Crime, in the forensic and legal sense, is conduct prohibited by law and punishable by the state, encompassing acts that harm individuals, property, institutions, or public order. Forensic science engages with crime by applying scientific methods to the detection, investigation, and adjudication of offenses, linking…
Crime, in the forensic and legal sense, is conduct prohibited by law and punishable by the state, encompassing acts that harm individuals, property, institutions, or public order. Forensic science engages with crime by applying scientific methods to the detection, investigation, and adjudication of offenses, linking physical and digital evidence to events and persons. The field examines diverse categories of criminal behavior, from violent and property offenses to the rapidly growing domain of cybercrime, in which computers and networks are the instrument or target of wrongdoing; criminological analysis of cyber threats and documented cases of computer intrusion illustrate how technological change reshapes the nature of offending. Investigation of crime draws on disciplines including forensic biology and chemistry, digital forensics, pathology, and the reconstruction of events, with the aim of identifying perpetrators, establishing how an act occurred, and producing evidence admissible in legal proceedings. Crime is also studied through criminological and public-safety perspectives that consider causes, prevention, and community responses, including harm-reduction and safety programs. Effective forensic practice requires rigorous evidence collection, chain-of-custody integrity, and objective interpretation to support justice. The study of crime thus spans the scientific analysis of evidence, the understanding of criminal behavior, and the application of findings within the criminal justice system.
8 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.
The 8 articles above have been cited 12 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.
A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Crime, linking to each citing work.