Crime is an inevitable part of society. There will always be some level of crime in any community, but high levels of crime indicate other problems within a community. Crime is not a natural occurrence. People aren't born to be criminals. There are usually aspects of their environment that lead them to criminal behavior. Many criminals have histories of abuse, poverty, and other social ills. Effective social programs, economic growth in poor communities, and an escalation of law enforcement can do a lot to curb crime.
The criminal justice field takes a look at all
three of these elements when training criminal justice students. A police force is not merely trained to combat criminals. They also are generally
required to take some courses on the social problems that lead to criminal behavior. The criminal justice field also creates professionals that attempt
to curb crime without force, such as probation and parole officers.
If you are passionate about the criminal justice field, and want to teach it at the college level, you may want to earn a PhD in criminal justice.
Criminal justice PhD programs are also designed for people who want to research criminal behavior and trends. PhD professors often publish studies
that help change law enforcement methods on a large scale.
Many large research universities have reputable PhD programs in criminal justice, and there are a growing number of PhD criminal justice programs offered
online. These online programs are designed for those who can't leave their jobs to go back to school.