Assignment: Analyzing Theories of Crime


You are an investigative reporter for a large news network. You are working on a news piece identifying how theories of crime explain specific crimes including the demographics of perpetrators and victims. You are required to make a thirty-minute presentation to your producers to convince them to run your story.

Choose a specific crime from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program at the following:

• US Department of Justice, The Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2009).2008 Crime in the United States: About crime in the U.S. Retrieved from

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2008

Research this crime using your textbook, the Argosy University online library resources, and the Internet. Be sure to include the UCR and other crime reports in your research
Based on your research, develop a presentation that addresses the following:

• Define the crime. Include both the legal definition and others as necessary.

• Summarize demographics of the crime for both the perpetrators and the victim. Be sure to cover the following:

o Gender
o Ethnicity
o Socioeconomic characteristics
o Other relevant diversity issues

• Choose two theories of the causes of crime that have been discussed and analyzed so far in the course; apply those theories to the selected crime. Be sure to cover the following:

o Explain the type of each theory in detail.
o Discuss the development of each theory and the main theorists associated with them.
o Compare and contrast the two theories of crime selected. Discuss the ways in which they fit with the crime and the specific demographics associated with the crime.

• Based on your research, develop your own hypothesis of the cause of this crime. Using the theories that you have chosen, you can develop your own "combination" theory.

• Give valid reasons and scholarly, peer-reviewed sources in support of your theory.

You are allowed to present your theory in first person; however, be careful not to abuse this privilege.