CJA 323 All DQs

Week 1

State the definition of crime favored by the course text. What are some criticisms of this definition? What types of behavior considered criminal under other definitions would not be criminal under this definition? What is the difference between criminality and deviance?

Consider the two perspectives on crime causation discussed in the text (the social problems perspective and the social responsibility perspective). Which do you support and why? How might adherence to one or the other perspective affect public policy on dealing with crime?

Week 2

Jeremy Bentham believed that humans naturally seek to maximize their pleasure and minimize their pain, so he advocated making punishment for crime that was sufficient to make the pain of the criminal activity outweigh the pleasure (or gain) derived from it. Do you agree with this theory? What are some criticisms of it?

Sociobiological theories of criminality state that a person becomes a criminal because of heredity, evolution, and/or physical factors such as the presence of certain hormones. What are some criticisms of these theories?

Do you think retribution is a valid justification for punishment? What differences might you see between punishments based on retribution and punishments based on deterrence?

Week 3

How might the presence of numerous broken windows in a neighborhood influence the level of crime in that neighborhood? Explain your answer.

Describe how an individual becomes a criminal according to the theories of Howard Becker. What role does society play in this process? Do you agree with this scenario? Why or why not?

According to studies of Laub and Sampson, what life events are especially important in reducing the likelihood that a person will commit crimes? Why do you think these events have this effect of reducing criminal behavior?

Week 4

What are some key recent changes to the Common Law approach to rape? How have these changes altered the way rape is defined, reported, and prosecuted?

What event in U.S. history helped make organized crime a major law enforcement concern? Explain how this happened.

Would the association between drugs and crime disappear if drugs were legalized? Explain your answer.

Week 5

Describe the current state of the law with regard to restricting access of children to online pornography. Has the Supreme Court ruled that such access cannot be regulated? If it can be regulated, how? What is your opinion in the matter?

Describe how cultural taboos prevent the implementation of policies that could be effective in eliminating or greatly reducing crime in the United States.

Explain how national boundaries can provide an advantage to todays criminals over law enforcement authorities. What can be done about this situation?