What is crime? How much crime is there in our community? Why do people offend? How do we prevent crime? The text is written by leading Australian criminologists and aims to answer these questions.

This book is for university students (particularly suited to first-year students) and others interested in crime to the fields of criminology and criminal justice. Each chapter is written by one or more of Australia's most widely respected authorities on criminology, lending this collection legitimacy and currency.

The contributors to this volume guide readers through contemporary research on crime and criminality from Australia and overseas. The large majority of chapters do not simply summarise current knowledge but include data from the authors' original research, as well as offering distinctive insights and policy recommendations.

The content in the text is a blend of Australian and international research, content and context.