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Northern Essex Community College

Module 1 Writing Assignment

Review the assignment overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview
Criminology is not just about explaining why crime occurs. It also shapes how society responds to crime through policy, practice, and professional roles. In this discussion, you will examine the different roles within the criminal justice and criminological fields and analyze how competing perspectives on crime influence social policy.
This activity introduces a central theme of the course: whether crime is best understood as a social problem or as a matter of individual responsibility.
Student Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the assignment and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Differentiate professional roles within criminology and criminal justice and analyze their influence on research, practice, and policy (SLO7).
  • LO2: Analyze how social problems and individual responsibility perspectives shape criminal justice policy decisions (SLO6).
Assignment Topic
Criminology operates at the intersection of research, practice, and policy.
Address the following in your discussion:
  • Distinguish between the roles of criminologists, criminalists, and criminal justice professionals, and explain how each contributes to the study and control of crime.
  • Explain the social problems perspective and the individual responsibility perspective on crime.
  • Using one or two policy examples, analyze how these perspectives shape criminal justice policy and practice.
  • Based on your analysis, discuss which actors are most influential in shaping social policy and why.
Your response should focus on analysis and application rather than definition or personal opinion.
Acceptable and Ethical Use of AI
  • Use AI to help clarify the differences between criminologists, criminalists, and criminal justice professionals. Do not use AI to write or structure your discussion response.
  • Use AI to generate examples of criminal justice policies associated with different criminological perspectives, then independently evaluate and apply those examples using course concepts.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your assignment.

  • Your paper should be 2-3 pages, using APA style, including 12 font and 1-inch margins.
  • A minimum of at least two (2) sources, with proper APA citations in a Reference Page and proper in-text citations.
  • Abstract NOT needed.
  • Submissions are checked against a Plagiarism Checker and AI Detector.
    • Direct quotes should not exceed 15% of the total paper.
    • AI Usage – you must use AI ethically. Papers written by an AI is cheating.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your assignment through the designated submission area.
  • Ensure your file is in [accepted format: Word, PDF, etc.].
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. Follow course policies regarding academic integrity and the use of outside sources or tools.