As part of a high school careers class, you shadow a working professional... If you wanted to learn more about the causes of most crimes, who would MOST LIKELY be able to help you?

As part of a high school careers class, you shadow a working professional... If you wanted to learn more about the causes of most crimes, who would MOST LIKELY be able to help you?

• A. Lawyer
• B. Criminologist
• C. Psychologist
• D. Sociologist

Answer: (B)

Criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon, focusing on why people commit crimes, what factors raise or lower the risk, and how crime emerges within communities. This makes it the best fit for learning about the causes of most crimes, because criminologists analyze crime data, demographic patterns, economic and family factors, and policy influences to identify root causes and risk factors. A lawyer deals with laws and legal procedures, not the underlying causes of crime. A psychologist examines individual mental processes and behavior, which can explain certain cases but doesn’t address crime across the broader population. A sociologist studies social structures and behavior in society, which is related to crime, but criminology specifically targets crime causation and how the justice system responds, making it the most direct source for understanding why crimes occur.

Criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon, focusing on why people commit crimes, what factors raise or lower the risk, and how crime emerges within communities. This makes it the best fit for learning about the causes of most crimes, because criminologists analyze crime data, demographic patterns, economic and family factors, and policy influences to identify root causes and risk factors. A lawyer deals with laws and legal procedures, not the underlying causes of crime. A psychologist examines individual mental processes and behavior, which can explain certain cases but doesn’t address crime across the broader population. A sociologist studies social structures and behavior in society, which is related to crime, but criminology specifically targets crime causation and how the justice system responds, making it the most direct source for understanding why crimes occur.