This site is being developed for criminologists. There are several problems in criminology, such as the age crime curve, the constancy of crime, the intermittency of criminal behavior, etc., that have perplexed criminologists for over 180 years. It will be suggested that these problems are interrelated like the pieces of a puzzle. Most of the pieces to this puzzle are readily available, but some are not. These missing pieces are needed if the solution to the criminological puzzle is to be found.
I am a criminal justice student in the doctoral program at the University of Cincinnati. I have been studying criminology and criminal justice since 2002. I am now working for the State of West Virginia as a statistical analyst. Over the space of several years, I believe that have found several pieces of the criminological puzzle. I wanted to bring this information together in one place for readers.
I have been having difficulty explaining these theories to others. The concepts I am presenting require multiple shifts in thinking at the theoretical, methodological, and practical levels. It took many years to shift my own thinking on these issues and it seems logical to assume that it may take a while for others to shift the way that they think.
The question that I originally set out to solve was “how do changes occur in criminal propensity?” I spent many years reading in numerous disciplines looking for the answers to this question. I read thousands of books and journal articles. I performed numerous statistical calculations on a variety of datasets. I developed new methods of inquiry. I also spent many countless hours just thinking about this question. I eventually realized that the old ways of thinking about crime and criminal behavior were inadequate, and I developed the theories, methods, and practical applications presented on this site.
I have not published many of my results, and some of these problems require several shifts in perspective at once. I have been trying to figure out some way to show these solutions to others in a simple format that will allow the reader to explore at their own pace as I have. This site is an attempt to provide a way for people to think differently about crime and criminal behavior.
You might start by picking topics that interest you. What do you know about the factors associated with crime? Why do some people commit more crimes than others? What is the relationship between criminal propensity and crime rates? Why is there an age crime curve? How should we try to control crime? These questions require some deep thinking on this subject. Pick one topic and try to see how these questions require a new way of thinking about criminal behavior and crime. Then, as you understand more, the whole solution to the criminological puzzle begins to be easier to see.
I hope that you find the site useful. I welcome comments or suggestions.
Tom Arnold