After finishing this chapter, you should be able to:

1.1  Identify the paths on which a crime may be handled in the criminal justice system.

1.2  Summarize why consensus for an exact definition of crime is difficult and why crime definitions may change over time.

1.3  Review the five perspectives of the criminal justice system.

1.4  Critique how the consensus and conflict models help and hinder public policy.

1.5  Identify key elements in the relationship between crime and the media.

1.6  Distinguish how the fear of crime and actual risk of being victimized are often misinterpreted by the public.

1.7  Differentiate between criminal justice and criminology.