CLE Criminology, Sociology, and Ethics Review (15% Weight)

CLE Criminology, Sociology, and Ethics Review (15% Weight)

The CLE's "Criminology, Sociology, Ethics, and Human Relations" subject combines four content areas into a single 15%-weighted block. Most BS Criminology graduates find the criminology theories block heaviest; sociology of deviance is the second-largest; professional ethics and victimology fill the rest.

This post is the topic-by-topic plan that the CLE 2026 pillar guide hands off to.

What PRC actually asks

Approximate item distribution:

Criminology theories (heaviest block)

Drill list by theoretical school:

Classical school:

• Cesare Beccaria (On Crimes and Punishments, 1764): rational choice, certainty + swiftness + severity of punishment
• Jeremy Bentham: utilitarian calculus, hedonistic principle

Positivist school (biological):

• Cesare Lombroso (Criminal Man, 1876): atavism, born criminal, physical stigmata
• Enrico Ferri: social factors + biological
• Raffaele Garofalo: natural crime concept

Modern biological:

• Sheldon's body types (endomorph, mesomorph, ectomorph) — mesomorph most criminal
• XYY chromosome theory (largely debunked but tested)
• Twin and adoption studies

Psychological theories:

• Sigmund Freud: id-ego-superego, criminal as superego deficient
• Hans Eysenck: extraversion + neuroticism + psychoticism
• Lawrence Kohlberg: moral development stages
• Personality disorder typologies

Sociological theories — strain:

• Émile Durkheim: anomie, mechanical vs organic solidarity
• Robert Merton: strain theory, modes of adaptation (conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, rebellion)
• Robert Agnew: general strain theory

Sociological — social disorganisation:

• Shaw and McKay: Chicago school, concentric zones
• Park and Burgess: ecological model

Sociological — cultural deviance:

• Edwin Sutherland: differential association — crime is learned through interaction
• Walter Miller: focal concerns of lower class
• Albert Cohen: delinquent subcultures
• Cloward and Ohlin: differential opportunity

Social control theories:

• Travis Hirschi: social bond theory (attachment, commitment, involvement, belief)
• Hirschi and Gottfredson: general theory of crime (low self-control)
• Walter Reckless: containment theory (inner + outer)

Labelling theory:

• Howard Becker: outsiders, labelling process
• Edwin Lemert: primary vs secondary deviance

Conflict and critical theories:

• Karl Marx: class struggle and crime
• Richard Quinney: critical criminology
• George Vold: group conflict theory

Modern integrated theories:

• Routine activities theory (Cohen and Felson): motivated offender + suitable target + absence of capable guardian
• Rational choice theory: cost-benefit analysis
• Life course theory: trajectories and transitions

For each theorist: know the central claim and one application. PRC items frequently ask "which theory explains X?" or "who proposed Y?"

Sociology of deviance and crime

Drill list:

• Definitions: deviance, crime, social norms, social control
• Types of social norms: folkways, mores, taboos, laws
• Functionalist vs conflict perspectives on deviance
• Stigma (Goffman): discredited vs discreditable identities
• Social construction of crime
• Moral panics
• Subcultures
• Gender and crime
• Race/ethnicity and crime in PHL context
• Crime statistics and dark figure of crime

Professional ethics

Code of Ethics for Criminologists (PRC Board of Criminology):

• Responsibility to society
• Responsibility to clients
• Responsibility to profession
• Responsibility to self
• Confidentiality
• Conflict of interest

Code of Ethics for Law Enforcement (PNP):

• Police service is a profession
• Individual rights and dignities
• Use of force principles
• Loyalty to country, organisation, oath
• Continuous self-improvement

Specific ethical issues:

• Use of force (graduated response)
• Off-duty conduct
• Corruption and graft
• Whistleblowing
• Informant management ethics
• Undercover operation ethics

Victimology

Drill list:

• Definitions: victim, victimology, victimisation
• Hans von Hentig: typology of victims (innocent, lesser guilt, equally guilty, more guilty than offender, most guilty)
• Benjamin Mendelsohn: degree of victim culpability
• Marvin Wolfgang: victim-precipitated homicide
• Victim-offender overlap
• Victim impact statements
• Victim assistance and compensation
• RA 7309 (Board of Claims for Victims of Unjust Imprisonment or Detention)
• Secondary victimisation

Forensic medicine basics

(Overlaps with Criminalistics)

• Cause vs manner of death
• Mechanism of death vs cause of death
• Postmortem changes (livor, rigor, algor mortis)
• Time of death estimation methods
• Wound types

Human relations

• Communication theory basics
• Public relations principles for police
• Community policing concepts
• Crisis communication
• Diversity awareness

A 4-week Sociology + Ethics drilling plan

Realistic Sociology + Ethics scores

Where Super Tutor fits

Super Tutor's CLE Criminology track covers theories with item drilling sequenced by theoretical school. Free tier opens classical + positivist; the Focused plan (₱49/week, ₱249/month, ₱1,999/year) opens sociological theories + ethics + victimology + mock cycle.

What to read next

The CLE 2026 pillar guide covers the full review. Other CLE deep dives: Criminal Law, Criminal Jurisprudence, Criminalistics, Crime Detection, Correctional Administration.