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Home / SPPU Syllabus / Law / LL.B. (Three Years) / First Year / Semester 1 / Criminal Psychology and Criminal Sociology

LL.B. (Three Years) Criminal Psychology and Criminal Sociology Syllabus - SPPU 2026

Criminal Psychology and Criminal Sociology Syllabus.pdf
Semester 1 · First Year · Elective course, any one · 4 credits

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Syllabus for Criminal Psychology and Criminal Sociology

Semester 1 · First Year · Elective course, any one · 4 credits

Objectives of the Course

  • The course is designed to acquaint students with advances made by sociology and psychiatry in understanding human Behaviour, particularly, deviant Behaviour. The objective of the course is to provide in-depth understanding of crime causation and its prevention. Advancement in the science of psychiatry and sociology has changed the understanding of criminology as a science. At the end of the course, students would be able to understand the causation of crime in a better scientific and rational manner.

Module 01: Crime, Criminal and Criminology

  • 1. What is crime? Who is the criminal?
  • 2. What is Criminology?
  • 3. Schools of Criminology -
  • a) The Pre-Classical School
  • b) The Classical School
  • c) Neo-Classical School
  • 4. Positivist Approach - Radical Positivism and Liberal Positivism
  • a) Cesare Lombroso
  • b) Enrico Ferri
  • c) Raffaele Garofalo
  • d) Gabrial Tarde

Module 02: Psychology and Crime

  • 1. Meaning, purpose and scope of criminal psychology
  • 2. Psychological vs. Psycho - analytical approach to crime
  • 3. Behaviourist approach to crime
  • 4. Definition of criminal Behaviour - Psychodynamics of criminal Behaviour.
  • 5. Mental illness and crime
  • 6. Human aggression and violence to crime

Module 03: Psychometric Test - Its use in Criminal Behaviour

  • 1. Measurement of criminal Behaviour - Psychological test to measure criminal Behaviour
  • 2. Criminal profiling: Definition and process of profiling criminal personality
  • 3. Factors underling criminal profiling
  • 4. Merit and demerit of criminal profiling

Module 04: Forensic Psychology - Concept and Importance

  • 1. Definition, meaning and scope of forensic psychology
  • 2. Historical background of forensic psychology in India and abroad
  • 3. Role of forensic psychology in the investigation of crime
  • 4. Psychology and the police
  • 5. Application of psychology in court
  • 6. Application of psychology in prison

Module 05: Sociological Theories - Crime and Social Structure

  • 1. Social structure theory
  • 2. Social disorganization theory
  • 3. Merton, anomie and strain

Module 06: Subcultural Theories

  • 1. Cohen’s theory of the delinquent subculture
  • 2. Miller’s lower-class gang delinquency

Module 07: Crime and Social Process

  • 1. Socialization and Crime - Differential association theory
  • 2. Differential reinforcement theory
  • 3. Neutralization and rift theory
  • 4. Hirsch’s Social Control or Social Bond Theory
  • 5. Becker’s Labelling theory
  • 6. Self-Control and Self Esteem as related to crime

Recommended Readings

  • 1. Akers, Ronald. L. and Sellers, Christin, S. (2004) Criminological Theories (4th Edition) Rawat Publication, New Delhi.
  • 2. Void, George B., Bernard Thomas J., and Snipes, Jeffrey B. (2002), Theoretical Criminology, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  • 3. Siegel, L.J (2003) Criminology, (8th Edition) Wadsworth, USA.
  • 4. Schmalleger Frank, Criminology Today, (1996) Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
  • 5. Dennis Howitt, 2002, Forensic and Criminal Psychology, Prentice Hall.
  • 6. Encyclopedia of Criminal and Deviant Behaviour, 2001, Clifton D. Part, Editor-in Chief, Brunner Routledge Taylor and Frances Group.
  • 7. Bartal, Curt R, 1999, Criminal Behaviour: A Psychosocial Approach, 5th edition, Prentice Hall, New Delhi.
  • 8. Hollin, Clive R Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1989, Psychology and Crime: An introduction to Criminal Psychology, London.
  • 9. Dartmouth Aldershot, 1987, Criminal Detection and Psychology of Crime.
  • 10. Harvard LPC Forensic Psychology, 1981, Professor of Clinical Psychology, University of Surrey, Batsford Academic and Educational Ltd. London.
  • 11. Adman Raine, 1983, The Psychopathology of Crime, Criminal Disorder, Academic Press, Inc.
  • 12. Navin Kumar, (2015), Criminal Psychology, LexisNexis, New Delhi.
  • 13. Shukla Girjesh, (2013), Criminology, LexisNexis, New Delhi.
  • 14. McLaughlin Eugene and Newburn Tim (Ed) (2010), the Sage Handbook of Criminological Theory, Sage Publication Ltd, New Delhi.
  • 15. Prof. N.V. Paranjape, Criminology and Penology with Victimology, Central Law Publications.
  • 16. S.M.A. Qadri, Criminology and Penology, Eastern Book Company.
  • 17. Dr. Krishna Pal Malik, Penology, Victimology and Correctional Administration in India, Allahabad Law Agency.
  • 18. J.P. Sirohi, Criminology and Criminal Administration, Allahabad Law Agency.

Reproduced from the Savitribai Phule Pune University Revised CBCS Rule and Syllabus for LL.B., the 2023 pattern as amended on 18 July 2024. Wording is as printed in that syllabus. Module numbering is as printed there too.

The complete syllabus

Every subject above is cut from the revised syllabus. Open the document here if you want the whole thing rather than a single subject.

PDF Complete LL.B. syllabus Revised syllabus (CBCS 2023 pattern), as amended on 18 July 2024 Read full PDF Read
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