Now in its fourth edition, The SAGE Dictionary of Criminology has established itself as an authoritative reference text for the key concepts, theories, and methods in criminology and criminal justice.

Edited by two leading figures in the field of criminology, the book includes over 325 entries from 120 academics and practitioners from Europe, USA, Canada, China, Australia and New Zealand. All concepts are precisely defined, followed by a section outlining the concept’s origins, development and general significance, a list of associated concepts, and finally, further reading suggestions to help extend students′ knowledge. 

New to the 4^th Edition:

• Up to 30 new entries, covering topics such as cyber security, wildlife crime, crimmigration, and penal populism.
• Updates to entries including new ‘further reading’ suggestions
• A new section ′Evaluation′ is included for concepts considered to have the greatest theoretical weight, allowing for a critical assessment of how the concept can be debated, challenged and reworked.
• Further contributions from international academics. 

An essential reference tool for students and academics within criminology, criminal justice and legal studies.

The Sage Dictionary of Criminology is the must have compendium of criminological concepts. Rigorously researched and intricate in its analyses, the Sage Dictionary provides the reader with an authoritative account of the evolution of criminological terminology, insights and debates. An invaluable resource for students and scholars alike.

This revised Sage Dictionary of Criminology remains the most authoritative and indispensable resource for scholars and students around the world. A terrific book that continues to inspire us all.

For the uninitiated, any academic subject can appear to be written in its own private language or code. Many of the words are familiar, but certain phrases or concepts can seem alien. Criminology is no different having borrowed from a range of disciplines and added its own ideas and theories for good measure. The Sage Dictionary of Criminology is invaluable for those moments when you are not quite sure what something means or where it fits in. The new Fourth Edition brings together an impressive list of contributors who can guide the reader through the various criminologies - both old and new - that compete for our attention.  There are some classic ideas covered, but this new edition is fully updated covering new and exciting thinking and theoretical development. The editors Eugene McLaughlin and John Muncie have produced an excellent resource that anyone working within criminology would benefit from having within easy reach.

Eugene McLaughlin is Professor of Criminology and co-director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Research. He is also a member of the Centre for Law Justice and Journalism. He completed his postgraduate criminology studies at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield. Eugene has held various academic appointments including at the University of Hong Kong, the Open University and the University of Southampton. He has also been Visiting Professor at the Department of Sociology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, New York, the Department of Communication Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies. He is an associate editor of Crime, Media and Cultureand is on the editorial board of Criminal Justice Matters. He has served on the editorial boards of the British Journal of Criminology, Critical Social Policy, the Howard Journal of Criminal Justice and was co-editor of Theoretical Criminology. John Muncie is Emeritus Professor of Criminology at the Open University, UK. He is the author of Youth and Crime (5th edition, Sage, 2021), and he has published widely on issues in comparative youth justice and children’s rights, including the co-edited companion volumes Youth Crime and Justice and Comparative Youth Justice (Sage, 2006). He has produced numerous Open University texts and readers, including Crime: Local and Global (Willan, 2010), Criminal Justice: Local and Global (Willan, 2010), The Problem of Crime (2nd edition, Sage, 2001), Crime Prevention and Community Safety (Sage, 2001) and Imprisonment: European Perspectives (Harvester, 1991). He has also contributed nine volumes to the The Sage Library of Criminology (Sage, 2007–2009). He is co-editor of the Sage journal Youth Justice: An International Journal.