Section I — Introduction & Theoretical Perspectives (25 Marks)

📋 Section outline (click a heading below to jump)

Section overview

Covers the conceptual foundation of the subject: what criminology is, how it relates to criminal law, how crime is understood as a social problem, the classification of criminals, and the major theoretical schools explaining criminal behaviour (biological, psychological, sociological, and Islamic perspectives).

Why this section matters

This section is the base for everything else in the paper — investigation, justice system, and contemporary issues all rest on the definitions and theories introduced here. Examiners frequently draw 20-mark questions directly from theory comparison (e.g. "Compare sociological and biological explanations of crime") or definitional essays (e.g. "Crime is a social construct — discuss").

Chapters (in syllabus sequence)