CJUS 3320 - Theories of Crime

(3 CR, 3T + 0L)

This course is designed to acquaint students with the major criminological theories within the fields of criminology and criminal justice. The goal of this course is to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the criminological research related to major systems of social control, offenders, offending, victimology, juvenile justice, and the social contexts of crime. In particular, this course will examine biological, psychological, and sociological theories that attempt to predict why people commit crimes or what are the consequences of living in family contexts where crime or criminality occur. In addition to the social context related to various theories, and how each theory proposes to explain crime, this course will address how theory and research translate into real-life action or crime policy.