A topic of interest in modern criminology is the expansion of its object of study. As a scientific discipline, although relatively new, it has evolved considerably, broadening its focus and deepening its understanding of the complexity of the criminal phenomenon. Although crime and the offender have traditionally been the central axes of its study, the discipline has incorporated new perspectives that enrich our understanding of criminality. 

     In this article, of a historical and descriptive nature, we will delve into the object of study of criminology, analyzing how its approaches have been transformed and what are the main challenges it faces today.

     Hence, the source of information in this task is documentary, obtained from books and articles published by recognized experts in the scientific community, from which emerges ...“ a significant shift of the criminological centers of interest (from the person of the offender and crime to the victim, to prevention and social control) and even to a new self-understanding of modern criminology that assumes a more dynamic, multidimensional and interactionist approach” ... ( Pérez, 2022, p.101).

    Finally, we organize the agenda in the following structure: Generalities: concept, Latin American context, Panama; Crime; Offender; Victim and Social Control