Free Crime Theories Essay Examples & Topics

Free Crime Theories Essay Examples & Topics

A crime is an act that contradicts the law. It causes harm to an individual, a group of people, or an entire community. Defining it might be challenging because the line between a criminal offense and a civil wrong is very narrow. Thus, it is essential to determine the crime correctly and apply the appropriate punishment. Each case should be studied individually, but some come up with unifying theories regarding the nature of criminal behavior.

Several crime theories create the ground for criminology. They help investigate the nature of crimes, their causes and effects, etc. Moreover, they are handy for categorizing the types of crimes and distinguishing offenses from civil wrongs.

For centuries, people have wondered why individuals do bad things. Some claim that the problem is in the structure of our society. Others argue that people have a biological predisposition for committing crimes. Our experts have analyzed the most popular sociological theories of crime in this article. They will be helpful if you are studying criminology or law.

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If you need to write theories of crime essay, we have provided a list of topics. You can also explore our collection of samples on the page.

5 Main Criminology Theories

In fact, there are numerous criminological theories. Each has its own approaches and views. Here, we have listed the most famous ones. Study the main ideologies behind them to know what to write in your essay about crime.

  1. Biological

The biological theory of crime aims to explain unlawful acts by exploring the criminal’s characteristics. This approach relies on a paradigm called positivism. According to it, law-violating behavior results from biological factors beyond individual control. For example, criminals may share similar facial features and body structure.

  1. Rational Choice

Rational choice theory (RCT) suggests that there is no difference between criminal and noncriminal behavior. It is a person’s intentional choice to commit a crime. They assume that such acts may be more rewarding than noncriminal behavior.

  1. Strain

According to strain theory, people commit crimes due to stress. In other words, individuals may become criminals just to reduce or escape the strain they are experiencing. For example, a person might steal jewelry to break away from poverty.

  1. Labeling

Labeling theory suggests that people start behaving under the labels that others put on them. This approach is often associated with the sociology of crime. Labeling an individual as a criminalist often leads to poor conduct.

  1. Conflict

Conflict theory argues that material inequality leads to criminal behavior. The deviance of political and social groups creates a ground for conflicts. That’s because the members of one unit perceive their interests in competition with others.

17 Fascinating Crime Essay Topics

All these theories are interesting enough, and there is a lot to say about them. Therefore, we have brought together the criminology theory paper topics for your consideration. Also, you can use our title generator to get even more ideas!

  1. Theories of crime causation and their application in real life.
  2. The reliability of the psychological theories of crime.
  3. Cesare Lombroso’s role in creating the Italian School of Positivist Criminology.
  4. Cybercrimes: their rising rates and possible ways of their prevention.
  5. The ethical side of punishing criminals.
  6. Qualitative research in investigating crime patterns.
  7. The issue of the reliability of eyewitness testimony.
  8. How media influences crime in the 21st century.
  9. The functionalist approach to evaluate crime and deviance.
  10. Death penalty: should it be allowed or banned?
  11. The role of feminist criminology in establishing gender equality around the globe.
  12. Youth crime prevention programs in the UK.
  13. The danger of domestic violence. Why is it crucial to raise awareness around this topic?
  14. The issue of power abuse in the criminal justice system and possible solutions to this problem.
  15. Are criminological theories always applicable in practice?
  16. Power abuse among police officers: can media influence the problem?
  17. Theories and causes of domestic abuse.

Thank you for reading our article! Below, you can find crime essay examples. Use them for study and inspiration.

172 Best Essay Examples on Crime Theories

The Psychology of Serial Killers

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These are just a fraction of questions that require answers in order to have a complete understanding of the psychology of serial killers.
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Campus Crimes Types and Causes

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According to the college administrators' records, crimes in campuses were minimal in the 19th century and in the early 20th century.
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Solving the Issue of Crime

As the director of the county juvenile court, the research question related to the problem at hand should state as follows: What are cost effective methods of solving the proliferation of violent street gangs in [...]
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The Biosocial Theory: Key Aspects

The general premise for most of these theories is that social factors have a great influence in the development of antisocial and criminal traits. The biosocial theory incorporates interdisciplinary information to a solitary and rational [...]
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  • Words: 2034
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Howard Becker’s Labelling Theory

Over the centuries, the society has taken steps to respond to this vice that threatens the moral fabric of the society. Becker sought to discover the consequences that the application of the label of deviant [...]
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Latin Kings: Organizational Turning Points

This paper aims at discussing the evolution, relationship to criminal activities, and the effects of the gang's illegal activities on the communities in which they operate, among other activities of the Latin Kings.
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Crimes and Criminal Tendencies: Cause and Effect

The school makes demands of control, discipline, and accountability which are difficult for the low self-control student to meet, and, for this reason, early school leaving is a result of low self-control, not a cause [...]
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Processing a Crime Scene

That is why, for the effective investigation, it is important to take all the necessary crime scene processing measures correctly, and the role of the first responding officer is particularly significant.
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The Cause of the Crime

Since it takes a lot of time and resources to get involved in crime, it is evident that involvement in crime is entirely due to decision of the person to gain the rewards that are [...]
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Robbery and Its Theoretical Explanation

Theories that explain the occurrence of crime in society have been developed to shed light on the increasing cases of criminal behavior. According to Agnew, crime is the outcome of the difficulties that an individual [...]
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Rational Choice Theory: Paul Bernardo

In order for the rationality of the crimes to be identified and examined, it is important to provide an overview of the violent offenses that made Paul Bernardo one of the most infamous serial killers [...]
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Introduction to Criminology

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After reading the article, it is notable that there are awesome highlights explaining the history, development, and evolution of crime in the society.
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Drug, Crime and Violence

This essay offers a brief discussion of how the abuse of illegal drugs is related to both crime and violence. It is prudent to mention that drug and violence have been noted to be closely [...]
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Trait Theory: The Theodore Bundy Murders

Considering the murders of people by Theodore Bundy, the problem may be discussed from biological and psychological perspectives as all murders may be characterized by the "trait theory", which is going to be characterized by [...]
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Feminist Theory of Delinquency by Chesney-Lind

One of the core ideas expressed by Chesney-Lind is that girls are highly susceptible to abuse and violent treatment. At the same time, scholars note that girls do not view delinquency as the "rejection of [...]
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Criminological Theories Evaluation

The cause and effects of young person offending and the state of Victoria's youth justice system have become a subject of broad debate after a series of violent cases in justice centers.
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Bernie Madoff Ponzi’s Crime Scheme

The image of the American Dream and the Strain Theory works in reverse as well: if a person fails to possess lots of quantifiable treasure, then the social order will consider him as a disappointment.
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Crime Theories: Psychodynamics and Rational Choice

The rational choice theory explained the causes of crime to be the ability of an individual to commit the crime, their need for valuable possessions and money, their physical health and ability to commit the [...]
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Psychological Foundations of Criminal Behavior

Answer: the examples of the early psychological and psychiatric theories trying to explain criminality are the trait theory, the moral development theory and the cognitive information-processing theory.
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Middle Class and Crime: Historical Analysis of Crime

The middle class norms place a high evaluation on the cultivation and possession of skills and on the tangible achievements which are presumed to witness the possession of skills and the application of effort.
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Aileen Wuornos: Anatomy of a Female Serial Killer

Moreover, feminist scholarship has recently begun to examine serial murder as "sexual terrorism" or as a perpetuation of gynocide, the systematic crippling, raping and/or killing of women by men.
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Social Learning Theory in Criminology

The paper concentrates on the history of the introduction of the social learning theory to science, its evolution over the years, and its possible application to the analysis of a recent criminal event.
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Causes of Criminal Behavior

However, poverty may be regarded as the most substantial cause of the majority of crimes as it indirectly leads to non-compliance with the law in multiple ways.
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White Collar Crime Characteristics

It is possible to conclude that white collar offenders are usually well off and have certain status in the society. On balance, it is necessary to note that demographic and psychological characteristics of white collar [...]
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Criminal Behavior: Role of Environment and Genetics

In the Information age where a person has access to more knowledge about the folly of being involved in criminal activities and the negative impact of having a prison record, it is a mystery why [...]
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Psychological Theories Explaining Violent Crime

Genetic influences refer to the blueprints for behavior that are contained in a person's chromosomes. It is theoretically possible for a person to carry genes that influence behavior; the behavior they express would be the [...]
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Criminal Activity and Victimization Theory

The murder was the result of an "unconventional" love triangle in which the victim was murdered because she posed a threat to the attacker. On the other hand, active precipitation happens when the victim exhibits [...]
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Crime Prevention With Rational Choice Theory

In addition, pure RCT may be insufficient for explaining nuances associated with the psychological and social profiles of the offenders. In particular, the traditional RCT faces problems explaining violent crime and irrational risk and reward [...]
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Serial Killer Profiling Dimensions

In order to better understand their practices and attempt to put a stop to their actions prematurely, there was a need for proper classification and consequent analysis.
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Importance of Exclusionary Rule Analysis

In the context of law enforcement, the former generally refers to the process of police examining the suspect's property. One police procedure that relates to a search is the process of obtaining a search warrant.
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Definition of Linkage Blindness

As a result, unsolved cases usually remain unaddressed, which is partially the causality of the lack of tools that could potentially connect the circumstances, victims, and patterns. Technological advancements and innovative cooperation are two of [...]
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Reasons for Individuals’ Delinquent Behavior

This statement in no way absolves the perpetrator of responsibility for the actions committed but describes that the decisions taken are often motivated by the unconscious part of the personality or the presence of mental [...]
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Injustice in American Prison System

Between the articles of violence and the observations about the extent of injustice in the American prison system, there is a high level of injustice instigated by the U.S.government to the African Americans.
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Feminist Theoretical Perspectives on Rape

There is a number of theoretical perspectives aimed at explaining what stands behind rape, that is, how rape is reinforced by, why it is more widespread in specific concepts, and what a rapist's motivations for [...]
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Analysis of the Social Context of Crime

Therefore, it is vital to reinforce the legal measures against child abuse, including the enhancement of legal repercussions for the perpetrators of the specified type of crime.
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Behavior: Theory of Differential Association

These activities include the formation of a criminal attitude of the personality, the formation of a criminal motive, the personality of a criminal and a victim, and other means.
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The Rational Choice and Other Criminal Theories

Another example of a crime happening due to the criminal's psychological strain is a robbery of an affluent individual by a person unable to satisfy their desire for status and wealth in other ways.
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Gangs and Juvenile Delinquency

Hallsworth and Silverstone argues that although there have been a lot of violence, the main source is not quite clear and people live by speculations that the violence is linked to the emergence of a [...]
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General Strain Theory in Criminology

Agnew's general strain hypothesis was an advancement of the strain theory since sought to "expand the strain theory by pointing to new categories of strain including the loss of positive stimuli, the presentation of negative [...]
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Collateral Consequences of Incarceration

People who spend a portion of their life in prison emerge without the skills to survive in society. According to the video, although America has only 5% of the world's population, 25% of convicted people [...]
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Adaptations to Anomie. Theories of Crime

These people accept their social position and stratification and adhere to the organizational means they are supposed to follow. They propose new ways to success and goals due to their alienation from the cultural and [...]
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Main Aspects of Organized Crime Models

The form of management adopted by an organization, whether legal or unlawful, is determined by the nature of its activities the management experience of its officials."A patron-client organization is a group of criminal patron's who [...]
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Exploring the Phenomenon of Serial Killing

The article claims that both the environment and the person's experiences contribute to the development of serial killer tendencies. It has been noted that the lack of continuity in serial killing is due to a [...]
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Hacking as a Crime and Related Theories

The move to embrace the novel technology has led to the emergence of a new form of crime and behavior referred to as "hacking". Today, the term is used to refer to individuals engaged in [...]
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Race and Culture Factors in Crime

That is why this paper's objective is to explore different views on how the factors of race and culture can influence the violent and criminal behavior in people, to analyze the evident correlations between the [...]
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Female Offending: Persistent and Late Onset

The present paper analyzes an empirical-based study on the patterns of female offending in the light of state dependence and population heterogeneity approaches to offending.
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An Ethical System in Criminal Justice

To my firm belief, utilitarian ethical system is more advantageous than the systems proposed by libertarianism and determinism since it accepts human nature and puts the general safety above the individual good.
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The Links Between Gender and Crime

The present paper aims to examine the links between gender and crime through an analysis of a sexual assault case. Identification of crime patterns is a valuable tool to guide criminologists as it helps them [...]
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Criminal Justice: Over Institutional Organization

This is further worsened by the fact that the number of offenders to be monitored after being released is often higher than the number of officers tasked with the responsibility of following up on them.
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Theories on Crime

It is imperative to note that some of these theories are swallowed up in the initial five, and so for the purposes of this paper, only the fundamental aspects of these theories will be discussed.
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Generalisation of Persons Who Commit Crime

The generalisation about the people who commit crime indicates flaws in the processes of thinking and possible outcomes. It appears that the society chooses to pay attention to crime committed by specific groups, such as [...]
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Criminal Behavior: Criminology Theories

This paper draws the theories discussed herein from a radical orientation; they include radical, feminist and critical criminology theories and present principles that alter the existing and traditional views on the development of criminal behaviour [...]
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  • Words: 549

Homicide in the White Community

The majority of homicide victimization of the whites is done through poison followed by arson and lastly guns. Although the majority of homicides committed are intra-racial, special focus is usually given by juries in inter-racial [...]
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  • Words: 544

White-Collar Crime Offenders and Legislation

The Sox Act was introduced by congress after a near collapse of the stock market in the 1990s. This was a more elaborate piece of legislation as it increased the maximum sentencing period to 20 [...]
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Challenges of Special Populations

The present paper aims at assessing the unique needs of juvenile offenders with mental illnesses in comparison with their adult counterparts and identifying effective strategies for their rehabilitation. The general requirement that applies to both [...]
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  • Words: 777

Are Mothers Less Likely to Break the Law?

The study will be based on the mixed research method and, the rate of successful participants in the program as well as particular attitudes and ideas of inmates concerning the program.
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  • Words: 569
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The Phenomenon of Victim-Blaming

Victim-blaming can have life-long consequences on the lives of crime victims, highlighting the need to stop the media's scrutiny of the victims and focus on those really responsible for the crime instead.
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  • Words: 567

Theoretical Impact on Sex Crimes Investigations

According to Freud's theory, the "it" component incorporates the biologic, or intrinsic, elements of one's personality, whereas the "ego" constituent of one's personality implies a combination of the influences of the society and the intrinsic [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 577

The Self Control Theory of Crime

In this theory, the level of self control exercised by individuals in the presence of a strong or a weak incentive to commit a crime explains why some people commit crimes while others do not.
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  • Words: 615

Crime Rates in UK: Quantitative Methods

The purposes of the report are thus to analyze the statistical data by the UK Home Office, to compare rates dynamics regarding various crime types, and make respective conclusions that would help in either confirming [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1102

The Death Penalty: Importance and Benefit

Many of the people who are not in favor of such an act believe that hanging a person till death is not the only solution, so I say question them "what could be the other [...]
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Anthropological Theory of Crime

Criminal law is a division of law that elucidates crimes, describes their nature and defines available punishment for a criminal offense.
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Individual and Group Perspective in Gangs

There is a relationship between street gangs and prison gangs as well as the behavior of individuals and the gangs. And in this way the gangs are able to recruit the unsuspecting kids.
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Major Theories of Crime Causation

The conflict theory differs from the biological theory in the sense that it does not locate the criminals in the society but instead, it identifies the major cause of criminal and deviant behavior in the [...]
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“Criminology: The Core” by Larry Siegel

The book "Criminology: the Core" by Larry Siegel is the authors investigation of the problems connected with committing the crime and, which is most important, the theoretical aspects of committing a crime.
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The Theory of Criminalization

Thus it is anchored on the notion that criminal law exists for the purpose of deterring public wrongs in doing so the theory is emphatic that criminal conviction stands as long as the defendant has [...]
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Identity Theft as a Problem of Future

The next will extrapolate on several measures that should be undertaken at both individuals and institutional level to ensure that personal information is always safe and out of reach from criminals.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1459

Financial Cost of Crime to Society

On the other hand, if the crime rate is low in a country, the government need not spend so much on the salaries of policemen and the same money can be utilized to make sure [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1209

Violence and Society: Multiple Perceptions of Crime

The press - in newspapers, television, and magazines - keeps us apprised of the seriousness of the crime problem. As a result of the perceived threat of crime, Americans are becoming more and more fearful.
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  • Words: 927

War on Drugs in the United States

Satisfaction of rehabilitation costs, salaries, and payment of the government officials and employees involved in the operations and activities related to the war on drugs have been included in the estimation of the cost of [...]
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2303

Crime and Subcultures in the Urban Area

The present paper is designed to use the subculture approach that belongs to the array of ecological theories to explain the emergence of crime in Boyle Heights, composed mostly of citizens of Latino cultural background.
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  • Words: 1379

The Police Tapes by Alan and Susan Raymonds Review

The success of the Police Tapes is not surprising as the force and tension with which the Raymonds describe how police officers deal with the urban crime, violence, cynicism, brutality and despair at the 44th [...]
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Crime in Inner City Neighborhoods

The crime and its implications has to be made understood to each and every citizen of the nation right from the stage he or she starts getting the feel of the society and things that [...]
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Date Rape Issue in College Campuses

The decorum of the society was usually controlled by a federal body of the state, and the laws used to be abided by by all the people residing in the society.
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  • Words: 1701

Strain Theory: Sociological Explanation of Crime

Thus, researchers failed to discover communications that integrated people's place in the stratification process and their desires. In one of the few efforts to integrate both financial desires and measures of fiscal accomplishment, Adler Freda [...]
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  • Words: 441
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Property Crime and Typologies

The four witnesses that gave statements are Clifford Tonell, the owner of the store, Bo Foot, the security guard, Andrea Sianturi, the store employee, and Susan Bunion, a criminal justice instructor who was making purchases [...]
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  • Words: 1223

Homicide, Assault, and Burglary

Homicide is an act of killing a human or the killing of a person by another one. Murder is the deliberate killing of another person or accidental killing of a human while committing a separate [...]
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  • Words: 202

Crime Prevention in the United States

In the case of shoplifting, the first process undertaken by the police could be to question the criminal on site, followed by contacting their legal guardians, referring them to a community agency, or arresting them.
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