Assignment questions

1010 CCJ 2019: Assignment questions

Q1. Nature Vs Nurture- what matters most for likelihood of future offending?

Define and discuss nature VS nurture

Outline some key nature and/or nurture variables (depending on argument to be made) and discuss how they influence later offending

(these might be discussed in the literature as risk and protective factors-aim to discuss 3 or 4 key variables)

Provide (quantitative) evidence showing the relationship between selected variables and later offending

Make an argument regarding which is most important (nature, nurture, or a combination of both) to future offending

Q2. What is risk assessment and should it be used in the CJS?

Define risk assessment

Describe (briefly) how/where it is used in the CJS

Discuss the pros and/or cons of risk assessment (depending on the argument you are making).

Outline accuracy of risk assessment measures used in the CJS (providing some empirical evidence ie. psychometrics)

Make an argument regarding whether risk assessment should/should not be used in the CJS

Q3. Can children provide reliable eyewitness testimony?

Define eyewitness testimony and outline how eyewitness testimony from children might be used in the CJS

Explain issues in regard to testimony from children (based on empirical evidence)/ ways in which evidence from children can be made more reliable

Provide (quantitative) evidence to demonstrate how reliable/ unreliable evidence from children is

Make an argument as to whether children should provide eyewitness testimony/ circumstances under which it should be provided

General tips for all essay topics:

Be sure to answer all parts of the essay question (as outlined on Page 1)

Research the topic well- use a minimum of 5 journal articles, along with any other quality sources

Ensure that your essay includes some empirical evidence

Make a strong argument in response to the essay question:

State your argument clearly and directly throughout your essay

Support your arguments throughout the essay with references

Provide reliable evidence that demonstrates your points (some quantitative evidence should be included)

Use an appropriate font, line spacing (1.5 or double), margins. Include a title page with all relevant information (including word count).

Reference list should be in APA formatting, as should all in-text references.

Proofread essay to check for errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation.