No directly quoted material.
Theory Case Study
The course materials present a number of criminological, sociological, and developmental theories that endeavor to explain delinquent behavior among juveniles. In this assignment, you will select a real-life, notorious crime committed by a juvenile. This may be a crime perpetrated by a juvenile many years ago, or a case that is still active and in current events. You will argue for one of the particular delinquency theories as the most appropriate explanation for the perpetrator’s actions.
Examples could include:
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the shooters in the 1999 Columbine High School massacre
Lee Boyd Malvo, the juvenile half of the infamous Washington, D.C., snipers in 2002
Erik Menendez, age 17, murderer of his parents, assisted by his adult brother, Joseph Menendez, in 1989
the juvenile perpetrators (Eric Rivera, Jr., age 17; and Timothy Brown, age 16) involved in the home invasion and murder of Washington Redskins star player Sean Taylor in 2007
other juvenile offenders well-known at either the national or local level may be used with the prior approval of the instructor
The paper should include the following sections:
an introduction presenting an overview of the crime, including BRIEFLY the basic facts of what happened
an analysis in which you present how one particular criminological, sociological, or developmental theory best explains the perpetrator’s actions, and why
a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of that particular theory—how it is that the theory may fall short in explaining certain aspects of the crime. In light of this, discuss what other theory or combination of theories may better account for those particular aspects of the crime
concluding thoughts summarizing your research and analysis
Format Requirements
Paper must be double spaced, 11 or 12 pt font and 1” margins all around.
All APA 7th edition format requirements must be followed (cover page, in text citations, reference page). Refer to APA/UMGC – learning resources found in the content page of this course.
You must have resources to support your thoughts/opinions/information. These must be cited both in text as well as at the end of the document. Your paper should not contain direct quotes, sourced material must be paraphrased.
