ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the contribution of sociology to crime science to date and to emphasise its continuing relevance. Sociology is the scientific study of social relationships, social institutions and social structures. Crime prevention turns on the workings of social institutions such as the police, family, government, business, and community. A very general approach to crime prevention involves identifying resources available or needed for the prevention of crime and attempting to control their supply and distribution. In regard to crime, for example, offenders have to manage self-presentation to differing constituencies including criminal rivals, potential criminal collaborators, possible underground police officers, potential informants, and potential customers for stolen goods. Martin Innes has formulated a sociological theory of ‘signal crimes’ that explains how and why situations induce fear amongst some encountering them but not others, with implications for the focus of interventions that aim to reduce that fear of crime.
