A lucid text addressed to students and scholars, this book explores some of the key controversies that have stimulated the scientific study of crime: disputes about the connections between gender, class, and crime; policing; the criminality of our cities; the role of peer groups in the causes of crime; and links between drugs and crime. In pursuing the resolution of key controversies surrounding these and other issues, the authors introduce students to fundamental methods of research and analysis. The book matches the methods of the field with important theoretical and empirical issues, giving students a sense of direct experience in criminological research and conveying the process and excitement of generating satisfying insights into important questions about crime.