CJA 323 Week 1 DQs

Discussion Questions

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?

What are some criticisms of the accuracy and completeness of the FBIs Uniform Crime Report (UCR)? What advantage(s) does the Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) have over the UCR?