Description
Study crime, criminal behavior, and the criminal justice system by examining offenders, victims, and the institutions that respond to crime. May analyze the patterns and causes of crime, trace the development of criminal groups and networks, and assess how policies and environments influence offending, victimization, and rehabilitation.
- • Prepare publications and reports containing criminological research findings.
- • Analyze and interpret crime and justice data to explain patterns and causes of offending and victimization.
- • Plan and conduct research on issues such as violence, gangs, policing, sentencing, corrections, and reentry.
- • Collect data using interviews, observations, case reviews, surveys, and administrative records from justice agencies.
- • Design, implement, and evaluate instruments and methods for crime data collection and measurement.
- • Teach criminology or criminal justice.
- • Direct the work of research assistants, crime analysts, and statisticians.
- • Advise law enforcement, courts, corrections, and policymakers on crime trends, prevention, and policy impacts.
- • Collaborate with researchers and practitioners in psychology, public health, economics, forensics, and data science.
- • Develop and assess evidence-based crime prevention, intervention, and rehabilitation strategies.
- • Observe justice system operations and stakeholder interactions to identify problems and evaluate reforms.
- • Create and apply risk assessments and program evaluations, including experimental and quasi-experimental designs.
- • Present research findings at professional meetings and briefings.
- • Explain criminological research to the general public and media.
- • Write grants to obtain funding for research and program evaluations.
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Public Service & Safety
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O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
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This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
