Criminology Glossary

Hi, my name is Megan Bedard and I study Paralegal Technology at Ahuntsic College. The term paralegal means that we are assisting the lawyers on their cases. Even if I love my program, I won't pursue in it. I want to study criminology at the University of Montreal. (UDEM) Scientifically, criminology means that we studied the crimes and the criminals. We look at the crime and by doing that we can understand the purpose of the criminals and the method he used. I create this glossary for people like me who want to study criminology. I hope this glossary will help you if you get a blank about the meaning of a word or maybe because you don't know how to pronounce it.

alibi

noun

Defense based on the fact that ones was, at the time of an offense, in a place other than the one where it was committed.

Example: The police asked for my alibi, I said I was at your house.

fr: alibi

anthropophagy

noun

The eating of human flesh by human beings.

Example: The practice of anthropophagy happen a lot when the murderer think he is a vampire.

fr: anthropophagie

computer crime

noun

Computer crime is an act performed by a knowledgeable computer user, sometimes referred to as a hacker that illegally browses or steals a company's or individual's private information.

Example: The hacker who hacked the NASA data base committed a computer crime.

fr: criminalité informatique

criminogenic

adjective

(of a system, situation, or place) causing or likely to cause criminal behavior.

Example: School can be a criminogenic environment if someone is bullied every day.

fr: criminogène

domestic violence

noun

Violent or aggressive behavior within the home, typically involving the violent abuse of a spouse or partner.

Example: The police came to this house four times this week because they receive a call about domestic violence.

fr: violence conjugale

macdonald trial

noun

Three signs that can indicate whether someone will grow up to be a serial killer or other kinds of violent criminal: being cruel or abusive to animals, especially pets. setting fire to objects or otherwise committing minor acts of arson. regularly wetting the bed.

Example: We can indicate by the Macdonald triad if someone can be a potential killer.

fr: triade macdonald

mental illness

noun

Mental illnesses are health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these).

Example: Bipolar disorder is a mental illness.

fr: maladie mentale

modus operandi

noun

A particular way or method of doing something, especially one that is characteristic or well-established.

Example: The killer used the same modus operandi that BTK.

fr: mode opératoire

molest

verb

Assault or abuse (a person, especially a woman or child) sexually.

Example: This guy molests his own son.

fr: molester

motive

noun

Something that causes a person to act in a certain way, do a certain thing.

Example: The motive of this killer was money.

fr: motif

murderer

noun

A person who commits murder.

Example: Last night, the police caught my sister's murderer.

fr: meurtrier

paraphilia

noun

A condition characterized by abnormal sexual desires, typically involving extreme or dangerous activities.

Example: Sexual masochism disorder is considerate like one the eight paraphilia disorder.

fr: paraphilie

penitentiary

noun

A prison for people convicted of serious crimes.

Example: The closest penitentiary is in Montreal.

fr: pénitencier

penology

noun

The study of the punishment of crime and of prison management.

Example: We conclude to a twenty-years sentence by studying the penology.

fr: pénologie

personality disorder

noun

A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from the expectations of the culture, causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time.

Example: A personality disorder is considering like a mental disorder.

fr: trouble de la personnalité

profiling

noun

The recording and analysis of a person's psychological and behavioral characteristics.

Example: My colleague went to a conference to talk about profiling criminals.

fr: profilage

reinsertion

noun

The process of reentry into society by people that have been in prison.

Example: Reinsertion is hard when you spend twenty-five years in prison.

fr: réinsertion

serial killer

noun

A person who commits a series of murders, often with no apparent motive and typically following a characteristic, predictable behavior pattern.

Example: This woman is a serial killer, she killed twenty people.

fr: tueur en série

signature crime

noun

An aspect of a violent criminal offender who is a unique and integral part of the offender's behavior.

Example: The signature of this killer is that he takes something from his victims.

fr: crime de signature ou signature

trial

noun

A trial is a formal meeting in a law court, at which a judge and jury listen to evidence and decide whether a person is guilty of a crime.

Example: The trial is Saturday morning.

fr: procès

unsub

noun

"Unknown subject" or "Unidentified subject of an investigation".

Example: Our unsub is a white male in his thirty.

fr: sujet inconnu

victimology

noun

The study of the victims of crime and the psychological effects on them of their experience.

Example: We can see by the victimology that the killer loves blonde girl.

fr: victimologie

This glossary was made with the Virtual Writing Tutor glossary maker and grammar checker.