ACR211

Summative Assessment Task 1:

25% (approximately 1000 words)

This assessment addresses the material covered in Modules 1, 2 and 3, and refers to specific articles from these Modules. You need to complete all of these Modules before attempting this assignment.

You are requested to reflect on the unit materials to address the following questions on Social Crime Prevention (Question 1) and Environmental Crime Prevention (Questions 2A and 2B). Please follow the format provided by addressing each question on separate pages. A list of references should be provided on a separate page at the end.

For question 2, students are required to engage in an authentic site analysis. Each student must take and supply a maximum of 5 photographs of a site (either a property or a public location), that either demonstrates a seemingly successful environmental crime prevention initiative OR a site in need of improved environmental crime prevention.

Please see the accompanying assessment rubrics. Feedback will primarily be provided via this rubric. It is strongly recommended that you assess your own work against this rubric prior to submitting.

This assessment is designed to cover two Course Learning Outcomes: Discipline-Specific Knowledge and Critical Thinking.

Referencing should follow the Harvard Style. Click here for further advice.

Question 1:  Social Crime Prevention (500 words).

Under certain conditions, there is evidence that suggests that social interventions can be effective in preventing crime. Welsh and Farrington (2012, p. 132) argue that building a safer society ‘requires using the best available research evidence, overcoming political barriers, and striking a greater balance between crime prevention and crime control’. However, McCord (2003, p. 28) argues that we need to be cautious in our interventions, and as Frieberg (2001) reminds us, there is an emotional dimension in our responses to crime (see also the first chapter of Sutton, Cherney and White 2014).

Drawing on McCord (2003), Frieberg (2001), and Welsh and Farrington (2012), what are the benefits and the risks of social crime prevention? In what ways can these risks be reduced or avoided when designing and implementing social crime prevention initiatives? Support your answer with additional research, and specific examples of social crime prevention interventions.

Question 2 (2a and 2b):  Environmental Crime Prevention Site Analysis & Critique (500 words)

For this assignment students are required to engage in a site analysis. Each student must take photographs (maximum of 5) of a site (either a property or a public location) and respond to the questions below.

Choose a public site that is either:

·      An example of a successful environmental crime prevention; OR

·      An example of a location that might be conducive to crime and needs improvement.

2a) Drawing upon specific CPTED and/or Situational Crime Prevention (SCP) concepts and principles (between two to four specific techniques), describe the principles that have (or have not) been used, analyse this site, and demonstrate why this site is an example of either a successful or unsuccessful design. Use research to support your argument (250 words).

2b) As outlined in Farrell, Tilley, Tseloni & Mailley (2010), and Sutton, Cherney & White (2014), environmental crime prevention is not without its critics. Some interventions may not be effective, may be based on outdated assumptions about offenders (such as Classical theory), and they can unintentionally generate social exclusion.

Drawing on Farrell et. al. (2010), Sutton et. al. (2014) and additional academic research, critically engage with between two to three of the environmental crime prevention measures discussed in your response above (Question 2 Part A). Are these CPTED/SCP concepts or principles effective in preventing crime? Why/why not? What problems or concerns have been raised in academic literature about these specific types of environmental interventions?

Explanatory Notes

Research

You are not expected to complete a lot of research for this assessment task. You should primarily refer to the course materials – the textbook and the modules – as well as potentially a small number of complementary sources.

For Question 1, up to three relevant additional sources is more than adequate. This research should be based on actual social crime prevention strategies (e.g., a study of developmental crime prevention).

For Question 2a and 2b, you will need to find sources relevant to the particular case studies you examine. For example, if you chose carparks, there’s plenty of research on crime prevention initiatives in carparks – as is the case with residential shopping centres, small businesses, etc. Please include some of this research (three relevant and high-quality studies is more than adequate) to inform and justify your observations.

Case Study

For Question 2, our preference is that you identify locations in your own cities and communities as a core component of this assessment is to experience exactly how crime prevention shapes the environments in which we actually live. However, if this is not possible for genuine reasons we will approve students finding appropriate examples of locations online, provided they are appropriately referenced (with the URL included).

Please do not take photographs of any higher quality/larger size than a smartphone takes; a smartphone or point and shoot camera is sufficient. This is important because your file will need to be less than 10mb overall to upload into the assessment dropbox.

WRITE YOUR RESPONSE BELOW

Question 1:  Social Crime Prevention (500 words).

Under certain conditions, there is evidence that suggests that social interventions can be effective in preventing crime. Welsh and Farrington (2012, p. 132) argue that building a safer society ‘requires using the best available research evidence, overcoming political barriers, and striking a greater balance between crime prevention and crime control’. However, McCord (2003, p. 28) argues that we need to be cautious in our interventions, and as Frieberg (2001) reminds us, there is an emotional dimension in our responses to crime (see also the first chapter of Sutton, Cherney and White 2014).

Drawing on McCord (2003), Frieberg (2001), and Welsh and Farrington (2012), what are the benefits and the risks of social crime prevention? In what ways can these risks be reduced or avoided? Support your answer with additional research, and specific examples of social crime prevention interventions.