Department of Criminology | Malmö University

Department
of Criminology

More about criminology

Criminology is multidisciplinary as well as transdisciplinary. This means that we collect and integrate theoretical and methodological thinking and approaches from different scientific fields, such as sociology, psychology, psychiatry and law, in order to be able to understand the individual, contextual and societal processes underlying criminality and related problems.

At the Criminology Department, we try to answer questions such as: Why do some individuals commit crimes? What makes some people commit crimes throughout their lives, while others “abandon” their criminal activities? Why are some individuals and places more associated with criminality? Why are some areas regarded as unsafe, and others as safe? Is overall criminality on the rise or decreasing, and why?

Our programmes and courses

Research environment

The research conducted in the field of criminology at Malmö University has a broad focus. We include studies of phenomena such as criminality, insecurity, substance abuse and mental ill health. Our research addresses questions about the causes of individual and contextual differences in criminality, as well as the consequences of being affected by crime, with a particular focus on mental ill health and insecurity. Some of this research is more applied, focussing on crime-prevention work and those involved in such activities.

Central research areas at the department are criminal careers, the geography of criminality, juvenile crime, criminological theory, victimology, insecurity, crime-prevention, violence against women and substance abuse.

Doctoral courses

Most of the research at the Faculty of Health and Society is interdisciplinary, which opens up opportunities for new and exciting fields of research beyond the subject divisions that have traditionally existed between medicine and social sciences.

Research projects

Current research at the Department of Criminology.

Latest research projects

Our researchers

Contact the institution's researchers with your questions and proposals for collaboration.

Contact researchers

Publications

Publications at the Department of Criminology.

Publications

Research environment

People, Places and Prevention

Why do people commit crime? The overall aim of the research platform is to contribute to a better understanding of the causes...

The Department of Legal Science

Law represents an important part of society and of people's lives. The department boasts a broad body of expertise in law and social sciences. We have lengthy experience of teaching at various academic levels and providing education for agencies and other organisations.

More information about legal science

We are specialists in welfare law, a field which primarily includes the part of public law where individuals have the state and municipality as their opposing parties. The social services, national insurance, the health system and human rights are such areas. The field of welfare law also includes what used to be known as social civil law, i.e. the legal area affecting people in everyday situations as lenders, employees, tenants or consumers.

Contact Lotti Ryberg Welander for more information

Contract courses

We can offer continuing professional development for your staff in the form of courses tailored to meet your wants and needs. You will benefit from access to the latest research and to the disciplinary range offered by the University.

Contact Mikael Matteson for more information about our contract courses

Current student

Student Web

If you are already studying at the Department of Criminology, you can find practical information about studying at Malmö University on the Student Web. Information relating to your programme or course is available through Canvas, the University's virtual learning environment, which you can also access via the Student Web.

Visit the Student Web