Methods of Criminological Research of Group Crime

The article discusses the main methods used in the study of group crime. It aims to analyze the specifics of the main methods used in criminological research in relation to group crime. The author used the dialectic approach as a methodology in the study; he showed the specifics of its application to group crime, which allowed proving the social danger of this type of crime as its generic nature. The author used general scientific methods: a systemic approach and the philosophical doctrine of human activity. Group crime was thus presented in the form of a system, the structure-forming feature of which is a group offense. The main quality of group crime is social danger that integrates the increased social danger of group crime (separation of functions and joint efforts, which is not the case in the commission of crimes alone, always increase the effectiveness of the offense) and of criminal group (it accumulates and increases the individual abilities of its members). The author also used a stratometric approach. According to this approach, the main parameters of a social group are determined by the nature of their joint activity that mediates the interpersonal relations of the group members. Using this approach in the study of group crime allows explaining the mechanism of formation and dynamics of criminal groups, identifying different types of criminal groups based on the degree of mediation of interpersonal relations by the content of joint criminal activity. It also allows establishing the quantitative and qualitative composition of a criminal group, its structure, the nature of leadership, the intra-group status of its members based on the content of activity. The author used mostly sociological methods as specific scientific methods. They find specific application in the study of group crime. Firstly, the closed nature of a criminal group does not allow using the method of overt observation. Secondly, the method of interviewing members of criminal groups, their relatives and friends often gives distorted information, or cannot be applied because these persons refuse to be interviewed at all. Thirdly, the experiment concerns only certain aspects of the activities of criminal justice bodies. The author concludes that the combination of methodology, general and specific scientific methods of research, the specificity of their application to group crime form the methodology of its research.

Keywords

Authors

References