Criminology Vs. Criminalistics

The words criminology and criminalistics are often mistaken as the same profession. However, one centers on the criminal and the crime while the other is the science of crime, also called forensics.

Aspects of Crime

Criminology is like anthropology, the study of people, cultures, and behaviors. Criminalistics is forensics, the fingerprinting, DNA profiling and other lab work that analyzes the evidence found in a crime.

Education

Criminalists who work in criminalistics have a degree based in the sciences, biology, chemistry and physics. A criminologist's background is a mix of law, sociology and psychology.

Jobs

The criminalist works in the crime lab for a government or private agency. A criminologist, however, often works as a police or parole officer, detective, judge, lawyer or even in the Department of Corrections.

Specialties

Criminologists specialize in areas of criminal law, white-collar crime, juvenile or adult criminal system, drug enforcement, burglary or even major crimes like serial or high profile murder. Criminalists specialize in fields of science like toxicology, biology, entomology (study of insects) and pathology.

Goal

Both the criminalist and the criminologist strive to solve a crime and prevent another from occurring.

References

• Criminal Justice Schools: Criminal Justice Criminology World
• Education Portal: Criminology and Criminalists