Clinical Sociology Review

Article Title

Roles and Ethics of the Practicing Criminologist

Authors

William E. Thornton Jr., Loyola University, New Orleans
Lydia Voigt, Loyola University, New Orleans

Abstract

Academic criminologists, most trained as social and behavioral scientists, have not, for the most part, considered themselves as viable experts with skills and expertise which can be sold in the market place. Concomitantly, those professions and organizations which rely on professional experts and consultants have generally not considered academic criminologists as suited for their purpose. Part of this problem is derived from the very nature or orientation of graduate education. Doctorate programs concentrate on those skills that criminologists will need for university positions. We argue that the roles of criminologists in applied settings are essentially the same as for criminologists in academic settings. What differentiates applied criminologists from academic criminologists are not roles but the settings or contexts where they work. In this paper, we explore the application of criminological theories, methodologies, data analytic techniques and literature reviews in the applied setting. We outline so me of the typical activities and roles of criminologists in legal settings and show the applications of criminology in the practice of law and in court. We use examples from our consulting practice to show how these roles and accompanying skills are applied in the legal setting. We also consider some of the ethical questions associated with various roles and situations

Recommended Citation

Thornton, William E. Jr. and Voigt, Lydia (1988) "Roles and Ethics of the Practicing Criminologist," Clinical Sociology Review: Vol. 6: Iss. 1, Article 16.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/csr/vol6/iss1/16