CLE Criminology Subject: Theories, Ethics, Victimology

The CLE subject older reviewers call "Ethics and Criminal Sociology" now appears in PRC's programme simply as Criminology. It's the most theory-heavy of the six, blending classical and modern criminological theories with victimology, professional ethics, juvenile justice and research. Reviewers who memorise theorist names without understanding their frameworks struggle here.

This guide covers what's on the paper, the theoretical schools you need, and the ethics framework to internalise — not just memorise.

What's Actually on This Paper

Criminology carries 20% of your weighted average — tied for the heaviest subject — and is the morning paper on Day 3 (8:00–11:30 a.m.). PRC's 2026 programme lists:

Introduction to Criminology — the classical, neo-classical and positivist schools.
Theories of Crime Causation — biological, psychological and sociological theories: anomie, strain, social disorganisation, differential association, labelling, control.
Human Behavior and Victimology.
Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards — RA 11131, the Board's Code of Ethics, RA 6713.
Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice — RA 9344 as amended by RA 10630.
Dispute Resolution and Crisis/Incident Management.
Criminological Research 1 and 2.

PRC doesn't publish item counts per topic, so give every line of that list some time.

The Theoretical Schools to Master

You need a one-line summary for each major theorist. Memorise the framework, not just the name.

Classical School

Cesare Beccaria — On Crimes and Punishments (1764). Free will, rationality, proportional punishment.
Jeremy Bentham — Utilitarianism, the hedonistic calculus, the panopticon.

Positivist School

Cesare Lombroso — born criminal, atavism, physical stigmata. Often called the father of modern criminology.
Enrico Ferri — social and economic factors. Five categories of criminals.
Raffaele Garofalo — natural crime, dangerousness as the criterion for punishment.

Sociological Theories

Émile Durkheim — anomie, normlessness as a cause of crime.
Robert Merton — strain theory, five modes of adaptation (conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion).
Edwin Sutherland — differential association. Crime is learned through interaction.
Travis Hirschi — social bond theory. Four elements: attachment, commitment, involvement, belief.
Howard Becker — labelling theory, Outsiders.
Shaw and McKay — social disorganisation, built on the concentric zone model.

Memory Hook

Match each theorist to a single keyword. Sutherland = learning. Merton = strain. Hirschi = bonds. Becker = labels. Durkheim = anomie. Many items reward fast association.

Filipino Context

Filipino values like utang na loob, hiya, pakikisama and bahala na are useful background for human-behaviour and ethics scenarios about how cultural context shapes deviance, reporting and law enforcement. Know the term, its meaning, and its criminological implication.

Add a layer on social patterns — urban vs rural, migration, the OFW family dynamic.

Professional Conduct and Ethics

This block rests on three frameworks:

RA 6713 — Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. Norms of conduct, duties, prohibitions on gifts.
RA 11131 — the Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018. Registration, CPD, grounds for revocation or suspension of your certificate.
The Code of Ethics for criminologists — which RA 11131 empowers the Board of Criminology to adopt.

Add the PNP's own ethical standards for items framed around law enforcement scenarios. Items may blend RA 6713 with police ethics, expecting you to pick the more specific governing rule.

The Study Plan

Week 1 — Classical and positivist schools. Build a one-line flashcard for each theorist. Drill 40 items.
Week 2 — Sociological theories. The biggest theory block. Drill 60 items.
Week 3 — Psychological/biological theories, victimology and juvenile justice. Drill 50 items.
Week 4 — Ethics (RA 6713, RA 11131), crisis management and research basics. Drill 50 items, including scenario items on prohibited acts.

End week 4 with a timed practice set across all the topics.

Where Reviewers Lose Points

Confusing strain with anomie — Durkheim's anomie is the foundation; Merton built strain on top. Different emphasis.
Misattributing differential association — Sutherland, not Akers. Akers built on it (social learning theory) but the original is Sutherland's.
Ignoring victimology — it's a named topic in PRC's programme. Mendelsohn's typology and von Hentig's classification are the standard frameworks.
RA 6713 vs RA 11131 — different scopes. RA 6713 governs all public officials and employees; RA 11131 governs the criminology profession.

Psychological and Biological Theories

Psychological Theories

Sigmund Freud — psychoanalytic theory. Id, ego, superego. Crime as unresolved unconscious conflict.
B.F. Skinner — operant conditioning. Reinforcement and punishment shape behaviour.
Albert Bandura — social learning theory. Observational learning, the Bobo doll experiment.
Hans Eysenck — personality theory. Extraversion, neuroticism, psychoticism.

Biological Theories

Cesare Lombroso — atavism, born criminal. Already covered in the positivist school.
William Sheldon — somatotypes. Endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph. Mesomorphs more crime-prone (per Sheldon).
Twin and adoption studies — Mednick's work suggesting genetic predisposition.
XYY chromosome theory — discredited, but worth knowing as historical context.

Modern Biosocial Theories

Neurocriminology — Adrian Raine's work on prefrontal cortex dysfunction.
Hormonal influences — testosterone and aggression studies.
Diet and behaviour — claimed links between diet and delinquency; contested.

Victimology: The Sleeper Sub-Topic

Victimology is part of "Human Behavior and Victimology" in PRC's programme. Two foundational frameworks:

Von Hentig's Classification of Victims

Young — vulnerable due to dependence.
Female — gender-based vulnerability.
Old — vulnerable due to weakness.
Mentally defective and deranged.
Immigrants and minorities.
Dull normals — easily deceived.
Depressed — passive victims.
Acquisitive — greedy, easily defrauded.
Wanton.
Lonesome and heartbroken.
Tormentor — eventually becomes the victim.
Blocked, exempted or fighting victims.

Mendelsohn's Typology

Completely innocent victim.
Victim with minor guilt.
Victim as guilty as the offender / voluntary victim.
Victim more guilty than the offender.
Most guilty victim.
Imaginary (simulating) victim.

Wolfgang's Concept of Victim Precipitation

Some victims contribute to their own victimisation — directly through provocation or indirectly through risk-taking. Usually tested through scenario items.

Juvenile Justice

RA 9344 (Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006), as amended by RA 10630 (2013). Know the age rules: a child 15 or under at the time of the offence is exempt from criminal liability; a child above 15 but below 18 is exempt unless they acted with discernment. Know the difference between intervention and diversion, and the role of the Bahay Pag-asa.

The Filipino Context in Detail

Core Filipino Values

Utang na loob — debt of gratitude. Can influence complicity and witness reluctance.
Hiya — sense of shame. Drives both compliance with norms and avoidance of reporting victimisation.
Pakikisama — smooth interpersonal relations. Affects group conformity and peer pressure into delinquency.
Bahala na — fatalism. A risk-taking attitude.
Amor propio — self-esteem, easily injured. Can trigger retaliatory violence.

Filipino Family Dynamics

Extended family — broader kinship influence on behaviour.
Compadre system — godparent relationships, ritual kinship.
OFW family — separation effects on adolescent supervision.

Social Patterns

Urban vs rural crime patterns.
Migration effects (rural-to-urban migration and social disorganisation).
Ethnic and religious dimensions in conflict areas.

The Ethics Laws in Detail

RA 6713 — Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees

Eight norms of conduct: commitment to public interest, professionalism, justness and sincerity, political neutrality, responsiveness to the public, nationalism and patriotism, commitment to democracy, simple living.

Plus duties (act promptly on letters and requests, and so on) and prohibited acts (financial and material interests, outside employment, gifts). Items frame scenarios — for example, accepting a gift from someone with a pending transaction.

RA 11131 — Philippine Criminology Profession Act of 2018

The professional licence framework. Section 22 lists grounds for revoking or suspending a certificate of registration, including violating the Act or the Code of Ethics, conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude, fraud in obtaining the certificate, gross incompetence or negligence causing death, injury or damage, and non-compliance with CPD requirements.

Your professional ID is renewed every three years, with the required CPD units and active membership in the accredited professional organisation.

The Code of Ethics

Adopted by the Board of Criminology under RA 11131. Covers a criminologist's responsibilities to the public, the profession, clients and colleagues. Focus on general principles.

Strain Theory in Detail

Merton's framework deserves its own block.

The Five Modes of Adaptation

Conformity — accepts goals and means. The non-criminal.
Innovation — accepts goals, rejects legitimate means. The classic property offender.
Ritualism — rejects goals, accepts means. The bureaucrat going through the motions.
Retreatism — rejects both. Drug addicts and vagrants in Merton's framework.
Rebellion — rejects both and substitutes new ones. The political agitator.

Items typically frame this as a scenario asking which mode fits.

Agnew's General Strain Theory

A modern extension. Three sources of strain: failure to achieve positively valued goals, removal of positive stimuli, presentation of negative stimuli. Often contrasted with Merton.

For overall review pacing, see the Complete CLE Guide 2026 and the six-subject rotation. Confirm the programme and dates with the PRC — the next CLE is expected around February 2027, not yet announced.

FAQ

Is RA 11131 covered?

Yes — it's the law behind the "Professional Conduct and Ethical Standards" topic. Know the registration requirements, the exam rules (75% average, no subject below 60%, the deferred-subject retake at 80%), and the grounds for revocation or suspension.

How are theory items framed?

Three formats: name-the-theorist, match-the-framework, and scenario-application. Drill all three.

Is victimology a separate subject?

No — it sits inside the Criminology subject as part of "Human Behavior and Victimology". Mendelsohn and von Hentig are the standard names.

What's the easiest way to memorise sociological theorists?

One keyword per theorist, reviewed daily for two weeks, then at growing intervals. Sutherland = learning, Merton = strain, Hirschi = bonds.

How are Filipino value items framed?

Usually as a scenario where a behaviour is described and you pick which value best explains it. Match utang na loob with reciprocal complicity, hiya with non-reporting, pakikisama with peer-induced compliance.

Is RA 6713 only relevant for police?

No. It governs all public officials and employees. CLE items apply it to criminologists, police and corrections personnel — keep that scope in mind.