What types of things would you look at and why?

Suppose that you are going to conduct a research project about the problem of theft on campus. You have decided to mirror the approaches taken by Wolfgang (Patterns in Criminal Homicide) and Amir (Patterns in Forcible Rape) and have titled your forthcoming report “Patterns of Campus Theft.” What types of things would you look at and why? What type of things would you avoid? After completing your initial response, please respond to as least one other student’s posting. Participation is an important part of your journey and will allow you to reflect on the content of your class. Since we know that we learn and grow based on reflection, the more you share the better! Your main post should be in the 100 word range and sentences should be well constructed. DISCUSSION BOARD 2 Because offenders manage to escape apprehension in a large number of theft cases, some people believe that there should be other ways for theft victims to be made whole again. What suggestions would you make to campus officials? After completing your initial response, please respond to as least one other student’s posting. Participation is an important part of your journey and will allow you to reflect on the content of your class. Since we know that we learn and grow based on reflection, the more you share the better! Your main post should be in the 100 word range and sentences should be well constructed. DISCUSSION BOARD 3 Does your state have a specific statute that addresses intimate partner violence or domestic violence? If so, how does it differ from the assault statute and from the battery statute in your state? If your state does not have such a statute should it enact such a law? After completing your initial response, please respond to as least one other student’s posting. Participation is an important part of your journey and will allow you to reflect on the content of your class. Since we know that we learn and grow based on reflection, the more you share the better! Your main post should be in the 100 word range and sentences should be well constructed. DISCUSSION BOARD 4 Visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation website (www.fbi.gov) and page through the information about hate crime. Compile a profile of hate crime in your state and compare it to the nation as a whole. What patterns, if any, do you find? After completing your initial response, please respond to as least one other student’s posting. Participation is an important part of your journey and will allow you to reflect on the content of your class. Since we know that we learn and grow based on reflection, the more you share the better! Your main post should be in the 100 word range and sentences should be well constructed. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVE This project is a course-long assignment that culminates with a paper written at the conclusion of your lessons. The purpose of the project is to give you the opportunity to explore different concepts from each lesson in more detail, to learn how these concepts are applied in your state, and to build the necessary foundation to enable you to write the comprehensive paper at the conclusion of the course. Make sure you complete each research assignment in the order in which it’s presented as you complete each lesson. INSTRUCTIONS To satisfy the requirements for this project, you’ll complete specific assignments at the conclusion of Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4. After you complete all of the lessons in the course, you’ll prepare a paper and submit it for grading. Be sure to take careful notes as you complete each assignment. You’ll be using this information to write your paper. Also, keep track of the sources you research so you can cite them in your paper. ASSIGNMENT FOR LESSON 1: UNIFORM CRIME REPORT Complete this assignment when you finish the work for Lesson 1. Visit the website for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) at http://www.fbi.gov, and locate Uniform Crime Reports: Crime in the United States. Access the most current year and find “Offenses Reported to Law Enforcement,” which presents an alphabetical listing of many geographical jurisdictions within each state. Focus on those jurisdictions in your state. Examine the incidence of various reported crimes per 100,000 population. The crimes are grouped as “Index Crimes,” which include violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, and assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny, vehicular theft, and arson). Focus your research to answer the following questions: QQ What are the definitions of each of the “Index Crimes” in your own state’s penal code? QQ Do all of these crimes have victims? PF Blue + Charcoal PF Blue + White 801785(1806) QQ How do these crimes affect your community? How does your jurisdiction compare with other jurisdictions in your state with respect to the crime rate? QQ To what do you attribute any differences? Organize your notes carefully and keep them until you need them later to develop your project. Make sure you also keep track of your sources so you can cite them when you write your paper. ASSIGNMENT FOR LESSON 2: VICTIM-RIGHTS GROUPS Complete this assignment when you finish the work for Lesson 2. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a very strong and influential victims’ rights group in the area of drunk driving. However, many other victims’ rights groups exist to protect and promote the rights of crime victims. Research some of these victims’ rights groups, particularly those that exist in your state. To complete this assignment, consider contacting your local criminal court, prosecutor’s office, and public defender’s office. Concentrate your research on finding answers to the following questions: QQ Do victims in your jurisdiction have a right to be heard, and are they consulted before the defendant enters a plea? Before the defendant is sentenced? QQ How much consideration does your jurisdiction give to the desires of the victim? QQ How does your jurisdiction deal with victims who refuse to testify in court or want to drop charges? QQ Does your jurisdiction make provisions for the protection of victims and witnesses? QQ Does your jurisdiction administer a victim compensation fund or similar program? Organize your notes carefully and keep them until you need them later to develop your project. Make sure you also keep track of your sources so you can cite them when you write your paper. ASSIGNMENT FOR LESSON 3: BATTERED-WOMAN SYNDROME Complete this assignment when you finish the work for Lesson 3. Research the topic of battered-woman syndrome (referred to in your textbook). Focus your research on finding answers to the following questions: QQ What are the psychological reasons that cause a woman to stay with an abusive spouse? QQ How has society traditionally responded to such cases? How has this response changed in recent years on the part of the courts, the prosecutors, and the police? QQ What laws does your state have to protect the victims of domestic violence? QQ What resources and programs are in existence in your state to aid victims of domestic violence? Organize your notes carefully and keep them until you need them later to develop your project. Make sure you also keep track of your sources so you can cite them when you write your paper. ASSIGNMENT FOR LESSON 4: HATE CRIME LAWS Complete this assignment when you finish the work for Lesson 4. QQ Research whether the state where you live has laws against hate crime. If your state doesn’t have such laws, find the state nearest to you that does. QO For the hate crime statute you’re analyzing, what are the categories, groups, or types to which the laws apply? QO If a crime is found to be a hate crime, how does that affect sentencing of the offender? QO Are there any other consequences if a crime is found to be a hate crime? QQ Through research, identify a case reported in the media in which someone in your state or a state near you was convicted of a hate crime. QO Describe how the crime was committed. QO Why did the prosecutor classify it has a hate crime? QQ Do you believe there should be laws that enhance the penalty for hate crimes? Why or why not? Defend your views using information you’ve obtained from your research or that appears in your textbook. Organize your notes carefully and keep them until you need them later to develop your project. Make sure you also keep track of your sources so you can cite them when you write your paper. PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS: When you’ve completed the four lessons and their corresponding assignments, use the following procedure to develop your project: 1. Create a title page using APA format. Use the same format throughout your paper. Include your student number after your name. 2. Prepare a paper of at least 1,500 words in a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word. 3. Double-space your paper and assign left and right margins of 1 to 1.25 inches, flush left and ragged right. Use a plain, 12-point font. 4. Incorporate and properly reference the sources of information obtained from your four assignments as well as from any other sources that you deem relevant. To cite your sources, follow this procedure: a. Use in-text citations to indicate references to information from outside sources. Include the author’s name and the relevant page number(s) in parentheses. Here’s an example: Human beings have been described as “symbol-using animals” (Burke 3). b. At the end of your paper, include a works cited page, listing all of the sources you’ve consulted. US APA format for this page. . 5. Proofread your paper at least twice, and pay careful attention to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and typographical errors. Remember that this is a college course. Your work in all respects should reflect college-level skills. GRADING CRITERIA Your project will be graded on the following criteria: GRADING CRITERIA Content 60% Written communication 20% Format 20% Here’s a brief explanation of each of these criteria. CONTENT Assignment 1 ` 15 points The student completely answers the questions in “Assignment for Lesson 1: Uniform Crime Report” and includes proper citation. 3 points per question: QQ What are the definitions of each of the “Index Crimes” in your own state’s penal code? QQ Do all of these crimes have victims? QQ How do these crimes affect your community? QQ How does your jurisdiction compare with other jurisdictions in your state with respect to the crime rate? QQ To what do you attribute any differences? Assignment 2 15 points The student answers the questions about the video and performs proper research. 3 points per question: QQ Do victims in your jurisdiction have a right to be heard, and are they consulted before the defendant enters a plea? Before the defendant is sentenced? QQ How much consideration does your jurisdiction give to the desires of the victim? QQ How does your jurisdiction deal with victims who refuse to testify in court or want to drop the charges? QQ Does your jurisdiction make provisions for the protection of victims and witnesses? QQ Does your jurisdiction administer a victim compensation fund or similar program? Assignment 3 15 points The student focuses his or her research on the questions presented in the assignment. 3 points per question: QQ What are the psychological reasons that cause a woman to stay with an abusive spouse? QQ How has society traditionally responded to such cases? QQ How has this response changed in recent years on the part of the courts, the prosecutors, and the police? QQ What laws does your state have to protect the victims of domestic violence? QQ What resources and programs are in existence in your state to aid victims of domestic violence? Assignment 4 15 points The student focuses his or her research on the questions presented in the assignment. 3 points per question: QQ For the hate crime statute you are analyzing, what are the categories, groups, or types to which the laws apply? QQ If a crime is found to be a hate crime, how does that affect sentencing of the offender? QQ Are there any other consequences if a crime is found to be a hate crime? QQ Through research, identify a case reported in the media in which someone in your state or a state near you was convicted of a hate crime. Describe how the crime was committed. Why did the prosecutor classify it has a hate crime? QQ Do you believe there should be laws that enhance the penalty for hate crimes? Why or why not? WRITTEN COMMUNICATION The student Includes an introductory paragraph, a body, and a concluding paragraph 5 points Uses correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure 5 points Provides clear organization by using words and phrases like first, however, on the other hand, and so on, consequently, since, next, and when 5 points Makes sure the paper contains no typographical errors 5 points FORMAT The paper is double-spaced, typed in 12-point font, and at least 1,500 words long. The student incorporates and properly references the sources of information from the assignments, as well as from any other sources of information deemed relevant.