Writing Question

PART 1

Touchstone 3: Case Analysis: Nature vs. Nurture

Scenario: In a small, economically struggling town, there lived a family notorious for their involvement in criminal activities. The head of the family, John, was a seasoned criminal with a long history of burglary and drug dealing. Despite his efforts to provide for his family through legitimate means, the lack of job opportunities and his own criminal record led him back to a life of crime.

John’s children were raised in an environment where illegal activities were the norm. His eldest son, Alex, became involved in drug trafficking, while his daughter, Sarah, engaged in petty theft and fraud. The youngest son, Mike, though still in high school, has already begun to show interest in joining his family’s criminal endeavors but has also expressed interest in becoming a lawyer.

Assignment: For this Touchstone, answer the following prompt: Since these children have a parent who has a criminal record, do you think their involvement in crime is a result of inherited genes or the environment? The assignment should be 500750 words double-spaced.

Helpful Links:

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A. Directions

Step 1: Prepare Your Thoughts

You have learned about biological and psychological theories of criminology in Unit 3. Reread the lessons in 3.1 and 3.2 to reacclimate yourself with the material associated with the ideas related to the nature vs. nurture debate. As you are reading, jot down some notes from these lessons that might help you address the prompt. Look for ideas that examine the genetic predisposition to criminal behavior and compare them with ideas that highlight the impact of environmental factors, such as family dynamics or other external influences.

Start a Word or Google document and get ready to write!

Step 2: Write Your Response

In your response, describe how the overall biological and psychological views on criminology would explain John’s children’s involvement in criminal activity. Write 23 sentences on each view. Then, use at least one theory in the biological or psychological theory group to support your answer to the question of whether the childrens involvement in crime is a result of inherited genes or their environment. Additionally, identify one counterargument to your nature or nurture position, using another of the theories as support, to indicate that you understand the other side of the debate. Support your response with evidence from 23 Sophia tutorials.

hint

Criminologists use American Psychological Association (APA) format for their research. Here is how to format an in-text APA citation for a Sophia tutorial:

(Sophia Learning, n.d.)

Step 3: Create a Reference Page

You have used evidence and information from at least 23 Sophia tutorials to support your responses. Now, develop a reference page. Your reference page should list these tutorials.

hint

Here is how to format an APA reference entry for a Sophia tutorial:

Sophia Learning. (n.d.). Genetics [Epigenetics]. Criminology. URL

See the resource for more assistance with APA.

Step 4: Review Rubric and Requirements

Review the rubric to ensure that you understand how you will be evaluated. Also review the requirements to ensure that your Touchstone is complete.

Step 5: Submit Your Touchstone

Submit your completed Touchstone using the blue button at the top of this page.

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B. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:

• Composition must be 500750 words, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
• Use a readable 11- or 12-point font.
• Composition must be original and written for this assignment, and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
• Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your composition.
• Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

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C. Rubric

	Advanced (100%)	Proficient (85%)	Acceptable (75%)	Needs Improvement (50%)	Non-Performance (0%)
Identification of the Biological and Psychological Perspectives Essay effectively identifies each perspective. 25%	The biological and psychological perspectives are clearly and accurately described.	The biological and psychological perspectives are described but could have more detail.	One of the two perspectives is accurately described. The description or application may lack detail or clarity.	The description of both perspectives is unclear or inaccurate.	Did not describe either of the required perspectives, or there is insufficient work to receive credit.
Application of Biological or Psychological Theory to Scenario Essay effectively applies a theory to support a position on the case study. 30%	One biological or psychological theory is accurately applied to the scenario.	One biological or psychological theory is applied to the scenario.	One biological or psychological theory is applied to the scenario. The application to the scenario may lack detail or clarity.	The application of a theory is not clearly applied or is inaccurately applied to the scenario.	Did not apply any theory to the scenario, or there is insufficient work to receive credit.
Analysis of Biological and Psychological Theories Essay effectively identifies a counterargument to the previous position and uses one of the theories as support. 30%	A clear and accurate counterargument to the learners position is identified and supported by one of the theories (biological or psychological).	A counterargument to the learners position is identified and supported by one of the theories (biological or psychological); however, more detail is needed.	A counterargument to the learners position is identified and supported with an appropriate theory (biological or psychological), but the theory is not accurately described or applied.	The counterargument is ambiguous or unclear. A supporting theory (biological or psychological) is not provided or is inaccurate.	No counterargument is provided.
References Tutorials are appropriately identified and integrated. 5%	Evidence from three or more appropriate tutorials is provided and correctly cited in text and in the reference page.	Evidence from two appropriate tutorials is provided and correctly cited in text and in the reference page.	Evidence from two appropriate tutorials is provided, but citations may contain errors.	An attempt to cite is made, but citations do not follow APA format or irrelevant tutorials are used.	Did not submit a reference page or cite tutorials.
Conventions Submission follows conventions for standard written English and meets requirements. 10%	There are almost no errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization; all length and formatting requirements are met or exceeded.	There are minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that do not impede readability; length and formatting requirements are nearly met.	There are frequent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that somewhat impede readability; length and formatting requirements are nearly met.	There are consistent errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization that significantly impede readability; length and formatting requirements are not met.	Submission does not meet the minimum threshold for points to be awarded.

PART 2

Touchstone 4: Criminological Insights: Analyzing Crime and Theory

Assignment: This Touchstone will assess important aspects of criminology that you have learned throughout the course. You will choose a crime discussed in the course and then provide the following: an introduction that describes your chosen crime and its impact on society, an analysis of a criminological theory and its relationship to the crime, and a conclusion with a prediction about the future. This assignment should be 7501000 words.

Helpful Links:

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A. Directions

Step 1: Choose a Crime

You have learned about different crime typologies throughout the semester. You will now choose one of the crimes from the right-hand column of the table below. You will base your essay around this particular crime:

Crime Typology	Crimes
Property Crimes	Larceny, arson, motor vehicle theft, or burglary
Violent Crimes	Homicide, sexual assault, assault, or robbery
Public Order Crimes	Drug use, prostitution, or gambling
Hate Crimes	A traditional crime motivated by bias
Terrorism	Domestic or international terrorism
Cybercrime	Hacking, malware, or cyberbullying
Transnational or Organized Crime	Drug trafficking, human trafficking, or money laundering
White-Collar or Corporate Crime	Securities fraud, health care fraud, or embezzlement

Step 2: Write Your Analysis

Once you have chosen the crime you would like to research from the right-hand column above, provide an introduction that gives an overview of the extent of the problem. In the introduction, define your crime. Then, consider the following questions to convey how this crime impacts society in the U.S. You do not have to answer all these questions, but they are ideas to consider when conveying the nature and extent of the crime:

• How many cases of this crime occur each year?
• Has the crime rate for this crime been increasing or decreasing in recent years?
• Are certain people more likely to engage in this type of crime or be the victims of this type of crime?

You must use one outside source to research and explain the nature and extent of your chosen crime. Use credible sources (e.g., textbooks, academic journals, or websites that end in .org, .gov, or .edu). Avoid non-credible sources such as social media or Wikipedia. When referencing this source in your response, include an in-text citation using APA format. See the resource for guidance.

Here are some websites that you could investigate for your external source:

Next, choose one specific theory discussed throughout the course and apply it to your crime:

• Deterrence
• Rational Choice
• Positivism
• Social Disorganization
• Strain/Anomie
• General Strain
• Social Control
• Differential Association
• Social Learning
• Labelling
• Delinquent Subculture
• Biological Trait
• Biosocial
• Psychological
• Critical
• Routine Activity
• Feminist
• Integrative
• Life Course

Here are some helpful ideas to keep in mind as you choose your theory:

• Often, multiple theories could be applied to the same crime, but you only need to choose one. For example, if you are interested in examining the crime of larceny, you might look into rational choice theory, social disorganization theory, or strain theory, among others.
• If you are looking into a type of cybercrime, you could look into deterrence theory, social learning theory, or differential association theory, among others.
• The goal is to explain the theory in general. Then, discuss how the theory specifically applies to people who commit the crime you chose.

Use information from 34 Sophia tutorials to explain how this theory relates to your crime. Provide in-text citations for the tutorials.

Lastly, sum up what you have written in a conclusion. Indicate what the future will look like for this type of crime: Are there things the criminal justice system could do to reduce this type of crime?

Step 3: Create a Reference Page

You have used evidence and information from 34 tutorials and one outside source to support your responses. Now, develop a reference page. The resource can also assist you with formatting APA reference pages and entries.

Step 4: Review Rubric and Requirements

Review the rubric to ensure that you understand how you will be evaluated. Also review the requirements to ensure that your Touchstone is complete. Only submit your Touchstone once it meets the expectations for the assignment and your citations meet APA guidelines.

Step 5: Submit Your Touchstone

Submit your completed Touchstone using the blue button at the top of this page.

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B. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:

• Composition must be 7501000 words, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
• Use a readable 11- or 12-point font.
• Composition must be original and written for this assignment, and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
• Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your composition.
• Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

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