ABSTRACT
By the end of this chapter you should have a better understanding of the unique theoretical and conceptual constructs of crime prevention, including:
Difficulties in establishing conceptual boundaries and definitions of crime • prevention Different definitions and descriptions of crime prevention• Fundamental differences between crime prevention and the criminal justice • system Various ways of categorizing crime prevention strategies• An overview of the institutions through which crime prevention strategies are • delivered
Since the late 1960s, there has been an extraordinary increase in theories, activities, and programs that have been subsumed under the heading of “crime prevention.” It will become apparent as you read this chapter that there is no universally accepted definition of this term, nor is there any consensus as to the scope and boundaries of the crime prevention field. For example, social problem-solving approaches that address the root causes of criminal behavior clearly strive to be preventive in nature. But do we classify positive parenting skills and a preschool education (two important ways to reduce the risk of delinquency and future offending) as crime prevention? Should policing or prisons be classified as preventive? Crime prevention strategies are generally differentiated from traditional criminal justice approaches, yet both policing and correctional systems can potentially prevent crime; by arresting offenders and putting them in jail, further crimes may very well be prevented. Moreover, in recent years, policing has increasingly integrated proactive, preventive approaches through the adoption of community-based and problem-oriented policing principles.
