Posted: September 13th, 2017

Property crime, and trait theory

Property crime, and trait theory

Each question just simply needs to be answered with an even word count for each. The 825 words is split between both questions.

ESSAY QUESTIONS:
QUESTION 1
Property crimes in Australia, New Zealand, the United States,
and Britain generally decreased for a protracted period between the mid
1990s and mid or late2000s.
Using materials from the readings, lectures and any other outside sources
you choose, provide AT LEAST two possible
explanations for these cross-national trends. Make sure to back up your
explanations with material from the texts and/or lecture notes, giving
special attention how each explanation specifically factors into the
reduction of property crime.

QUESTION 2
Trait theorists argue that biological and psychological factors play a role
in behavioural orientation, especially related to aggressive, violent or
anti-social behaviour. Social structure theorists, however, counter with
the fact that, as Larry Siegel notes, “[P]eople living in equivalent social
environments tend to behave in a similar, predictable fashion. If the
environment did not influence human behaviour, then crime rates would
be distributed equally across the social structure, which they are not.”
Using the readings and any outside resources you choose, formulate what
you think would be the best response from the perspective of trait theory
to this criticism of social structure theorists. You may also use outside
sources as needed.