Assessment 2: Applying Criminological and Social Psychological Theories to a Real-World Crime Case (1,500-word Essay)

Course and Weighting

Course: PSYC/SOC/CRIM  – Social Psychology and Crime (Upper-level Undergraduate / Taught Postgraduate Cross-listed)

Assessment Type: Individual written assignment / research essay

Assessment Number: Assessment 2 of 3

Length: 1,500-word essay (±10%, excluding title page and reference list)

Weighting: 35% of final course grade

Assessment Overview

You will select one real, documented crime case and use two distinct criminological or social psychological theories to explain the offender’s behaviour and the wider social context. The essay assesses your capacity to apply theory to complex, real-world material, evaluate the strengths and limitations of different explanations, and integrate empirical research evidence.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Apply core criminological and social psychological theories to the explanation of criminal and deviant behaviour.

• Critically evaluate the explanatory value and limitations of competing theoretical perspectives.

• Integrate and correctly reference peer-reviewed research to support arguments.

• Communicate a structured, coherent, and evidence-based written argument that adheres to disciplinary academic conventions.

Task Description

Select one real crime case that has been reported in reputable news media or documented in an official report (e.g., government inquiry, court judgment, or academic case study). The case must involve an identifiable offender (or small group of offenders) and sufficient background information to support theoretically informed analysis.

Step 1: Case Selection and Description (approximately 300–400 words)

1. Identify the crime (type of offence, date, and jurisdiction).

2. Provide a concise summary of the key facts: who was involved, what occurred, and any relevant contextual information (e.g., neighbourhood characteristics, group dynamics, socio-economic background).

3. Use at least one reputable source for your case description (e.g., quality newspaper, official report, or scholarly case study) and cite it appropriately.

Step 2: Selection of Two Theories (approximately 150–250 words)

1. Select two distinct theories from the course (for example, social disorganization theory, social learning theory, rational choice theory, strain theory, social identity theory, deindividuation, conformity and obedience to authority, or labeling theory).

2. Briefly define each theory using academic sources, outlining its core assumptions about why crime or rule-breaking occurs.

Step 3: Application of Theories to the Case (approximately 600–700 words)

1. Apply each theory systematically to your chosen case.

2. Show how specific details of the case (e.g., community-level disadvantage, peer group pressures, cost–benefit reasoning, authority structures, or stigmatizing labels) illustrate key concepts in the theory.

3. Support your discussion with at least three peer-reviewed empirical studies that test or use the selected theories in relation to crime, deviance, or antisocial behaviour.

Step 4: Critical Comparison and Evaluation (approximately 250–350 words)

1. Compare the two theories in terms of their explanatory strengths and weaknesses for your case.

2. Identify what each theory helps you to see clearly and what each theory overlooks or simplifies.

3. Discuss whether a single-theory or multi-theory approach offers a more adequate understanding of the case.

Step 5: Implications and Conclusion (approximately 150–250 words)

1. Briefly outline one or two implications of your theoretical analysis for prevention, intervention, or criminal justice policy (e.g., community-based interventions, changing policing practices, rehabilitation focus).

2. Conclude with a concise statement of which theoretical lens you judge to be most useful for this case and why.

Assignment Requirements

• Length: 1,500 words (±10%). Indicate the word count on the title page.

• Format: Word-processed, 12-point readable font, double- or 1.5-spacing, standard margins.

• Referencing: APA 7th edition or your program’s specified style. Include a properly formatted reference list.

• Sources: Minimum of five peer-reviewed journal articles, in addition to any textbook and media sources used to describe the case.

• Academic integrity: All work must be your own. Paraphrase accurately, use quotation marks for any direct wording, and provide citations for all ideas and data drawn from sources.

• Submission: Upload as a single file (Word or PDF) to the LMS assignment link by the published deadline. Late penalties apply according to the university policy.

Guidance for Students

• Choose a case with enough publicly available information to support meaningful analysis. High-profile but well-documented cases are often suitable.

• Avoid purely descriptive writing. Keep description focused and allocate most of your word count to applying and evaluating theory.

• Integrate research evidence rather than listing studies. Explain what each study found and why it matters for your argument.

• Make your structure explicit, with clear section headings that mirror the assignment steps.

Marking Rubric (100 marks total, scaled to 35% of course grade)

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Social disorganization theory offers a strong starting point for interpreting the high rate of youth violence in the Riverside Estate case, because the neighbourhood is characterised by concentrated disadvantage, residential instability, and limited informal social control (Sampson & Groves, 1989). In the police report, repeated references to loosely organised peer groups and the absence of adult supervision point to weakened community networks that make it difficult for residents to monitor young people’s activities and intervene when minor rule-breaking escalates.

Rational choice theory adds a complementary lens in which the offender’s decision to participate in the robbery reflects a calculated trade-off between perceived low risk of apprehension and immediate material gain. A combined reading of these theories indicates that the offender’s actions were not simply the result of individual pathology, but emerged from the interaction between neighbourhood-level structural conditions and situation-specific evaluations of opportunity and risk. This has direct implications for community-based prevention strategies.

References

1. Sampson, R.J., 2019. Neighbourhood effects and beyond: Explaining the paradoxes of inequality in the changing American metropolis. <i>Urban Studies</i>, 56(1), pp.3–32. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098018795363​

2. Pratt, T.C. and Cullen, F.T., 2020. Revisiting the criminological consequences of exposure to deviant peers. <i>Journal of Criminal Justice</i>, 68, 101687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2020.101687​

3. Paternoster, R. and Pogarsky, G., 2018. Rational choice, agency and thoughtfully reflective decision making: The short and long‑term consequences of making good choices. <i>Journal of Quantitative Criminology</i>, 34(2), pp.307–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10940-017-9345-4​

4. Collins, R.E., 2023. Social psychological perspectives on group crime and collective violence. <i>Current Opinion in Psychology</i>, 47, 101494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101494​

5. Walters, G.D., 2018. An item‑level analysis of the Psychological Inventory of Criminal Thinking Styles (PICTS) using Rasch modeling. <i>Psychological Assessment</i>, 30(9), pp.1164–1174. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000551