Questions On Criminal Justice

Criminal justice research seeks to answer questions as to what is the most effective way to fight crime. When trying to formulate a research paper for a criminal justice course, you may want to begin with a question in order to lay a foundation for inquisitive research. You can choose from any of the questions you see on this page or have the writers at Paper Masters make up a question to serve as the basis for criminal justice research.

1. Discuss the role of two "individual" risk factors (choose from IQ, ADHD, or maternal cigarette smoking during pregnancy, in explaining crime. Your answer should address:

1. The overall strength of the association between these variables and crime/delinquency (i.e., how strong are these relationships?)
2. The most plausible "causal pathways" as to why these relationships should exist (i.e., how do these factors end up influencing criminal behavior?)
3. How focusing on relationships such as these might help to begin the integration of micro-and macro- level perspectives in criminology?

2. Discuss the primary differences between Gottfredson and Hirschi's self control theory and the dominant versions of life-course theory. In doing so, your essay should address:

1. The debate concerning the importance of certain "life events" for predicting criminal behavior over time
2. The similarities and differences between Moffitt's and Sampson and Laub's versions of life-course theory
3. Finally you should present a coherent argument-based on the research you have read in class-regarding which theorists' ideas seem most plausible

3. Discuss the integration of micro-and macro-level explanations of crime. Your essay should address:

1. The importance of certain "individual" predictors of crime (e.g., self control)
2. How such predictors are embedded withing the family context
3. How family processes can be influenced by community dynamics

Overview of ADHD:

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) refers to a complex set of childhood onset, neuro-developmental problems, whose primary indications are inattentiveness, restlessness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. In ADHD cases, these symptoms occur to degrees that raise serious problems for the victims and for those with whom the come into contact. The disorder has raised serious concerns among policymakers, medical professionals, parents, the popular media, and the general public in recent years, as the diagnosis of and prescription of treatment for ADHD among young children in America and many other countries have been steadily increasing. This paper describes the major features of ADHD and analyzes the apparent similarities and differences in the manifestation and incidence of ADHD across gender lines. It demonstrates that ADHD is still a highly controversial disorder and that even seasoned experts disagree wildly over the criteria for its diagnosis, over its prevalence within various populations, and over the extent to which it presents differently in young males and females.