Specific instructions for the term paper will be given. In general, as stated in your syllabus, you will choose an actual crime that has been committed. (Selecting a crime that has been reported on extensively in the media may be your best choice, as you will be able to find a lot of information about the crime.) State the facts of the crime, then explain the crime from several different perspectives by applying at least three (3) theories of crime causation to the crime.(See "Godwin" box on p. 12 of the textbook for a short example.) The paper will be 6-10 pages in length in APA format.
As we approach Chapter 7, it is time to start thinking about the crime you may want to focus on in your term paper. This assignment will help you prepare.
Assignment Instructions:
· find three (3) cases that are interesting to you. Be sure there is enough media coverage about each case that you are able to locate police reports and other information about the facts of the case. (If the only information about case is a feature film, for example, it will not be a good choice for this project.)
· State the facts of each case in one sentence. For the Black Dahlia case, for example, you might say, "Nicknamed the ‘Black Dahlia,' Elizabeth Short was murdered in Los Angeles in 1947, her body cut in half and severely mutilated."
· Identify the case information you have located for each case and provide links (URLs) to it. For the Casey Anthony case, for example, you could indicate the following:
Casey Anthony case binder at
https://www.mynews13.com/content/dam/news/static/cfnews13/Casey%20Anthony/casey-anthony-Binder22975-23220-1102.pdf
· Briefly explain your interest in the case, why you think it would serve as a good topic for your paper and potential theories that could be used to explain the crime. Example: "The Black Dahlia is an interesting case because of the way the murder victim was mutilated after death and abandoned by the killer for later discovery by the public. The FBI has online records about this case, although no one was ever charged with the murder. The criminological theories that I suspect might apply are positivist, classical and anomie."
· Provide the above information (the facts, the available reports and your interest/theories) for ALL THREE cases.
Select one of the crimes you have preliminarily researched. Summarize the facts of the crime, discussing the circumstances, the victim and the offender. This section should take about one to two pages. In the body of the paper (at least four pages), choose a minimum of three (3)criminological theories (NOT categories - apply specific theories) to explain the crime. Discuss the theories to explain the background/motivation of the perpetrator if known, or your ideas about what the perp's background/motivation might have been if unknown.
Explain how the theories apply to the crime itself. Different theories will provide varying explanations; explore each of these perspectives fully. Wrap up your paper with a conclusion, which should be about one to two pages. This paper should be formatted in APA style. For assistance with formatting, seethe Purdue OWL Web site or the Mesa Community College library. The paper should include a cover sheet, proper headings and an appropriate bibliography.