"Crim Ka? Bobo Ka?": Let’s Talk About the Stigma on Criminology Students (And How We Can Break It)

"Crim ka? Bobo ka?" - Let's Talk about the Stigma on Criminology Students (And How can we break it)

Bakit kaya ganon? kapag sinabing Criminology student ka, ang tingin agad ng iba bobo ka.

It's a joke we've heard one too many times.

"Crim ka? Hindi ka siguro pumasa sa ibang course kaya nga crim ka." "Crim? pang tambay yan na naka-uniform." "Crim? di ba yan yung maingay at pasaway? It's annoying. It's offensive. And for a lot of us, it's also discouraging.

The Stigma We Carry

Criminology is often treated as a fallback course - a "last choice" when nothing else worked out. People assume it's easy, or that it's only for those who didn't get into nursing, engineering, or med school. And when people hear "Crim", they often think it's just about being a cop.

But that's where they're wrong. Criminology is a serious and multidisciplinary field. It's not just about becoming a cop, it's about understanding the roots of crime and developing measures to prevent or repress them.

In this course, we also study law, forensic science, criminal psychology, sociology, public safety, crime prevention, and more. 

Now, let's be honest: We also have to do better 

While we are victims of unfair judgement, we also have to admit that some Criminology students are feeding the stereotype. Let's call it out:

• Cutting classes 

• Being loud or disrespectful at school 

• Wearing the uniform like a fashion statement but not showing discipline 

• Getting into fights or creating trouble instead of being role models

We can't demand respect from the outside if we don't act like we respect ourselves or our course.

Criminology is a course built on justice, discipline, and service. We can't represent it properly if we act opposite to its core values. If we want the world to take us seriously, it has to start with how we carry ourselves - in and out of uniform.