary if it evaluates a legal, political, or social change, the projects we thought were crucial at one time in the very recent past are likely still crucial and should not be shelved, and research looking broadly at deeply ingrained societal power structures is still necessary. Similar and complementary sentiments have taken root among and been fostered by many scholars. For example, the 2018 Racial Democracy, Crime, and Justice Network’s summer conference theme was “Staying on Course: Undertaking Crime and Justice Scholarship in an Anti-Science Era.” Queer criminologists (and others) should keep doing the work we feel compelled to complete. Even if the work does not seem to be about an extremely pressing social issue relevant to the policy changes of the past couple of years, any queer criminology topic does not suddenly become unimportant in light of other crises. And, more specifically, in order to understand the potential impacts of forthcoming or unfolding policy, a baseline (of sorts) would serve us well. Learning about identities, experiences, activities, meanings, challenges, hopes, fears, personal agency, social support, and other factors in the lives of LGBTQ+ people will better allow us to make sense of how things are and how they could, or should, be. I am certain that we will value possessing diverse threads of scholarship when we are again able to weave larger tapestries.

A closing thought on privilege

Although I think the tide is turning as the discipline becomes more diverse and its boundaries are pushed, doing queer criminology is sometimes still seen as a gamble or capable of producing occupational hazards. I have met many graduate students and early career scholars who have been encouraged to “de-lavender” their CV, or advised that their work on queer people or sexuality was “career suicide,” or told it was a niche topic. Clearly I do not believe these latter two to be true, and certainly would never have followed the advice provided in the former. For those of us who are able to achieve the discipline’s normative markers of success (e.g., advanced degrees, publications, grants) and feel institutionally secure, I hope we continue to use our privilege to work for us to aid others looking to contribute to queer criminology. I recognize that privilege (or the lack of it) can look very different depending on the type of academic institution, the scholar’s career stage, whether they feel they are already a token, whether conducting queer criminological work would open them up to potentially damaging professional risk, and other factors. For those of us who can exercise our discretion, autonomy, and resources to pursue these lines of inquiry and have it not be to our detriment, we should recognize the advantageous position we are in and the unbounded potential that too affords us.

It is incumbent upon us to be fiercely committed and to cultivate allies where we can. Of course, I would also encourage people who have seniority and pull and who consider themselves to be LGBTQ+ allies to also become outspoken allies of queer criminology, and mentors to the primarily untenured and early career scholars who are undertaking this work. Queer criminology as a subfield is young, so I do not blame budding scholars or newcomers for feeling wary; more specifically, I do not begrudge them caution or being strategic. However, we must be unafraid enough to push forward. There is too much on the line.

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Panfil, V.R. Young and unafraid: queer criminology’s unbounded potential. Palgrave Commun 4 , 110 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-018-0165-x

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  • 15 Interesting Criminal Justice Research Topics To Inspire You

Selecting an inspiring topic for your criminal justice research paper is probably one of the hardest decisions you’ve had to make in a while. According to statistics, you are only second to a law student in terms of having challenging assignments. Like nursing and healthcare, your law assignments require writing with definite accuracy and appropriate sources to support your arguments and ideas.

To get started, you must first find some criminological or criminal justice research topics that are reliable and have a suitable scope. This is challenging in itself because most such topics either have a very broad or very narrow scope.

What is a criminal justice research paper?

research topics on criminology

As implied by the name, a criminal justice research paper analyzes crime and justice. Criminal justice is a science that explores how to study, analyze and prevent the occurrence of criminal activity. While you may have certain limitations regarding your area of study, your choice of research topic, and academic barriers, you can still consider ethical or social aspects that are relevant to your criminal justice.   

The objective of criminal justice is to maintain the peaceful existence of the citizens within a society. While reviewing criminal law topics , it is important to remember that legislation varies from one state to the next, and from one country to another. If you select an international case study, it is important to back up the conflicts with dependable sources.  

What do college criminal justice assignments require? 

Most college assignments that are assigned to law students require them to write article reviews or analyze case studies in which they review an existing challenge and propose the best and most effective problem solution. 

Whether you are writing your criminal justice research paper, your thesis statement, or a case study review, your college professors expect a 50/50 proportion of your personal contribution and scientific information that exists already. 

Due to this reason, every argumentative paragraph has to be supported with a suitable amount of references or citations so that you can avoid plagiarism. Even if you choose to carry out personal research or investigation, your analysis must be supported by published academic articles from academic journals that discuss a similar topic, analysis, or finding.    

How to choose a good research topic?

Whether your assignment is writing a literature review or giving critique on a law officer’s action, always focus on the concrete concern. If your ideas are random or your logic weak, your thesis statement will not have clarity. 

Criminology topics can be both limited or flexible, because they are expected to present hypotheses based on well-known legislative case studies or acts. As the author, you must appear confident. That is why it is important that you choose a topic or subject that you are confident about so that you can defend your subject with a strong presentation project or verbal arguments. If your content sounds credible, your audience will surely continue reading. 

How to identify good ideas for your thesis?

While reflecting on your criminal justice thesis ideas , ask these questions:

  • Is this criminal justice research topic relevant?
  • Is this topic important for me personally?
  • Does this research topic have global significance?
  • Can I turn this assignment into a speech?
  • Is the right approach for the topic a review, comparison essay, argumentative writing, or an analysis?
  • What popular alternate opinions are there?
  • Has this topic been researched previously?  
  • Will this research topic fulfil the criteria of the grading rubric?
  • What additional information do I need?

When you have identified a few relevant and interesting c riminal investigation research paper topics , you can narrow them down and choose your final topic. The next step is to be absolutely sure that you follow the required formatting rules. Some of them require additional information such as notes and appendix additions for law memo reviews and court case studies.   

If your university requires you to use the Chicago format style of referencing, you have to include complete information. It is essential that you find out if this information is available and if you can access it. 

Disciplines of Criminology

There is a diverse range of disciplines of criminology, including illegal acts such as kidnapping, Scientific plagiarism, Internet fraud, and many more. Each of these disciplines can lead you to further hot topics in criminal justice that can be of interest to you. 

research topics on criminology

Once you have selected your final discipline and topic, the next step is to choose the right format for your legal essay. For example, if you choose healthcare, it is advisable that you discuss ethical issues. Similarly, with cyberstalking, you should choose a comparison analysis and compare classic stalking practices. 

Another important factor you must understand is the difference between criminal research and theoretical studies. Theoretical assignments may incorporate legislation but should not include historical references or practical cases. Whereas, criminal research is based on court hearings or case studies and has to focus on specific events. 

Criminal justice research proposal ideas

Criminal justice is a continually evolving area with several very interesting topics to explore. You can explore a criminal justice research proposal example to find out if your research can make an impact on changes in the legal system or advise decision makers.   

Here are fifteen interesting criminal justice research proposal ideas that may inspire you:

  • The impact of capital punishment
  • The police and its relationship with people of color
  • Effectiveness of drug trafficking prevention strategies
  • Ethics of criminal justice
  • Strategies for crime prevention
  • Gender issues in criminal justice
  • The ethical aspects of international interventions
  • Impact of mandatory sentencing
  • The lives of children with incarcerated parents
  • Jury selection criteria
  • The reliability of witness testimonies
  • Crimes conducted during emergencies
  • Implications of solitary confinement
  • Drug courts and their impact
  • Workplace harassment

The world needs experts in criminal justice who are highly knowledgeable and trained professionals with a passion to make this world a better place. While writing a criminal justice research paper is a challenging task, it is important that you choose your research topic and get started. With your dedicated efforts, you will soon have a well-researched, structured assignment.  

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Criminology Essay Topics

In our increasingly complex society, the study of criminology, the scientific approach to understanding crime and criminals, has never been more relevant. As we seek to dissect the many factors that contribute to criminal behavior, from socioeconomic circumstances to psychological predispositions, we open the door to a wealth of research possibilities. This article aims to delve into these possibilities, presenting a diverse array of criminology essay topics.

What Branches Does Criminology Include?

Criminology is an interdisciplinary field that draws from several different disciplines, including sociology, psychology, law, and criminal justice. As such, it encompasses a wide range of branches, including but not limited to, criminal behavior, penology, victimology, forensic psychology, and criminal justice administration. Criminal behavior examines why people commit crimes and how to prevent them, while penology focuses on punishment and rehabilitation of offenders. Victimology examines the experiences of crime victims and how to help them, while forensic psychology applies psychological principles to legal issues. Criminal justice administration focuses on the management and operation of the criminal justice system.

How to Choose a Good Topic on Criminology ?

Choosing a good topic on criminology can be an exciting but challenging task. Here are five steps to help you select a compelling topic:

  • Step 1: Understand the Field of Criminology

Begin by gaining a broad understanding of the field of criminology. Explore various sub-disciplines, theories, and contemporary issues in criminology. This will help you identify areas of interest and potential research gaps.

  • Step 2: Identify Your Interests

Reflect on your personal interests within criminology. Consider the aspects of crime, criminal justice, or social justice that captivate your attention. Are you interested in studying the causes of crime, criminal behavior, or the effectiveness of criminal justice policies? Identifying your interests will guide you toward topics that you are passionate about.

  • Step 3: Conduct Preliminary Research

Conduct preliminary research to explore potential topics further. Read scholarly articles, books, and other reputable sources to identify current trends, debates, and gaps in knowledge. This will help you understand what has already been studied and identify areas where further research is needed.

  • Step 4: Brainstorm and Narrow Down Your Topic

Brainstorm a list of potential topics based on your interests and the research you have conducted. Consider the feasibility and scope of each topic. Are there enough resources available to support your research? Is the topic too broad or too narrow? Narrow down your list to a few specific and manageable topics that align with your interests.

  • Step 5: Evaluate the Significance and Originality

Evaluate the significance and originality of each potential topic. Consider whether the topic addresses a research gap or offers a fresh perspective on an existing issue. Think about the potential contributions your research could make to the field of criminology. Choose a topic that has relevance and offers room for exploration and innovation.

By following these steps, you will be able to choose a good topic on criminology that aligns with your interests, has research potential, and contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field. Remember to consult with your advisor or instructor for guidance and feedback during the topic selection process.

Effectiveness of Capital Punishment in Deterring Crime

  • Racial Disparities in the Criminal Justice System and Their Impact on Minority Communities
  • Solitary Confinement and Its Effects on Prisoners’ Mental Health
  • Role of Mandatory Minimum Sentences in Addressing Drug Offenses
  • Ethical Implications of Using Informants in Criminal Investigations
  • Predictive Policing Algorithms and Their Potential for Bias and Discrimination
  • Juvenile Justice and the Debate Over Trying Minors as Adults
  • Impact of Private Prisons on the Criminal Justice System
  • Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs in Reducing Recidivism Rates
  • Use of Technology and Surveillance in Law Enforcement, Including Facial Recognition and Data Collection
  • Criminalization of Drug Possession and the Debate Over Decriminalization or Legalization
  • Impact of Three-Strikes Laws on Repeat Offenders
  • Use of Tasers and Other Non-lethal Weapons by Law Enforcement and the Potential for Abuse
  • Role of Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System and the Treatment of Mentally Ill Offenders
  • Consequences of Mandatory Drug Testing for Welfare Recipients
  • Impact of Bail Reform on Pretrial Detention and the Fairness of the System
  • Relationship Between Poverty and Crime and the Effectiveness of Poverty Reduction Programs
  • Debate Over Mandatory Sentencing for Non-violent Offenses
  • Use of Alternative Dispute Resolution Methods, Such as Restorative Justice, in Criminal Cases
  • Criminalization of Sex Work and the Debate Over Decriminalization or Regulation

Criminal Justice Research Topics on Racism & Discrimination

  • Racial Profiling Impact and Justice Outcomes for Minorities
  • Sentencing Disparities: Uncovering Racial Bias
  • Poverty, Legal Representation, and Effects on Cases
  • Racial Stereotypes: Police Force and Arrest Dynamics
  • Community Policing: Building Trust, Reducing Tensions
  • Implicit Bias in Court: Influencing Jury Decisions
  • Pretrial Detention, Bail, and Racial Disparities
  • Plea Bargaining: Racial Bias and Sentencing Gaps
  • Socioeconomic Status, Race, and Wrongful Convictions
  • Law Enforcement Training: Addressing Racial Bias
  • Policing Technology: Exacerbating Disparities
  • Minority Experiences as Justice System Victims and Witnesses
  • Juvenile Justice: Racial Disparities and Consequences
  • Stop-And-Frisk Policies: Unveiling Race and Discrimination
  • Death Penalty: Racial Disparities and Justice Implications
  • Drug Law Enforcement: Racial Bias and Mass Incarceration
  • Restorative Justice: Tackling Racial Disparities
  • Minority Experiences in Probation and Parole Systems
  • Solitary Confinement’s Racial Disparities and Mental Health Impacts
  • Systemic Racism: Perpetuating Justice Disparities

Criminal Law Research Topics

  • Efficacy of Mandatory Minimum Sentences in Reducing Crime Rates
  • Influence of Technology on Criminal Investigations and Privacy Rights
  • Correlation Between Mental Health and Criminal Behavior
  • Significance of Forensic Science in Criminal Investigations and Its Reliability
  • Impact of Race and Ethnicity on the Criminal Justice System
  • Utilization of Plea Bargains and Their Implications for the Justice System
  • Legitimacy and Ethical Considerations of Surveillance in Public Spaces
  • Role of Restorative Justice in Diminishing Recidivism Rates
  • Consequences of Drug Decriminalization or Legalization on Crime Rates
  • Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Programs in Curbing Reoffending
  • Application of Predictive Policing Algorithms and Their Potential Biases
  • Influence of Media and Public Perception on Criminal Trials
  • Examination of Legal and Ethical Issues Surrounding the Death Penalty
  • Ramifications of Sentencing Disparities Based on Socioeconomic Status
  • Assessment of Community Policing Effectiveness in Crime Prevention and Resolution
  • Contribution of Forensic Psychology in Criminal Profiling
  • Safeguarding the Rights of Victims in the Criminal Justice System
  • Evaluation of Hate Crime Legislation in Preventing and Prosecuting Hate Crimes
  • Exploration of the Link Between Poverty and Crime Rates
  • Implications of Emerging Technologies (Such as Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition) On Criminal Law and Privacy

International Criminal Law Research Topics

  • Icc: Combating Crimes Against Humanity
  • Universal Jurisdiction: Prosecuting International Crimes
  • State Sovereignty vs International Criminal Law
  • Effectiveness of War Crime Tribunals
  • Gender-Based Crimes in Armed Conflicts
  • Transitional Justice Mechanisms Post-conflict
  • Ethical Implications of Drone Warfare
  • Prosecution of Piracy as a Global Crime
  • Intersection of Humanitarian and Criminal Law
  • Ngos in International Criminal Justice
  • Corporate Liability for International Crimes
  • Truth Commissions and Reconciliation
  • Evolving Understanding of Genocide
  • Protecting Cultural Heritage in Conflicts
  • Investigating Non-state Actor Crimes
  • International Law’s Impact on Counterterrorism
  • Extradition for International Crimes
  • Environmental Crimes and Legal Frameworks
  • Victim and Witness Rights in Trials
  • Regional Courts and International Justice

Criminal Justice Research Topics on Society & Justice

  • Community Policing and Crime Rates
  • Restorative Justice and Recidivism
  • Juvenile Diversion Programs
  • Poverty and Crime in Communities
  • Impact of Mass Incarceration on Families
  • Technology in Criminal Investigations
  • Drug Courts and Reducing Criminal Behavior
  • Mental Health and Criminal Conduct
  • Rehabilitation vs Punishment
  • Alternative Sentencing and Prison Overcrowding
  • Challenges of Reintegration After Incarceration
  • Racial Disparities in the Justice System
  • Community-Based Crime Prevention
  • Social Media and Criminal Facilitation
  • Body-Worn Cameras and Public Trust
  • Wrongful Convictions and Implications
  • Effectiveness of Hate Crime Legislation
  • Forensic Evidence and Conviction Rates
  • Media Influence on Crime Attitudes
  • Rehabilitation Programs for Substance Abuse

Criminal Justice Research Topics in Types of Crime

  • Cybercrime Laws and Deterrence
  • Impact of Drug Trafficking on Communities
  • Characteristics of White-Collar Criminals
  • International Cooperation Against Human Trafficking
  • Dynamics of Organized Crime Groups
  • Patterns and Trends in Homicide Rates
  • Factors Contributing to Domestic Violence
  • Root Causes of Juvenile Delinquency
  • Impact of Hate Crimes on Marginalized Communities
  • Reporting and Conviction Rates of Sexual Assault Cases
  • Factors Influencing Robbery Rates
  • Methods and Consequences of Identity Theft
  • Role of Money Laundering in Organized Crime
  • Detection and Prevention of Fraud
  • Impact of Public Corruption on Institutions
  • Causes and Motivations Behind Acts of Terrorism
  • Patterns and Motivations of Arsonists
  • Prevalence of Child Abuse and Neglect
  • Crimes Against the Environment and Enforcement Strategies
  • Psychological Impact of Stalking on Victims

Criminal Justice Research Topics About Court Cases

  • Supreme Court Decisions and Criminal Justice Policies
  • Plea Bargaining’s Impact on Court Outcomes
  • Racial Disparities in Sentencing: A Case Study
  • Public Opinion and High-Profile Court Cases
  • Forensic Evidence in Court Proceedings
  • Technology and Court Case Management
  • Wrongful Convictions and the Court System
  • Specialized Courts and Reducing Recidivism
  • Factors Influencing Judges’ Decisions in Criminal Cases
  • Media Coverage and Jury Decision-Making
  • Diversion Programs as Alternatives to Courts
  • Eyewitness Testimony in Court Proceedings
  • Expert Witnesses in Criminal Trials
  • Pretrial Detention and the Justice System
  • Technology and Courtroom Security
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution in Criminal Cases
  • Prosecutorial Discretion and Court Outcomes
  • Court-Ordered Rehabilitation Programs
  • Judicial Misconduct and Case Outcomes
  • Mandatory Minimum Sentencing and Court Cases

Crafting a criminology essay can be daunting due to the intricate nature of the subject. It demands a profound comprehension of diverse theories, rigorous research abilities, and the capacity to express thoughts in a lucid and persuasive manner. The vast scope of the discipline, which includes sociology, psychology, and law among others, often exacerbates this challenge. Nevertheless, these obstacles can be effortlessly surmounted with the assistance of Studyclerk.com. Their proficient team possesses experience in tackling complex criminology subjects and can offer top-notch, tailored essay writing services. 

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Criminal justice research paper topics

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If you landed on this blog, chances are you are looking for engaging criminal justice research paper topics. This intricate field is brimming with potential subjects, yet not all of them lend themselves to effective research. So, how to navigate this sea of possibilities, you would ask. Fear not, as our dedicated online essay writer team has done all the heavy lifting for you. Check out these criminal justice topics for a research paper, each providing a different perspective.

What Are Criminal Justice Research Topics?

Criminal justice is the branch of law that focuses on punishing those who break the law and preventing others from doing so. It consists of criminal and civil justice systems, which are responsible for investigating, prosecuting, and resolving legal disputes.

With this in mind, criminal justice research topics can include a wide variety of both theoretical and empirical aspects ranging from crime prevention strategies to prison reform. Some other examples of criminal justice topics include types of crime, corrections and rehabilitation, law enforcement and policing, social control theories, sentencing policies, and more.

Characteristics of Good Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Beginning your study without a properly selected criminal justice topic can steer you off course. For this reason, you should consider topics that satisfy the following criteria:

  • Relevance Do some research to determine if your topic is timely and relevant to the field of criminal justice.
  • Engagement You should select not only easy research paper topics for criminal justice, but also those that you find interesting.
  • Scope Make sure your topic is not too broad or narrow for the scope of your project.
  • Accessibility Ensure you can find enough reliable sources for research and support your thesis.
  • Debate Is the criminal justice topic for research papers controversial or open for discussion? This can make a paper much more meaningful.

How to Choose a Criminal Justice Research Topic?

Once you understand the criteria for great criminology topics for research, it’s time to consider potential ideas. Follow these steps to get you on the right track:

  • Understand your interests Start by identifying your interests within criminology. Reflect on the courses, lectures, or readings that sparked your curiosity.
  • Identify current issues Stay up-to-date with recent developments in the field. Read scholarly articles, news reports, and policy papers to recognize burning topics.
  • Polish Narrow down your selection by researching what’s already been completed in the field.
  • Investigate Research each of your refined topics in criminal justice to determine whether there is enough reliable data. Can you access necessary records, reports, or subjects for investigation?
  • Finalize your topic After considering the above factors, make your final choice.

Remember that you can always rely on our professional online research paper writers . We have experts holding a Ph.D. degree in law and having a solid track record in writing academic works on different criminology research paper topics.

List of Top Criminal Justice Research Topics

Below we have curated a list of current criminological research topics, each unique as a fingerprint. Our paper writers did their best to tailor this assortment to unique research needs. Every topic on this list allows us to delve deeper into the many faces of criminal justice, whether it's a question about modern technology's role or an investigation into longstanding procedures.

  • Analyzing the influence of social media on modern crime reporting.
  • Investigating the role of body cameras in policing: Are they legit tools or privacy invaders?
  • How mandatory sentencing laws contribute to the issue of prison overcrowding.
  • Are we ready for cybercrime, the invisible threat of our era?
  • Understanding the root causes of hate crimes and potential preventive measures.
  • Delving into recidivism rates to evaluate the success of rehabilitation programs.
  • Significant role of forensic science in contemporary law enforcement.
  • Re-evaluating the ethics of the death penalty in today's society.
  • Is community policing a passing trend or a lasting solution?
  • Should victimless crimes fall under the purview of the criminal justice system?
  • How domestic violence laws affect family structures.
  • Probing into racial profiling practices in law enforcement.
  • Juvenile justice system: a struggle between rehabilitation and punishment.
  • Eyewitness testimony: A reliable source of evidence or a roll of the dice?
  • Can restorative justice be an effective alternative to traditional criminal justice methods?

Good Criminal Justice Research Topics

As any seasoned expert would confirm, the foundation of a good investigation, or in our case, a study, is built on a robust subject. Our team has scoured the scene and discovered ten topics, each as unique as a detective's case and rich with resources for a comprehensive study. Ranging from law enforcement techniques to judicial practices, these topics are versatile, offering you a broad spectrum to explore.

  • Developing strategies to prevent and prosecute human trafficking.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of drug courts in managing substance abuse offenders.
  • Crafting successful crime prevention strategies for high crime neighborhoods.
  • Gun control laws and rates of violent crime: Correlational study .
  • How does socioeconomic status influence criminal behavior?
  • The interplay between drug abuse and criminal activity.
  • Decoding the effectiveness of parole systems: are they working as intended?
  • Is immigration tied to crime rates? A fresh look.
  • The impact of disparities in legal representation on judicial outcomes.
  • The use of lie detector tests in law enforcement: are they beneficial or problematic?
  • The influence of the #MeToo movement on the evolution of sexual assault laws.
  • Why is crisis intervention training critical for today's police officers?
  • Does the 'Three Strikes' law deter crime? An empirical investigation.
  • The role of mass media in shaping public perception of crime.
  • Why is victim advocacy important in the criminal justice system?

Easy Criminal Justice Research Topics

If you are a novice researcher, the range of topics might seem intimidating. Don’t worry — here we present criminal justice paper topics that will provide an easy start for your study.

  • How law enforcement plays a role in ensuring community safety?
  • Delving into the workings of the juvenile justice system.
  • Fine line between privacy and security in modern surveillance practices.
  • What happens when drug use is decriminalized? An in-depth study.
  • What are some parameters of police brutality?
  • White-collar crime and its ripple effects on the economy.
  • An exploration of the psychological factors driving criminal behavior.
  • Challenges faced in rehabilitating prisoners: A comprehensive review.
  • How does education contribute to crime prevention strategies?
  • Is the bail system fair? An analysis.
  • How do crime-themed TV shows influence public perception of the criminal justice system?
  • What are some implications of overpopulation in prisons?
  • Unmasking cybercrime: Its impact on individuals and businesses.
  • Domestic violence: Understanding its causes, consequences, and potential solutions.
  • How is social media reshaping modern law enforcement practices?

General Criminal Justice Research Topics

Tackling a criminal justice research paper is never an easy feat. To help you make this process smoother, here are some common topics for a criminal justice paper. Feel free to make them your own or explore these ideas further.

  • How do socioeconomic factors influence crime rates?
  • A comprehensive review of alternative sentencing methods.
  • The impact of media bias on public perception of crime.
  • Analyzing the causes and effects of wrongful convictions.
  • How does neighborhood environment contribute to crime rates?
  • The pros and cons of private prisons: An objective analysis.
  • The role of victim advocacy in the criminal justice system.
  • Examining the trend of cyberbullying and its legal consequences.
  • What influences jurors' decisions? An exploration.
  • The efficacy of gun control laws in reducing violent crime.
  • A comparative study of criminal justice systems across the world.
  • Uncovering the impact of organized crime on society.
  • The evolution of women's role in law enforcement.
  • Human rights issues within the criminal justice system.
  • Modern surveillance techniques.

Interesting Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

Are you looking for something more unconventional? Don’t worry, we have you covered. Here are some interesting criminal justice topics for research papers that your professors will surely appreciate.

  • Psychology of serial killers: nature vs. nurture.
  • How can artificial intelligence help in predicting and preventing crime?
  • Unmasking the dark web: Its influence on cybercrime rates.
  • How forensic science has revolutionized crime-solving.
  • The impact of drug decriminalization on crime rates: A case study .
  • Analyzing the true effectiveness of crime profiling in solving cases.
  • How does prison architecture influence inmate behavior and rehabilitation?
  • The role of cryptocurrency in facilitating online crime.
  • True crime podcasts and their impact on public perception of criminal justice.
  • The impact of climate change on crime rates.
  • Examining the intersection between immigration law and criminal justice.
  • The role of cultural factors in shaping crime rates globally.
  • How social media is used in solving crimes: An exploration.
  • How can virtual reality technology be used for training in law enforcement?
  • Crime and justice in dystopian literature: Its implications on society.

Controversial Criminal Justice Research Topics

While the field of criminal justice holds a vast array of researchable areas, it's often in controversy where the most thought-provoking discussions arise. To spark your creative juices, here are some debatable topics for a criminal justice research paper.

  • Ethical dilemmas of entrapment in law enforcement.
  • Is racial profiling a necessary evil or an unfair practice?
  • Potential consequences of full-scale drug legalization.
  • Using torture in interrogations: An ethical necessity or a grave misstep?
  • Solitary confinement: An effective deterrent or a practice of inhumanity?
  • Where does the debate stand on stricter gun control laws?
  • Analyzing implications of mass surveillance on personal privacy.
  • Restorative justice versus retributive justice: Which proves to be more effective?
  • Controversy surrounding the privatization of prisons.
  • How does socioeconomic status play a role in sentencing?
  • Implications and effects of sentencing minors as adults.
  • Dissecting the controversial practice of criminal profiling.
  • Police militarization: A necessary protection or an instance of excessive force?
  • What are the effects of false accusations on public trust in law enforcement?
  • Is it ethical to use lie detectors and voice stress analysis for criminal investigations?

>> Read more: Law Research Paper Topics

Unique Criminal Justice Research Topics Ideas

Are you all set to write your paper but can’t seem to find an authentic topic? Look no further — here are some unique criminal justice topics to write about.

  • Graffiti: Is it vandalism or expression?
  • The role of body language in lie detection.
  • What is the impact of parental incarceration on child development?
  • How do video games influence youth criminal behavior?
  • Crime in space: Who holds legal jurisdiction and how is law enforcement managed extraterrestrially?
  • Understanding the role of cryptocurrency in money laundering.
  • How does social media influence jury bias?
  • Fashion and crime: How does clothing play a role in criminal identification?
  • Evaluating the impact of Covid-19 on domestic violence rates.
  • What has caused the rise of eco-terrorism and what are its consequences?
  • How does pop culture influence youth criminal behavior?
  • Examining the impact of virtual reality on the future of law enforcement training.
  • Animal rights and criminal justice: What laws and ethical questions need exploration?
  • Has dark tourism had an impact on crime rates in famous crime sites?
  • What are some implications of overcrowding and overpopulation in prisons?

Criminology Research Topics

Criminology, the scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, and the law, presents a world of fascinating subjects ripe for exploration. From analyzing the psychology behind criminal acts to examining the social factors influencing crime rates, criminology research offers multiple issues for consideration. Scroll down to find the best research topics for criminology.

Criminology Research Topics Based on Theories

Theories offer a backbone to any field of study, and criminology is no exception. They help to explain why crimes occur and what factors contribute to them. With a theoretical framework , we can dissect the complexities of crime from a fresh, intriguing perspective. Below you can find criminal law research topics grounded in theories.

  • Exploring the impact of the Broken Windows Theory on modern law enforcement.
  • How does Social Learning Theory apply to cybercrime?
  • Understanding the influence of Labeling Theory on youth crime rates.
  • Application of Rational Choice Theory to drug use.
  • Why do people obey the law? An exploration of Social Control Theory.
  • How does gender influence crime?
  • The intersection of Routine Activity Theory and domestic burglary.
  • Biosocial Theory and the nature vs nurture debate in criminology.
  • How does Cultural Criminology influence hate crimes?
  • Class and crime: A perspective from Marxist Criminology.
  • Unpacking the influence of Social Disorganization Theory on community crime rates.
  • Is serial killing explained by General Strain Theory?
  • Differential Association Theory: a pathway to understanding gang violence.
  • What role does Neutralization Theory play in juvenile delinquency?
  • Does the Deterrence Theory hold true? Does fear of punishment prevent crime?

Criminology Research and Measurement Topics

Equipped with advanced data collection methods, a criminologist can use quantitative research to measure the impact of various criminological phenomena. Here are some interesting criminal justice topics for exploring law through exploration and measurement.

  • Evaluating the accuracy of crime rate statistics.
  • How effective are crime prediction models?
  • Understanding crime patterns using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
  • Data analytics in modern crime investigation.
  • How do victim surveys contribute to our understanding of crime?
  • What are some implications of the dark figure of crime on criminology research?
  • Quantitative methods for analyzing juvenile crime trends.
  • Measuring the effectiveness of community policing strategies.
  • How does measurement error impact crime statistics?
  • Evaluating the reliability and validity of self-report crime surveys.
  • Understanding domestic violence through qualitative research methods .
  • The use of longitudinal studies in crime causation research.
  • Using artificial intelligence to predict crime hotspots.
  • The role of ethnographic studies in understanding gang culture.
  • The impact of biased sampling on crime research findings.

International Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics

As our world becomes more interconnected, understanding the complexities of international criminal justice is paramount. The pursuit of justice without borders is not just a theoretical exercise; it's a call to shape a fairer society on a global scale. We've curated a list of compelling international criminal justice topics to write a paper on.

  • How effective are International Criminal Courts?
  • Exploring the challenges of transnational crime in the age of globalization.
  • The role of the United Nations in maintaining international law and order.
  • Genocide and crimes against humanity: How effective is the international response?
  • What are some legal and ethical implications of drone warfare?
  • The impact of international law on combating terrorism.
  • Cross-border data privacy and international criminal justice.
  • Evolution and effectiveness of international humanitarian law.
  • How does international law address state-sponsored terrorism?
  • International maritime law and piracy: How effective are the current measures?
  • Evaluating the role of the International Criminal Court in the prosecution of war crimes.
  • Evolution and impact of international laws on human trafficking.
  • Analyzing international laws concerning the use of nuclear weapons.
  • The extradition process: Challenges and implications for international criminal justice.
  • International laws governing cyber warfare.

Criminal Justice Research Paper Topics on Society

How does law shape and get shaped by societal norms and attitudes? That's what we aim to explore in this section. We've compiled a list of good research topics for criminal justice, each one illuminating the link between law and society.

  • How does media representation affect public perception of crime?
  • Societal impacts of prison overcrowding.
  • How does education level influence criminal behavior?
  • Does socioeconomic status influence judicial outcomes?
  • How do societal attitudes towards drugs shape drug laws?
  • The role of community support in offender rehabilitation.
  • Social consequences of racial profiling.
  • Does neighborhood environment influence youth criminal behavior?
  • How does social stigma impact ex-convicts' reintegration into society?
  • What is the social impact of zero-tolerance policies in schools?
  • How does society perceive and react to "victimless crimes"?
  • Social repercussions of wrongful convictions.
  • How do social media platforms contribute to or prevent crime?
  • Effects of implementing restorative justice.
  • How does media bias influence public opinion on criminal justice?

>> Learn more: Sociology Research Topics

Research Topics in Criminal Justice System

In this section, we will investigate the criminal justice system and its various facets. Explore these research topics for criminal justice to gain a better understanding of how the law system works.

  • Analyzing the role of police discretion in modern policing.
  • The impact of plea bargaining on the criminal justice system.
  • How has gentrification impacted crime rates?
  • What role does prison system play in perpetuating social inequality?
  • How does the school-to-prison pipeline affect youth?
  • Are crime rates influenced by climate change?
  • The opioid crisis: What is its effect on the criminal justice system?
  • How effective are sex offender registries?
  • Are predictive analytics a viable tool for police departments?
  • What is the justice system's response to online hate crimes?
  • Do DNA databases pose a threat to privacy and civil liberties?
  • The role of the criminal justice system in addressing homelessness.
  • How is virtual reality changing forensic investigations?
  • How is the aging inmate population affecting the prison system?
  • Is blockchain technology a viable solution for crime prevention?

Criminal Justice Research Topics on Types of Crime

This section focuses on the various types of crime and criminal behavior. Get to know the key issues concerning different categories of crime with these suggested criminal justice topics for an essay and research paper.

  • The rise of cybercrime: causes, impacts, and responses.
  • A comprehensive study of hate crimes in the 21st century.
  • Evolution of organized crime: From prohibition to cyber syndicates.
  • Human trafficking: Examining modern-day slave trades.
  • Domestic violence: Hidden costs and societal impacts.
  • Understanding the trends and impacts of drug-related crimes.
  • An examination of terrorism in the post-9/11 era.
  • Corporate crimes: Analysis of impacts and regulatory measures.
  • Wildlife crimes and their impact on biodiversity.
  • Cyberbullying: Understanding its psychological effects and legal repercussions.
  • What drives the high rates of recidivism in property crimes?
  • Identity theft in the digital age: Impacts and preventive measures.
  • Intellectual property crimes: How are they impacting innovation?
  • Psychology behind serial killings.
  • Financial crimes in the era of cryptocurrencies.

>> Read more: Psychology Research Topics

Criminal Justice Research Topics About Court Cases

This section highlights some of the most significant court cases in criminal justice history. Pick any one of these criminal justice topics to research a legal precedent or event.

  • Analysis of court cases that have influenced capital punishment policies.
  • A review of major court cases that transformed juvenile justice.
  • Analysis of court cases addressing the rights of crime victims.
  • Roe v. Wade and its implications for abortion law in the US.
  • Miranda v Arizona: A landmark decision that redefined police interrogations.
  • Gideon v Wainwright: The landmark case that guaranteed the right to counsel.
  • Engle v Vitale: Examining effects of this important school prayer ruling.
  • The trial of Socrates and its influence on philosophical thought.
  • Schenck v United States: Exploring free speech rights during wartime.
  • Marbury v Madison: Analyzing impacts of judicial review on US law.
  • Katz v US: Exploring the Fourth Amendment's protection of privacy.
  • The impact of Brown v Board of Education on civil rights in America.
  • United States v Nixon: Examining the president's right to executive privilege.
  • Examining legal implications of Terry v Ohio and stop-and-frisk policies.
  • Griswold v Connecticut: Analyzing the effects of a birth control ruling.

Criminal Justice Research Topics on Racism & Discrimination

Below we offer to explore the complex relationship between racism and criminal justice. Select any of these trending ideas for criminal justice research papers and essays.

  • The intersection of race and capital punishment.
  • An analysis of racial disparities in sentencing.
  • How do racial biases influence jury selection?
  • The impact of "stop and frisk" policies on communities of color.
  • Is there racial discrimination in the bail system?
  • Immigration enforcement and allegations of racial profiling.
  • Racial disparities in the juvenile justice system.
  • The influence of racial bias in death penalty cases.
  • Race and the war on drugs.
  • Racial discrimination in the implementation of three strikes laws.
  • Impact of police brutality on racial minorities.
  • Racism and its influence on probation decisions.
  • Ethnic disparities in the enforcement of hate crime legislation.
  • The relationship between neighborhood racial composition and police use of force.
  • Racial bias in risk assessment tools.

Research Topics in Criminal Justice for Ph.D.

If you are searching for PhD-level topics related to criminal justice, go no further. Choose any of the following criminal justice research proposal topics for your doctoral dissertation or thesis project.

  • Rehabilitation programs for incarcerated veterans.
  • Cyber forensics: New frontiers in solving crime.
  • An exploration of crime among the elderly population: Hidden statistics.
  • The impact of evolving technologies on intellectual property crime.
  • Impact of climate change on global crime patterns: An empirical analysis.
  • Criminology of anonymous cybercrime.
  • Understanding crime among indigenous populations: A comparative study.
  • An evaluation of crime reporting systems in smart cities.
  • The role of public transportation design in crime occurrence.
  • Cybercrime legislation across different jurisdictions.
  • Migration and crime: A quantitative study.
  • Complexities of dealing with organized crime syndicates.
  • Economic globalization and transnational crime patterns.
  • Correlation between drug abuse and crime rates: Longitudinal study.
  • Ethical implications of predictive policing.

Criminal Justice Research Questions

If you need to come up with a research question for criminal justice, here are a few ideas. These criminal justice issue topics can come in handy for both college students and university graduates.

  • How does technology within law enforcement agencies impact crime rates?
  • How effective are neighborhood watch programs in deterring crime?
  • What is the impact of drug decriminalization on crime rates?
  • What factors influence the success rate of exonerations?
  • How does the portrayal of law enforcement in the media influence public trust?
  • What is the effect of witness protection programs on successful prosecution rates?
  • How do the conditions of solitary confinement affect prisoner mental health?
  • How has the rise of online black markets changed the face of organized crime?
  • What role does family structure play in juvenile delinquency?
  • What is the impact of victim advocacy programs on the judicial process?
  • How have recent changes in immigration policy impacted crime rates?
  • What effect do right-to-carry laws have on violent crime rates?
  • How have digital forensics evolved to combat cybercrime?
  • To what extent does the militarization of police influence community relations?
  • How has the legalization of marijuana impacted crime rates in various states?

Bottom Line on Criminology Research Topics

We did our best to provide you with worthwhile ideas and topics to research in criminal justice. Whether you prefer to focus on psychological, sociological, legal, or organizational aspects of crime and justice, there are plenty of great research questions to choose from. Be sure to double-check any topic with your instructor before beginning your assignment. Likewise, you can consult with our experts to receive professional college paper writing service .

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100 Amazing Criminal Justice Research Topics 2023

criminal justice research topics

To score the top grades, students must choose the right criminal justice research topics for their papers and essays. Writing assignments in this academic field deal with justice and crime. However, the study field of a learner can be limited to specific academic barriers and choices. Criminal justice is a science. Nevertheless, criminal justice is generally a science that focuses on the study, analysis of the occurrence, and prevention of illegal acts.

But, what are some criminal justice topics that learners can consider? Well, students can select criminal justice topics for their papers by focusing on definite issues.

Criminal justice topics are limited and flexible because they offer hypotheses. However, criminal justice paper topics should be based on case studies or legislative acts. Additionally, students should be confident in terms of their ability to research and write about their chosen topics.

So, are still asking, what are some good criminal justice research topics? If yes, here are some of the great criminal justice research paper topics to consider.

Basic Criminal Justice Research Topics

Perhaps, your educator asked you to write an original paper. In that case, consider standard or basic research topics in criminal justice. Here are examples of such topics.

  • What are the major problems in prison systems?
  • What are the major crime prevention principles?
  • Discuss the deterrence and rational option theory
  • How does the law punish workplace and school sexual offenders?
  • Why is capital punishment common among men than women?
  • What are the most common features for ransom and kidnapping cases- Consider behavior style and motifs
  • Explain the cybercrime’s legal perspective
  • Crime prevention- What are the major principles?
  • How to determine whether a person fired off accidentally or deliberately
  • How are crime, justice, and mass media related?
  • What is experimental criminology?
  • Discuss Miranda vs. Arizona and its effect today
  • What are victim services?
  • Discuss juvenile recidivism
  • A review of parental abduction laws
  • How to prevent wildlife crime
  • What is felon disenfranchisement?
  • Describe the functions of forensic science
  • How effective are witness protection programs?
  • How do criminal cases differ from civil cases?

If you wish to write a simple paper, consider some ideas from this list of basic criminal justice topics. Nevertheless, make sure that you’re comfortable researching and writing about the topic that you choose.

Controversial Topics in Criminal Justice

Maybe you want to write a paper on a controversial topic. In that case, consider any of these criminal justice controversial topics.

  • Major causes of college violence
  • Biased investigations of African Americans
  • Punishment versus reform- Which one is more beneficial?
  • How good is a restorative justice model as a tool for criminal justice
  • Should an insane person be exempted from liability?
  • Is school-based drug testing ideal for colleges and high schools
  • Is the current judicial system racial?
  • What is the correlation between crime and race?
  • How is juvenile delinquency related to bad parenting?
  • Can prisons be decongested by restrictive housing?
  • How can people protect themselves from false accusations?
  • Should the names of sex offenders be included in public records?
  • What causes controversy about prostitution legalization?
  • How is crime linked to the social class of a person?
  • Selective incapacitation- Is it effective as a crime reduction policy?
  • How can eyewitness testimony facilitate crime investigation?
  • How effective is community policing as a program for reducing homegrown crimes?
  • How effective are youthful offenders’ boot camps?
  • Should pornography be categorized as a form of sexual violence?
  • How can the state enhance gun control?

This category has some of the best argumentative topics. That’s because somebody can argue from different angles when discussing some of these topics. Nevertheless, extensive research is required to compose solid papers on these topics.

Criminal Justice Debate Topics

Maybe you want to write about a debate topic. This category has some of the best topics to talk about in criminal justice. That’s because they mostly involve current issues that concern most people. Some of them are about problems whose solutions have not been found yet. Here are examples of topics in this category.

  • How effective and fair is the death penalty as a way of deterring crime?
  • How fair is the extradition law?
  • Should deceit and trickery be used for interrogations and investigations?
  • Should cooperation with informants in prisons be acceptable?
  • Death penalty for juveniles- Should it be used?
  • How effective are super-max prisons?
  • Super-max prisons are cruel
  • How can police shootings be justified?
  • Drunk drivers’ punishment- Should it be severe?
  • How effective e is zero-tolerance when it comes to crime reduction?
  • Should criminal charges attract mandatory imprisonment without a possibility for parole?
  • Should shaming become an element of criminal punishment?
  • How are civil liberties threatened by the Patriot Act?
  • Should the Rights Amendment for a victim be added to the constitution?
  • Should plea bargaining be considered an acceptable means of settling criminal cases?
  • American society needs more laws to prevent the cruelty meted on animals
  • How humane is the U.S society?
  • Discuss the Susan Wright trial
  • What is political corruption?
  • Discuss the Marbury versus Madison Case

Criminal Justice Research Proposal Topics

What are some good research topics for criminal justice that will get you the necessary funding? You’re likely to ask this question when writing a proposal for your research. Here are some of the best research proposal topics to consider in criminal justice.

  • How does crime relate to aggression?
  • Mental health problems like depression and the internet
  • How mental health relate to violence
  • Use of violence and torture towards criminals
  • Invalidity or validity of Rational Choice theory
  • Crime and violence- Are they nurtured or products of nature?
  • Major trends in criminology
  • Crime and dysfunctional families
  • Basis, theories, and limitations of feminist criminology
  • How crime occurrence can be reduced by the examination of criminal behavior

Juvenile Justice Paper Topics

Perhaps, you need juvenile topics in criminal justice for your academic papers. In that case, consider criminal justice paper topics, prepared by our writing professionals.

  • Do children deserve the same trial with adults?
  • Rehabilitation of children involved in violent crimes
  • Should children and adults have the same prisons?
  • Can juveniles be socio-paths?
  • Should house arrest be granted to juvenile offenders that do not engage in violent crimes?
  • What are the best solutions for teens that keep committing crimes?
  • How can the criminal justice system deal with frequent juvenile offenders?
  • Is punitive juvenile justice effective?
  • How rampant is juvenile victimization?
  • How effective are school-based juvenile programs for preventing crime?

International Topics Dealing with Criminal Justice

Several criminal justice issue topics can be addressed at an international level. Here are examples of such topics.

  • How are international offenders treated currently?
  • NATO ethics in Afghanistan and Iraq
  • Violations of human rights in Uganda
  • International intervention- When is it acceptable?
  • Information accessibility and police cooperation at an international level
  • Methods used by criminals to traffic drugs
  • Analysis of an international criminal justice tribunal
  • What the appeal process for the international criminal court?
  • Discuss the issue of child soldiers during the Israel-Palestine conflict
  • Discuss the XYZ Corporation’s transnational crimes

Criminal Justice Thesis Topics

A thesis topic should be interesting and relevant. If struggling to come up with a topic for your thesis, consider these samples for inspiration.

  • Why do some offenders become criminals after servicing their sentences?
  • How can legislation change the delinquency and violence levels in the U.S concerning drug use?
  • How can wrong convictions be prevented?
  • How do people influence the making of decisions of public policies about the criminal justice system?
  • How accurately do television, novels, and movies depict a country’s criminal justice system?
  • Does a criminal deserve cruel treatment and unlawful use of force by law enforcers?
  • How effective are strategies for stopping or determining criminal behavior?
  • How can the reentry of an offender to society be made seamless?
  • Should law enforcers wear cameras?
  • How effective and accessible is the judicial system?

In addition to these ideas, you can choose criminal justice reform topics or criminal justice ethic topics. Nevertheless, choose only topics you find interesting and comfortable working on.

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Jason Roach Ph.D.

Law and Crime

What did criminology ever do for police officers, why police need to know more psychology..

Posted February 19, 2024 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer

  • Criminology offers little practical use to police officers.
  • Psychological knowledge and research is of more practical benefit to police.
  • Is Criminology as a discipline at a crossroads or has it come to the end of the road?

This post was written by Jason Roach and Ken Pease.

According to their conference website, the organizers of the British Society of Criminology (BSC) 2024 annual conference claim that " BSC 2024 will showcase creative, critical research taking place in British criminology and explore what is next for the discipline." The primary aim of the conference is to encourage debate about " Criminology in Times of Transition: What is criminology? Who is criminology for?" This aspiration serves to illustrate that many academics involved with research and teaching in criminology consider it to be at a crossroads, and in need of choosing a future path for the discipline.

With this post, we play Devil’s Advocates and suggest that maybe criminology has no future, with a vast majority of criminological theory, research, and teaching (90%+ of all criminology really) being of little use to front-line police officers and other criminal justice personnel. For example, we doubt very much whether a police officer called to a house burglary is thinking about how Foucault might explain it, or how labeling theory has led the perpetrator to break into peoples’ homes to steal their possessions. We are not suggesting that there is no merit in criminological theory, just that most of the time it does little to help police officers do their jobs. It is more concerned with the macro than micro, more policy than practice, and for that criminology has arguably done little for police.

Although there is little doubt that in the past few decades, at least, criminology as a discipline has enjoyed student recruitment success in universities compared with some other social sciences, such as politics , with an increased population of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. That said, many of us teaching in the criminology field have witnessed a decline in popularity in recent years, due primarily to the introduction of new policing-related degrees, necessitated by the requirement now that all UK police officers should have, or be studying for, a policing degree (UK College of Policing).

If criminology is therefore indeed at a "crossroads" we argue that going blindly along the same path is not an option. It must learn from the last few decades if it is to survive as a discipline in its own right and not be subsumed by, for example, psychology. There is an argument that criminology was the progeny of law and sociology, hence the preoccupation with why people offend and deterrence theories. That said some people, generally from a psychology background, have invented their own brand of criminology, born out of a frustration with traditional criminology’s lack of practical relevance for police and others charged with reducing crime.

In the UK and US, legends such as Ron Clarke, Marcus Felson, Nick Tilley, Paul Ekblom and Gloria Laycock, asked the question decades ago, "What use is traditional criminology to day-to-day crime prevention?" Their disappointment lay in how the lack of practical criminology was primarily a result of criminology’s obsession with "why" people commit crime, which had led to neglect of how, when, where, and what, crime occurs. They all concluded that the situations and contexts that give rise to "criminal opportunities" are more important—that is, which situations and contexts facilitate crime and disorder most and what can be done about them quickly and with least effort—since those motivated to offend are always likely to do so. Consequently, they broke from mainstream criminology in favour of Situational Crime Prevention (Clarke), Crime Pattern Analysis, rational Choice Theory, and the Routine Activities Theory (Cohen and Felson). All but one are psychologists (one was a sociologist by trade), not criminologists, with Environmental Criminology arguably just an application of behavioral psychology to criminal events. Some have gone further and invented the discipline of "Crime Science," where all academic disciplines are applied to crime and policing, including computing, engineering, and architecture, to name a few, and where more traditional criminology is relegated to the background.

The answer to the question in the title of this piece is arguably, "not a lot." If criminology is to survive as a discipline, then it needs to be more useful to police and others (with environmental design leading the way), eschewing the path more traveled, where it serves (badly) policy and policymakers and not police and those seeking to reduce crime in the real world. The very real possibility is that criminology may become "neither use nor ornament," studied only in top universities and not by police and practitioners.

We both consider ourselves to still be psychologists, albeit who work in crime and policing, so we would say that, wouldn’t we.

Roach, J. (2023) " Practical Psychology for Policing’" (2023) Bristol: Policy press.

Jason Roach Ph.D.

Jason Roach, Ph.D. , is Professor of Psychology and Policing and Director for the Secure Societies Research Institute, at the University of Huddersfield, UK.

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Birmingham city centre at dusk

Concern as more councils in England and Wales plan to turn off street lights

Groups worried about personal safety, and particularly women out alone, question moves by cash-strapped local authorities

The county of Norfolk contains some of the best stargazing spots in the UK and was one of the few places where it was possible to see the spectacle of the aurora borealis this winter, thanks to its dark skies unsullied by light pollution.

But the council’s attempts to plunge Norfolk roads into further darkness are being contested by groups worried about personal safety, particularly for women out alone.

The majority of councils across England and Wales have introduced measures to dim or cut street lights altogether over the past 15 years, some saving millions of pounds a year.

Now cash-strapped local authorities have increased the cuts in an effort to plug gaping holes in budgets, with Croydon, Cornwall, Havering and Hampshire the latest to declare plans to switch off lights.

Norfolk council said the cost of running its 54,000 street lights had more than doubled in the last couple of years to about £4m a year.

It has made savings of £15m since 2008 by introducing more energy efficient LED lighting, dimming some lights and switching off nearly 20,000 others between midnight and 5am. It now intends to extend this to more streets and longer hours of darkness after consultations with police and local people.

In November, however, more than 200 students from the University of East Anglia signed a petition to stop further cuts, after 94% of students surveyed said they would feel safer if street lights were left on later.

It is a message echoed by campaign groups nationally worried about the effects that darker neighbourhoods may have on public safety.

The organisation Our Streets Now and the anti-stalking charity the Suzy Lamplugh Trust this week raised concerns about councils’ moves to cut street lights, the former describing women’s safety as an “afterthought”.

There is conflicting research about the effects of darker streets on crime. A study on Oxfordshire and Berkshire in 2022 led by University College London found car break-ins halved when street lights were cut during the middle of the night .

An in-depth review for the College of Policing covering 13 studies, however, found that violent and property crime were reduced by an average of 21% when street lighting is improved.

There is an absence of research specifically on women’s safety when lights are dimmed or turned off, but it is clear there is still a tangible effect.

“Perceptions really matter,” said Dr Anna Barker, an associate professor in criminal justice and criminology at Leeds University who led research last year into improving the design of parks that involved interviewing more than 100 women and girls. “When people feel unsafe … data shows they change their behaviour. And often that results in women avoiding spaces that they feel are unsafe, or at times when they feel unsafe, or not using them on their own.”

She also said street lights were not a panacea and were only part of the solution to making public spaces feel accessible. “Lighting is one intervention. It’s not the only intervention that is needed to make a difference to women’s safety in public spaces.”

Dr Elettra Bordonaro, an architect and lighting designer who co-founded Light Follows Behaviour, which works on outdoor spaces, said there was also a class component that needed to be recognised. Some more well-heeled areas “can afford darkness”, but it would not be sensible to apply the same rule to more dangerous places, she said, particularly in poorer areas. Her work on social housing estates advises more lighting rather than less.

“Sometimes you need more points [of light] to get the right uniformity instead of flood lighting everything like a prison yard,” she said.

Alongside the financial benefits, however, there may be other upsides to reducing street lighting.

Dr Richard Fox, the head of science at Butterfly Conservation, said research on moths found street lights had a “really significant impact”, reducing moth caterpillar populations by more than half in some places.

Moths are vital to the food chain and a key component of the diet of mammals, such as bats and hedgehogs, amphibians and birds. “There are a whole bunch of familiar garden birds like blue tits and great tits, which feed basically only on moth caterpillars,” he said.

“And so if you have a reduction of 50% in your moth caterpillar population , which is what we found under the LED streetlights, then that’s half of the food for these birds gone.”

He stressed that specific research on the effect on wildlife of dimming lights and switching them off for periods of the night had not been carried out, but it seemed that “turning off street lights or any outdoor lights at night times when they’re not really needed by humans would be a good idea”.

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