What a Criminologist Really Does
Criminology isn't what you see in films. It's a discipline that studies crime, those who commit it and the contexts that make it possible. Here's my work and why it matters.
When I say I’m a criminologist, the most frequent reaction is a question: “So you solve cases like in the TV series?” The answer is no — and explaining why is the best way to describe what this discipline actually does.
A discipline, not a spectacle
Criminology studies crime as a phenomenon: who commits it, why, in which contexts and with what consequences. It isn’t merely the hunt for the culprit, but the understanding of a behaviour within its personal, social and environmental history. It is a science that draws on sociology, psychology, law and statistics.
The aim is not to judge, but to understand. And understanding serves to prevent: to recognise the warning signs, to build pathways towards rehabilitation, to reduce the risk that a behaviour will be repeated.
What I do
My work moves across several interconnected levels:
- Investigative profiling: analysing behaviour to support investigations.
- Juvenile justice: supporting minors through probation and pathways towards accountability.
- Penal mediation: working on the conflict between the offender and the victim of the crime.
- Training: bringing to schools and institutions the issues of deviance, bullying, cyberbullying and gender-based violence.
Why a blog
Criminology is often spoken about badly: in sensationalist tones, reducing complex people and phenomena to eye-catching headlines. This space was created to do the opposite. Here you will find rigorous, in-depth pieces, grounded in data and experience, written in clear language.
No sensationalism, no judgement. Only the honest attempt to make understandable something that concerns us all more closely than we think.