Positive School

Definition of Positive School

The Canada social science dictionary [1] provides the following meaning of Positive School: In criminology this refers to the first scientific school consisting of the Italian criminologists Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909), Raffaelo Garofalo (1852-1934) and Enrico Ferri (1856-1928). They support the assumptions of positivism and argue that criminality is determined – the effect in a cause-effect sequence – and that the mandate of criminology should be to search for these causes. It was believed that with the exception of those deemed to be ‘born criminals’, the discovery of the causes of crime would allow for effective treatment. This school therefore adopts a medical model (crime as sickness) and advocates rehabilitation of offenders, indeterminate sentences, and the dominance of professionals in correctional decision-making. See: POSITIVISM / CLASSICAL SCHOOL / CRITICAL CRIMINOLOGY in this legal dictionary and in the world encyclopedia of law.

Positive School: Resources

Notes and References

• Drislane, R., & Parkinson, G. (2016). (Concept of) Positive School. Online dictionary of the social sciences. Open University of Canada