Assignment 1: Delinquency Theories and the Scientific Method

Each of the theories presented in this course is based on the scientific method. The scientific method is a means of acquiring new knowledge by which phenomena are systematically observed, measured, and experimented on and on which hypotheses are offered, tested, and modified. The scientific method has long been used to study the natural, or hard, sciences. More recently, though, the scientific method has been applied to the social, or soft, sciences in order to explain human behavior.

Submission Details:

By Saturday, May 14, 2016, in a minimum of 250 words, post to the Discussion Area your responses to the following:

• Do you believe that approaches to preventing and controlling juvenile delinquency should be grounded in the scientific method? If so, why?
• If not the scientific method, then what other philosophy or process would you recommend in guiding approaches to preventing and controlling juvenile delinquency? How effective do you think the other approaches might be?

By Wednesday, May 18, 2016, read and respond to at least two of your classmates' posts by commenting on their examples and explanations and on how well they have described the strengths and weaknesses of the scientific method.

Discussion Grading Criteria and Rubric

All discussion assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 40 points. Download the discussion rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.