The comparative criminology method has developed considerably from its start in the early 20th century to its prominent position in contemporary criminology. Today, the main areas of comparative international studies include international crime statistics, inquiries into the dark figures of various countries by means of victim interviews, empirical research involving study and control groups, studies of public attitudes concerning legal and correctional issues, systems analysis, and comparisons of the agencies of social control in different countries. The comparative method is a valuable criminological tool since it (1) broadens the perspective and subject range of researchers, (2) sharpens awareness of different sociocultural systems, (3) makes research data from other countries available where national studies are missing, (4) confronts legislators with alternative legal solutions from other countries, and (5) tests the applicability of a particular model or legal theory in a country having a different social framework. At the same time, the comparative method faces considerable methodological problems such as the lack of a unified international body of theory, the inability of establishing valid international crime statistics, the difficulty of finding truly comparable groups for study, and the difficulty of comparisons and drawing conclusions from dissimilar sociocultural and political systems. At this point, the comparative method represents a challenge to criminology that can be met only through persistent efforts and cautious verification of results. The article contains an outline, numerous bibliographical references, and detailed summaries in English, French and Spanish.