Crime Causation, Victimology, and the Impact on Public Policy
Instructions:
This assignment serves as the capstone project for this course, as it will integrate the concepts and skills you have developed. You will revisit some of the crime causation theories, consider their impact on your community, and determine the government’s public policy response. In other words, what are we doing as a society to address crime now that we know what we know? You will also develop a plan to engage community stakeholders by addressing a criminal justice-related issue that will, in some way, improve people’s lives.
Assignment Instructions
Section 1: Theories of Crime Causation and Public Policy
In this section, you will:
1. Select two theories of crime causation that were explored during the course.
Examples include, but are not limited to:
Routine Activity Theory
Social Learning Theory
General Strain Theory
Social Control Theory
Refer to Session 3 for more information on the various theories addressed in this course. You may need to refer to your course textbook as well.
Determine how each theory explains criminal behavior and victimization.
2. Examine the impact of these theories on public policy and community programs. You might discover that a lot of programs are not intentionally connected to a larger criminological theory at all (which is probably bad).
Provide examples of current policies or initiatives influenced by these theories.
Determine the effectiveness of these approaches in reducing crime and victimization.
Hint: if a local community is doing something that is working, they will be shouting it from the mountaintops. It will not be difficult to gauge the effectiveness of the program.
Section 2: Community Engagement Plan
In this section, you will:
1. Identify a specific justice-related issue or a constituency group affected by crime (e.g., victims of domestic violence, youth at risk, reentry support for ex-offenders, or any other group that interests you the most).
2. Develop a written plan for engaging community stakeholders to address this issue or improve the lives of the chosen group. Draw upon the relevant lecture material provided throughout the course for guidance.
Your plan should include:
Goals: What do you aim to achieve?
Stakeholders: Who needs to be involved (e.g., law enforcement, advocacy groups, local businesses, faith-based organizations)?
Strategies: How will you engage stakeholders and encourage collaboration?
Implementation Steps: What actions are required to execute your plan?
Evaluation: How will you measure the success of your initiative?
Discuss how the theories of crime causation from Section 1 inform the development of your engagement plan.
Section 3: Reflection and Personal Application
In this section, you will:
Reflect on how the course has shaped your understanding of criminology and victimology (a sub-field of criminology) and your ability to contribute to criminal justice-related solutions.
Discuss how you plan to apply the knowledge and skills gained from this course to your academic, professional, or personal life.
Create a six- to seven-page paper, not including a title or reference page, that covers all three parts. Using APA formatting, cite at least three outside professional/scholarly resources (you may use your course textbook and other materials) that support your points made in the paper.