1) Pick a single offence type that you are interested in researching in depth (e.g. murder, car theft, fraud, etc.)

2) Conduct research about your offence type, specifically looking at ideas/theories concerning why the crime occurs (causation) with regard to a particular criminology theory that we have covered during the semester (e.g. strain theory, biological determinism).

3) Select the theory that you think best explains why/how this offence occurs.

4) In your essay, you are required to explain the links between your chosen offence and the crime causation theory that you have selected. Outline the reasons why you think that this is the best explanatory model.

5) To strengthen your analysis, compare the best theory you have chosen with two other theories and discuss why it is the superior approach in explaining your offence.

For example, you may decide that strain theory is a better explanatory model in accounting for car theft than labelling theory. Outline the reasons that you think this - do not simply tell the reader which is better - you must explain whyas well.

6) In your conclusion, suggest one potential policy response that may help reduce/address the crime that you have researched.

This suggestion should be broadly consistent with your theoretical analysis. For example, if you have chosen serial murder and explained it with reference to biological determinism, you may suggest compulsory psychological screening for young offenders convicted of a violent offence.