crim-a718 wa1 spring 2018 v2 12.14 · 7. complete blackboard and/or other online assignments posted...

Loyola University New Orleans

Seminar in Criminal Justice Administration CRIM-A718 – WA1 / YA1

Spring 2018 March 12 - May 10, 2018

Dr. Ronal W. Serpas - Professor of Practice Department of Criminology and Justice Office: Monroe Hall Room 245 Telephone: 504-865-2665E-Mail: [email protected] Hours: Tuesday 1pm-3pm, Thursday 4pm-6pm, and by appointment.

Course Description: This course examines relevant features of, and current topics relating to, criminal justice administration. Topics can include examination of the study and scope of justice administration, rights of criminal justice employees, a focus on police, courts and corrections agencies. Other topics can be consideration of ethics, labor relations, financial administration and technologies impacting the criminal justice system.

Prerequisites There are no prerequisites for this course.

Course Goals/Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes: Although not exhaustive, at the end of this course students should be able to:

1. Identify and describe current research and evolving concepts of the administration ofthe American Criminal Justice System.

2. Conduct comprehensive evaluations of those emerging trends and presentacademically challenging critiques and reactions to that research literature.

3. Prepare and deliver an academic quality presentation(s) to advise or encourageadministrative decisions in the Criminal Justice System.

Course Textbook: None – Supplemental readings will be used.

Class Format: • This class is fully online. Each week, students will read an assigned weekly reading

(which is also the title of each weekly topic) and complete a “Critique of Literature.”Students will also be assigned a week to create a narrated PowerPoint presentation andpost it to a Blackboard discussion board, where all students will be required to participatein discussion about questions and thoughts raised in the presentation. There is also a

literature review that is due at the end of the semester. Please note that weekly assignments have been established to include Blackboard Discussion Boards. All students are expected to participate in raising questions over the weekly assignments and to take an active role in analyzing and discussing the issues through the use of the Discussion Board. Routinely check the course Blackboard site for special class messages.

• Minimum Technology Requirements: In order to successfully complete this course,you will need access to a computer (desktop or laptop) and the internet, as well as aninternet browser and word processing software (i.e. Microsoft Word). For moreinformation about recommended hardware and software, visit the Monroe Library page,Help for Students Using Blackboard.

• Minimum Technical Skills: Basic technical skills are required for this course, includingthe ability to use the internet, the ability to install software, and the ability to performbasic tasks using word processing software. In addition to these technical skills, I expectyou to be able to use Blackboard to access all course materials and submit assignmentsand complete assessments in the course.

Emergency Information: At times, ordinary university operations are interrupted as a result of tropical storms, hurricanes, or other emergencies that require evacuation or suspension of on-campus activities. To prepare for such emergencies, all students will do the following during the first week of classes:

1. Practice signing on for each course through Blackboard.2. Provide regular and alternative e-mail address and phone contact information to eachinstructor.

In the event of an interruption to our course due to the result of an emergency requiring an evacuation or suspension of campus activities, students will:

1. Pack textbooks, assignments, syllabi and any other needed materials for each coursead bring during an evacuation/suspension

2. Keep up with course work during the evacuation/suspension as specified on coursesyllabi and on-line Blackboard courses.

3. Complete any reading and/or writing assignments given by professors beforeemergency began.

Assuming a power source is available.... 4. Log on to university Web site within 48 hours of an evacuation/suspension.5. Monitor the main university site (www.loyno.edu) for general information.6. Log on to each course through Blackboard or e-mail within 48 hours of an

evacuation/suspension to receive further information regarding contacting courseinstructors for assignments, etc.

7. Complete Blackboard and/or other online assignments posted by professors (studentsare required to turn in assignments on time during the evacuation/suspension periodand once the university campus has reopened.)

8. Contact professors during an evacuation/suspension (or as soon as classes resume oncampus) to explain any emergency circumstances that may have prevented them fromcompleting expected work.

Further information about student responsibilities in emergencies is available on the Academic

Affairs web site: http://academicaffairs.loyno.edu/students-emergency-responsibilities

Class Decorum:

� Email: Communications between the professor and students will be on LOYNO email only.

� Instructor Response Time: Under normal circumstance I will reply to emails in 24 hours or less, and will post grades for assignments within 3-5 days.

� Syllabus: The syllabus is a working document and changes can occur. You will be notified of such changes by email and/or on Blackboard.

� Assignments: All assignments must be submitted to Blackboard. Proofread all work prior to submission. Assignments must be submitted no later than their designated due dates. Late submissions, without the prior agreement of the professor, will result in grade penalties or failure of the course. The first instance of an unexcused late submission will be a 10% reduction in the total grade available for that assignment. A second unexcused late submission will be a 20% reduction in the total grade available for that assignment. A third unexcused late submission will result in a one letter grade deduction for the course final grade. Four or more unexcused late submissions will result in a F for the course. All assignments for this course must be completed satisfactorily. Failure to submit or successfully complete one, or more, of the assignments will result in a failure of this course.

� If you have a disability and wish to receive accommodations, please contact Disability Services at 504-865-2990, [email protected], or visit the Office of Disability Services in Marquette Hall 112. Please note that before any accommodations can be implemented, you must obtain an official Course Accommodation Record from Disability Services for my signature.

� The Academic Honor Code will be strictly enforced. All work must represent each student's own efforts. Loyola University New Orleans policies on academic honesty apply to all work done for this class.

� Participation: Individual students are expected to actively participate on the Discussion Board of Blackboard. The difference of opinions or positions is an expected outcome of higher education. However, disagreements must be framed in a professional and collegial way.

� Netiquette: Netiquette is a set of rules for behaving properly online. Something about cyberspace makes it easy for people to forget that they are interacting with other real people. The following bullet points cover some basics to communicating online:

• Be sensitive to the fact that there will be cultural and linguistic backgrounds, aswell as different political and religious beliefs, plus just differences in general.

• Use good taste when composing your responses in Discussion Forums.Swearing and profanity is also part of being sensitive to your classmates andshould be avoided. Also consider that slang can be misunderstood ormisinterpreted.

• Don’t use all capital letters when composing your responses as this isconsidered “shouting” on the Internet and is regarded as impolite or aggressive.It can also be stressful on the eye when trying to read your message.

• Be respectful of your others’ views and opinions. Avoid “flaming” (publiclyattacking or insulting) them as this can cause hurt feelings and decrease thechances of getting all different types of points of view.

• Be careful when using acronyms. If you use an acronym it is best to spell outits meaning first, then put the acronym in parentheses afterward, for example:Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). After that you can use the acronym freelythroughout your message.

• Use good grammar and spelling, and avoid using text messaging shortcuts.� Late Work: Submitting a syllabus assignment after the due date is not acceptable unless

the student and instructor have made arrangements before the assignment was due. Late work can result in a reduction in the final grade. The first instance of an unexcused late submission will be a 10% reduction in the total grade available for that assignment. A second unexcused late submission will be a 20% reduction in the total grade available for that assignment. A third unexcused late submission will result in a one letter grade deduction for the course final grade. Four or more unexcused late submissions will result in a F for the course.

� Incomplete Grade: This grade is to be assigned only when the instructor has been presented with serious and compelling reasons why the student should be allowed to complete the course at a later date. These reasons are customarily medical. The “I” grade is not an automatic extension. An “I” grade which has not been made up by the sixth week of the subsequent term, excluding summer terms, will be changed automatically to “F”. The student must submit a plan of action (via Loyola email) to the professor, including timeline, for the submission of outstanding work, which must be agreed upon by the professor before approval is given for an “I” grade.

I. Assignments(NOTE: The weekly schedule starts at 1201am on Sundays and ends 1159pm on Saturdays)

Power Point Presentation: The ability to research and deliver a presentation in an administrative setting to advocate for a policy, or inform policy makers, is critical to a graduate education. For this course, each student will create, a narrated Power Point presentation, NOT TO EXCEED 15-20 slides (not including cover and references slides), on a current topic in the field of Criminal Justice administration and limited to one of the topic areas as noted below.

FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS ASSIGNMENT, YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING A RESERACHED POSITION TO INFLUNECE, ADVISE, OR SUGGEST A POLICY ACTION/CHANGE TO A DECISION MAKER (I.E., CHIEF OF POLICE; MAYOR, GOVERNOR; SECRETARY OF PUBLIC SAFETY OR CORRECTIONS, ETC., OR TO A COUNCIL OR LEGISLATIVE BODY).

Students must use as their primary resource for their presentation/lecture SCHOLARLY/ACADEMIC SOURCE MATERIAL (e.g., peer reviewed articles, books, academic works, etc.), and can use non- academic sources (major news media, advocacy group data, etc.) as supplemental information to their presentation/lecture. There should be no less than three (3), and no more than five (5) scholarly/academic sources to support this Power Point presentation.

Students will record audio for each Power Point slide and post it to the weekly Discussion Board Thread when their Power Point is due. The total time of the recorded audio should be no more than 20 minutes. In a real-world presentation, a 20-minute time limit is common and this exercise will help students to research, prepare and deliver effective presentations. For more information about how to add or record audio in Power Point, please use this online guide provided by Microsoft Office.

The Power Point and accompayning audio presentations must be posted to Blackboard before 6PM on Wednesday of the week this assignment is due, so that students can comment before Saturday at 1159pm.

This assignment will have a possible 10-point value. See Appendix “A” for general guidance on how to create a Power Point for an Academic Presentation.

Example topic areas to be considered by students for their presentation: hot spot policing; social network analysis; incarceration practices/policies; recidivism; wrongful convictions; racial disparities in the Criminal Justice system; juvenile delinquency; the impact of juveniles exposed to violence; adolescent brain development; impact of media, and/or social media on the criminal justice system; crime victimization, etc. Students may want to visit the National Institute of Justice – Office of Justice Programs – Crimes Solutions ( www.crimesolutions.gov ), or http://crimeandjusticeresearchalliance.org/ , https://www.ncjrs.gov/ as examples of sites to help develop a presentation/lecture, topic.

The professor will produce a schedule of Power Point presentations, by student, so that each student knows what week their Power Point presentation is due for posting/grading. This schedule will be found in the Assignments area of Blackboard.

All students will post a review of the Power Point(s) submitted in the Discussion Board. All students must comment on at least two other student's posted review of the Power Point(s) each week. This will apply to the student(s) submitting a Power Point - unless they are the only submission, then the student will still post/reply to two comments of their classmates.

Weekly Critiques of Literature: Students will complete eight (8) critiques of relevant materials to this course. The critiques must follow the guideline supplied at the end of the syllabus, see Appendix “B”. Each critique should be 750 - 1,000 words, or 3-4 double spaced pages. For a page with 1-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, and minimal spacing elements, a good rule of thumb is 500 words for a single spaced page and 250 words for a double spaced page.

The critiques are worth five (5) points each, for a total of 40-points for this requirement. Each week of the course, a scholarly/academic article has been assigned for critique. The weekly reading that has been assigned for the week is also the title of the weekly topic in Blackboard. The eight (8) critiques must be submitted, individually, to Blackboard for this class.

THE WEEKLY CRITIQUE PAPERS ARE DUE ON BLACKBOARD NO LATER THAN 11:59PM ON SATURDAY OF EACH WEEK - SEE THE COURSE WEEKLY SCHEDULE BELOW.

Literature Review: A short Literature Review Paper will be required for this class. Students should review, generally, the WAC – Literature Review Paper guide. For additional guidance, see an example of how to prepare a short literature review (Writing a Short Literature Review CUNY) on Blackboard, under Assignments, "Literature Review". This assignment should be approximately 1,250 – 1,750 words, 5-7 double spaced pages, not including cover, abstract or bibliography pages. Students will select, in consultation with the professor, a topic of their choice that is consistent with the intent of this course and use that topic as the basis of the Literature Review Paper.

Students cannot use for this assignment the topic of their Power Point presentation. A minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) scholarly/academic sources are required. Scholarly/academic sources are ones in which the content is written by experts in a particular field of study – generally for the purpose of sharing original research or analyzing others’ findings. Scholarly work will thoroughly cite all source materials used and is usually subject to “peer review” prior to publication, for example: peer reviewed journal articles, social science journals, chapters in an academic textbook, academic textbooks, etc. Students may use popular media, trade publications or news sources as supplemental information, which do not count towards the requirement of scholarly sources.

The Literature Review Paper will have a possible 40-point value of the final grade.

THE LITERATURE REVIEW PAPER IS DUE ON BLACKBOARD NO LATER THAN 11:59PM ON SATURDAY OF WEEK 8.

Discussion Board Participation: For week 1 students will post an introduction of themselves. Each week thereafter, one or more students will post an audio presentation and their Power Point assignment on the Blackboard Discussion Board Thread for that week. All students will review the Power Point presentation(s) of their classmates and post comments on their impression(s) of the presentations submitted.

Students will follow the format for a Response to Reading: Summary, Reflection, Analysis, and Argument, see Appendix “B” (WAC-Lab Response to Reading) to respond to the Power Point. The length of this assignment should be one to two paragraphs for each heading (i.e., Summary, Reflection, Analysis, and Argument).

Thereafter, each student will post a comment to at least two other students’ Response to the Power Point(s) submitted.

The total points for this assignment will be 10 points, or 1.25 points for each weekly participation.

THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE DUE ON BLACKBOARD NO LATER THAN 11:59PM ON SATURDAY OF THE WEEK THE POWERPOINT WAS POSTED.

II. Grading

Assignment Breakdown:

The total possible points for this course equals 100 - as outlined below:

Assignment Learning Outcomes Point Value PowerPoint Presentation 3 10

Response to Readings 1, 2, 3 40 Literature Review 1, 2, 3 40

Discussion Board Participation 2, 3 10 Total: 100 points

Grading Scale:

Grade Scaling Quality Points (GPA) Percentage (%)

A Excellent The grade is assigned 4.0 quality points per semester hour.

92.6 – 100

A- Excellent The grade is assigned 3.7 quality points per semester hour.

90 – 92.5

B+ Above Average The grade is assigned 3.3 quality points per semester hour.

87.5 – 89.9

B Above Average The grade is assigned 3.0 quality points per semester hour.

82.6 – 87.4

B- Average The grade is assigned 2.7 quality points per semester hour.

80 – 82.5

C+ Average The grade is assigned 2.3 quality points per semester hour.

77.5 – 79.9

C Average The grade is assigned 2.0 quality points per semester hour.

72.6 – 77.4

C- Below Average The grade is assigned 1.7 quality points per semester hour.

70 – 72.5

D+ Minimally Passing The grade is assigned 1.3 quality points per semester hour.

67.5 – 69.9

D Minimally Passing The grade is assigned 1.0 quality points per semester hour.

65 – 67.4

F Failure or Failure to Withdraw

No quality points are assigned. <65

III. Course Outline:

Week Reading Assignments 1 Measuring procedural justice and legitimacy at the

local level: the police–community interaction survey Discussion Board Critique of Literature #1

2 Tell it to the Judge: Procedural Justice and a Community Court in Brooklyn

Discussion Board Critique of Literature #2

3 Emerging Findings from Research on Adolescent Development and Juvenile Justice


4 Age Differences in Affective Decision Making as Indexed by Performance on the Iowa Gambling Task


5 Can Homicide Detectives Improve Homicide Clearance Rates?


6 Focused Deterrence in New EW Orleans: Most Challenging of Contexts Assessing the Impact of Focused Deterrence on Serious Violence in New Orleans


7 Indicators of Mental Health Problems Reported by Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2011-12


8 Drug Use, Dependence, and Abuse Among State Prisoners and Jail Inmates, 2007-2009

Discussion Board Critique of Literature #8 Literature Review Due

IV. Suggested Readings:

The Persistent Pull of Police Professionalism – David Alan Sklansky http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/NPIP- ThePersistentPullofPoliceProfessionalism-03-11.pdf

Toward a New Professionalism in Policing – Christopher Stone & Jeremy Travis http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/NPIP-

Moving the Work of Criminal Investigators Towards Crime Control – Anthony Bragga, Edward Flynn, George Kelling and Christine Cole http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/NPIP- MovingtheWorkofCriminalInvestigatorsTowardsCrimeControl-03-11.pdf

Police Leadership Challenges in a Changing World – Anthony Batts, Sean Michael Smoot and

Ellen Scrivner http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/PoliceChallengesChangingWorld-07- 12.pdf

Social Media and Police Leadership: Lessons from Boston – Edward Davis, Alejandro Alves and David Sklansky http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/SocialMediaandPoliceLeadership-03- 14.pdf

Policing and Wrongful Convictions – Anthony Batts, Maddy deLone and Darrel Stephens http://www.hks.harvard.edu/var/ezp_site/storage/fckeditor/file/pdfs/centers- programs/programs/criminal-justice/ExecSessionPolicing/PolicingWrongfulConvictions.pdf

Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: A New Element in Police Leadership – Craig Fischer and Tom Tyler http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Leadership/legitimacy%20and %20procedural%20justice%20-%20a%20new%20element%20of%20police%20leadership.pdf

Legitimacy and Procedural Justice: The New Orleans Case Study – Craig Fisher http://www.policeforum.org/assets/docs/Free_Online_Documents/Leadership/legitimacy%20and %20procedural%20justice%20-%20the%20new%20orleans%20case%20study.pdf

APPENDIX “A”

Creating a PowerPoint for an Academic Presentation

“Effective presenters do not just dispense or cover material, but rather induct audiences into ways of understanding content” (Stoner, 2007). PowerPoint is a presentational communication tool that incorporates reading and writing to enhance the presenter’s information and motivation. So how does one create an academic PowerPoint presentation that informs and motivates?

Layout

Think of the layout of your PowerPoint as visual rhetoric that takes the main ideas of your speech and codes them into symbolic points. The most effective layout depends on consistency (Stoner, 2007). Be sure that bullet points, length of points, color of points and text, and size of text are consistent. The size of text needs to be at least 32 to be visible on the projector. Selecting a layout from the design tab is the easiest way to maintain consistency, size of font, and color scheme.

Bullet Points

Bullet points should emphasize key ideas, not contain the idea word for word. If the audience must move their eyes more than twice to read the point, there are too many words after the bullet: South Indian Hindus have a variety of spices used in their colorful and tasty foods. Keep bullets short, to the point, containing only a couple of words: Variety of Indian Spices. Do not exceed more than one sub point because the audience will get lost. The sub point should emphasize a main point, but not be information that should be explained by the speaker.

Animations

To maintain a professional appearance, moderate and subtle animations such as ascend and appear can be used to attract the audience to a point. If animations are too flashy, they begin to distract the audience. The animation is most effective when used consistently. Avoid flashy transitions, such as dissolve, in an academic presentation.

Citations

Citations in a slide show appear credible in APA or MLA format at the bottom of the slide or directly after the information. References at the end of a slide show are not necessary unless specified by the professor. References are, however, required in the

speech outline.

Adding Audio to your PowerPoint Presentation

There are a number of ways that you can add audio to your PowerPoint presentation. Please use the online Microsoft Office Guide, Add or delete audio in your PowerPoint presentation if you need instructions on how to add or record your audio narration.

Attaching Files to Blackboard Discussion Forums

If you are unsure about how to create a new discussion thread in Blackboard or how to attach a file, follow the steps in this Blackboard guide, Threads.

Remember: An academic presentation does not use PowerPoint to drive or present the speech word by word. Instead, an academic presentation uses PowerPoint to convey information, help the speaker stay on track, and for interpreting material presented (Stoner, 2007).

Stoner, M. (2007). PowerPoint in a new key. Communication Education, 56(3), 354-381. Retrieved December 28, 2007, from Communication & Mass Media Completedatabase.

Cyphert, D. (2007). Presentation technology in the age of electronic eloquence: From visual aid to visual rhetoric. Communication Education, 56(2), 168-192. Retrieved January 1, 2008, from Communication & Mass Media Complete database.

http://www.uccs.edu/Documents/commcenter/powerpointdoc.pdf

APPENDIX “B”

CRIM A718 Guidelines for Critique of Literature/Responding to a Reading

LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS WAC WRITING GUIDELINES: RESPONDING TO A READING

Summary, Reflection, Analysis, and Argument

SUMMARY: WHAT DOES THE WRITER SAY? The summary response to a reading—an article, a chapter, or a book—relates as clearly as possible what the author says. When you write a summary, you strive for objectivity and accuracy as you relate the main ideas of the original. A summary omits details and examples that are not needed to convey the "gist" of the original, and it does not include any ideas not found in the original. It is written entirely in your own words, with few, if any, direction quotations, and using present tense. A summary does not analyze, evaluate, or argue a position; it simply restates the original material in a much more condensed form.

REFLECTION: HOW DOES THE WORK RELATE TO YOUR OWN EXPERIENCES? This kind of response explains your personal reaction to the work. When you write a reflective response, you explore how the work relates to your own experiences, beliefs, and values. Is the writer’s claim validated by any of your own experiences? Did the reading confirm, challenge, or change in any way your original viewpoint on the topic? Because the reflective response often involves discussion of your own experiences, beliefs, and values in relation to what you read, this response is usually written in the first person.

ANALYSIS: WHAT DOES THE WRITER DO? Another kind of response to a reading is a critical response. Critical analysis examines how the author says what he/she says. When you write a critical analysis, you examine the various elements of the work to discover how they function together to form an effective whole. The elements you examine depend upon your specific purpose for analysis. For example, an analysis of an argument might look at the argument’s claims and reasons, supporting information (evidence), and logic. An analysis of a short story might focus on how the setting relates to the story’s meaning.

An analysis includes only as much summary of the work as is needed for a reader to follow the analysis and understand how it relates to the original argument. The analytical response avoids personal reflection on and agreement or disagreement with the ideas.

Often, critical analysis also evaluates the work, making judgments about how well it fulfills its purpose. In that case, your analysis would support a judgment about the overall effectiveness of the work, such as the credibility and persuasiveness of an argument: Is the thesis built on reasonable and valid claims and reasons? Are these claims supported with convincing supporting information and sound reasoning? Is its argument persuasive?

ARGUMENT: WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON THE TOPIC OR ISSUE? This kind of response asserts a position on the topic, supported with reasons and evidence. When you write an argumentative response, you explain why you agree or disagree, in whole or in part, with the writer’s claims and ideas. You may agree with the claim by elaborating upon the main points of the argument with original support (your own ideas and evidence), or you may disagree with the claim by challenging and questioning those points.

EXAMPLES

Here are some paragraphs that respond in different ways to the argument made by John Ellis in "The Consequences of Carnage as Entertainment.” Note: While the sample analysis paragraph concludes that the target argument is poorly argued, your evaluation need not be a negative assessment. Approaching a work “critically” does not mean “criticizing” it in the usual, negative sense, but rather, analyzing it and making a reasoned judgment about its quality.

SUMMARY:

In "The Consequences of Carnage as Entertainment," author John Ellis argues that youth violence results from watching violence in the media. He attributes the rash of school shootings happening at the time to the effects of TV violence on young viewers. He accuses the news media of playing a part in making violence attractive, a way for a troubled youth to become a celebrity. According to several studies, a significant percentage of television programs contain violence. This violence affects children by making them more aggressive and by desensitizing them to real-life violence. Ellis claims that the entertainment industry has done nothing to curb this problem and that societal violence spurred by media violence will only worsen. Serious youth violence, such as school shootings, will become more and more frequent and less and less shocking. He warns that if society continues to do nothing to curb the violence in our media, our very civilization is threatened.

REFLECTION:

John Ellis's essay "The Consequences of Carnage as Entertainment" claims that exposure to violent media causes an increase in youth violence. Growing up, my friends and I played violent ‘shooter’ video games, but none of us turned out to be a violent person. We thought the games were fun and never imagined taking that violence into the real world. Therefore, I believe Ellis goes too far in blaming societal violence on the media. Still, his article made me wonder about why some children do turn violent. New Orleans has a very high rate of violent crime committed by young people. Is the city the way it is because its youth are watching violent movies? Or is it because many of them see friends, family, and neighbors cut down by violence almost daily? Based on my own experiences, I have concluded that children are influenced more by the example set by their parents and other adults in their community, than by what video games they play after school.

ANALYSIS / EVALUATION:

In "The Consequences of Carnage as Entertainment," author John Ellis does not present a strong argument for his claim that youth violence results from watching violence in the media. He gives evidence about the amount of violence on television, citing university studies. He also includes credible expert opinions from the American Medical Association and another researcher that conclude that watching violent media may increase a child's aggressiveness and his tolerance toward images of violence. However, Ellis gives no evidence to prove the causal connection between violent media and serious, deadly violence committed by children. He provides several examples of school shootings, claiming that these are the fruits of consuming violent media; but without evidence linking media to such extreme behavior, these examples are mere scare tactics. This lack of credible support undermines the claim, and the scare tactics make the author seem desperate.

ARGUMENT:

I agree with the position taken by Ellis in "The Consequences of Carnage as Entertainment," especially his warning that society will continue to become more and more violent if our entertainment continues to glorify violence. Ellis mentions the recent school shootings, and it is a fact that at least some of the school shooters were fans of dark and violent music, and video games like Doom. Perhaps their interest in this entertainment did not lead directly to their actions, but I believe it helped form their attitudes about violence and how to treat others. Young people are committing more and more crimes in recent decades; can it be just a coincidence that the entertainment enjoyed by the young has also gotten more violent? Children learn from what they see. If we accept that TV shows such as Sesame Street can influence children positively, should we deny that movies depicting violence influence them negatively? Children who are vulnerable enough to be profoundly affected by violent media probably already have some emotional or psychological problems, but we should not add to the problem by allowing them access to irresponsible media depictions of graphic violence.

[updated 08.30.10] LOYOLA UNIVERSITY NEW ORLEANS – WAC LAB

General Requirements:

Format of Paper: When writing a response to reading, use the APA format, and follow general structural guidelines. Format your paper so all of the text is double-spaced and there is a 1-inch margin on all sides. The APA recommends using Times New Roman in 12 point. For a page with 1 inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman font, and minimal spacing elements, a good rule of thumb is 500 words for a single-spaced page and 250 words for a double-spaced page. For this assignment use double spacing per page.

In-Text Citations: To strengthen your response to reading, you may want to quote or paraphrase sections from the original article, or another scholarly/academic source. Whenever you do this, you must include in-text citations. With APA style, you use the author-date citation system. If you mention the original author by name, then you only need to include the year of publication within parentheses directly following his/her name. When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from the journal, include the page at the end of the sentence in parentheses. This should be written as “p.” and placed before the final punctuation mark. If you are referencing additional scholarly/academic work other than the one assigned, follow the same APA style, and add this work to the reference section of your response.

References: For references, if used in addition to the scholarly/academic work you are critiquing, please add this in proper APA style, by writing the author’s last name, a comma, first and middle initials and a period. Write the publication year in parentheses followed by a period. Type the name of the article title in

sentence case followed by a period. Then, write the name of the journal in italics and title case, a comma, volume number, a comma, page numbers and a period. The volume number should also be in italics, but all text that follows should have plain formatting. See WAC Lab for APA Style information.

Example of Required Format to Follow:

Students are reminded to follow this format, including section (student name/info, bibliography, summary, reflection, analysis/evaluation and argument) headings as they write their paper.

Student Name Loyola University New Orleans CRIM A718 Semester - Year

Bibliography: Using APA style, insert the title of the reading that you are responding too here.

Summary: Using the example above, insert your summary of the reading here. Reflection: Using the example above, insert your reflection of the reading here. Analysis/Evaluation: Using the example above, insert your analysis/evaluation of the reading here. Argument: Using the example above, insert your arguments, pro or con, of the reading here.

References: If you use any additional references, list here following the APA style.