Basics of Research Methods for Criminal Justice and Criminology, "Units of Analysis and Measuring Crime" (pp. 96-103)

Video: Rational Choice Theory: The Economics of Crime (6:58)

This video provides a short overview of rational choice theory of crime, providing example applications.

Library Article: Criminal Theory on the Street: Analyzing why Offenses Take Place

This article provides you with information on additional justice theories and ways they can be practically applied to the development of your research questions.

This reading will provide information on how to identify trends and measure specific crime types. This will assist you in identifying contemporary criminological theories related to the trend.

Submit Milestone One of your final project.

In this milestone assignment, you will begin working on the introduction to your research report, building off the work you did to select your issue in Module One. In this assignment, you will provide a brief overview of the contemporary issue

In Module One, you selected and gained instructor approval for an issue that will form the basis for your work on the final project. For this milestone, you will provide an overview of that issue and its importance with respect to a trend in the field of criminal justice.

You will include information necessary to set the stage for your supervisoras outlined in the overview section of the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document.

In this milestone, you will write the Introduction section of your final project.

This information will be organized into a short,alphanumeric outline.

Prompt:

Provide an overview of the issue approved for use in your final project and explain its importance with respect to a trend in the field of criminal justice . Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:

A brief outlineof the contemporary issue you have selected to research for your final project and its importance with respect to a trending the field of criminal justice

Include necessary information to set the stage for your supervisor

Consider how the issue plays a larger role in the field of criminal justice

Guidelines for Submission:

Your outline must be submitted as an alphanumeric outline with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins.

Overview: Your final project in this course is based on a contemporary issue in the criminal justice field. This worksheet provides you the opportunity to select the issue for your project and gain instructor approval for your selection.

Prompt:Complete the following worksheet to select the contemporary issue for your project. Describe or explain this issue in your own words and explain why you selected the issue.

Instructions:

1. Select an issue from the list below that you will pursue for the final project.

You may suggest an issue that is not on the list. If you select your own issue, it must be related to the criminal justice field, have potential impact to policy decisions in criminal justice organizations, and influence the actions of criminal justice professionals.

You may consider issues you are reading about widely in academic journals and news sources.Write your selection in the space provided.

• Domestic violence: This entails violent abuse within the home, often involving spouses or partners within an intimate relationship. This type of crime can extend to child abuse within the home as well.

• Residential burglary: Entering into the premises of a residence, against the homeowner's wishes, to commit a crime therein.

• Repeat offenders:Individuals who commit crimes more than once. Usually, the offender will repeat the same type of crime, increasing the amount a specific crime type occurs (creating a crime trend).

• Narcotic violations: Narcotic violations include illegally possessing, using, or distributing any illegal substance/contraband within a given area.

• Speeding: Speeding is the most common traffic infraction and is also the leading contributing factor to traffic accidents and traffic fatalities.

• Use of force complaints: Use of force complaints bring into question the officer's methods in a controlling a subject. Were the measures that the officer took cruel and unusual? Were they excessive or did they cause unnecessary injury to the subject?

2. Answer the following questions about the issue you selected, typing your response in the space provided:

a. How would you describe or explain this issue, in your own words?Be sure to define key terms in your own words.

b. Why did you select this issue?Why is it of interest to you personally and professionally?