What do we mean by the term "crime"? Who commits crime and why do they do it? And what can we do about it? This book considers what we know about crime and criminality, and about historical trends and competing explanations for patterns of crime in the developed world.

Introducing criminology -- What is crime? -- Who commits crime? -- How do we measure crime? -- Understanding recent trends in crime -- Understanding the crime drop -- How do we control crime? -- How do we prevent crime? -- Where next for criminology?.