The essays cover a wide range of topics and themes: - the social construction of crime- relations between class, gender, race and crime- realities and limits of criminal justice- juvenile delinquency and its treatment- the success of punishment and rehabilitation- official statistical patterns of criminalization and their relation to the state and its policies- the increased importance of mass media and new information systems in defining, portraying, and communicating crime- international crimes and their relation with globalization and the global social order- the possibility of social control after a century of violenceWritten accessibly, featuring an international perspective and first-rate scholarship, this is truly the first global handbook of criminology.