Using a single news report on a young offender or type of youth crime, critically evaluate media representations of youth crime.
The evaluation report should draw on academic literature and research about the extent and nature of youth crime.
Section 1: Assessment of media source
Here you must evaluate how the media source represents youth offending/offenders different from reality.
To do this you need to draw on government reports, academic literature, theoretical arguments and other evidence. For example, you may want to consider:
- Does it suggest that this type of crime happens more/less frequently than other sources (e.g. official statistics, self-report surveys, research) would suggest?
- How does it represent the nature of the young offender – is this typical/atypical given what we know about youth crime from other sources (e.g. official crime statistics, academic research)?
Section 2: Apply the concepts learnt from the essential and supplementary readings
(Main discussion)
1.
To do this you need to use theories and/or concepts to explain the youth crime you selected. You may also apply any relevant criminological theory to explain so.
2. To what extent does the media inform and misinform us about the nature and extent of youth crime, and what is the impact of such representation?