Working as a criminologist means you will be working to solve crimes and prevent them.
Most universities in South Africa offer courses in criminology which takes a minimum of three years to complete. To get into a career in criminology, you will need to have an interest for and understanding of the way the human mind works, so a knowledge of basic human biology is required.
“Criminology is the only science that studies crime in its relativity,” says lecturer of criminology at the University of Pretoria, Professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout.
“It is a very diverse field to get into. You can choose what type of division you would like to get into, whether it be in the justice system, in the forensic labs of the police system or in the fraud department at banks,” he explains.
Although a criminologist often deals more with the psychological aspects of a crime, an understanding of the scientific aspects such as DNA testing and forensic pathology is an advantage in a successful criminology career.
As the crime levels in South Africa rise, the role of criminologists has become an important component in understanding criminals and solving crimes.
As a criminologist, your main role in the fight against crime is to determine why criminals commit crimes. You will have to research data about crimes and arrests and study the criminal patterns of offenders. Taking into account the background of the criminal to determine if any biological situations led him or her to commit the crime, you will use that information to create profile types for typical criminals that will be used by other law enforcement sectors to evaluate future criminals.
“The challenges of the job are having long hours to work and being able to do a lot of research, but often the rewards of the jobs are great,” says Prof Bezuidenhout.
Although it is not a very glamorous career and you need to have a hard outer shell and clear mind, it is one of the most interesting jobs in the law enforcement line of work.
