Theories have been used to explain mental health and criminal behavior. This assignment requires you to become familiar with a theory of your choice and apply it to explain the criminal behavior of or

Theories have been used to explain mental health and criminal behavior. This assignment requires you to become familiar with a theory of your choice and apply it to explain the criminal behavior of organized crime groups. You will explain from a theoretical perspective why organized crime groups commit crime. You will also determine whether there are any ethnic differences among the members of organized crime groups.

For this assignment, you are required to identify a criminal group comprised of members who are all of one race or ethnicity and compare the types of criminal activities they engage in. You are also required to identify a mixed-race criminal group and report the types of crimes that it is involved in. Report any differences in criminal activity among the different ethnic groups. You may select more than one theory to explain the criminal behavior of the crime groups selected. Provide a rationale for selecting each theory.

Tasks:

Select two organized crime groups (one with members of the same race and the other with members of different races) you want to research. Use your textbook readings and the Argosy University online library resources to research the two groups. Prepare a 2–3-page paper that includes the following:

• A description of each organized crime group.
• The theory, or theories, of organized crime behavior that you think best explains the criminal behavior of members of the two groups.
• A discussion of the key points of the selected theory, or theories, and their application to explain the criminal behavior of the two groups.
• The ethnicities of the group members and the way the ethnic makeup of each group seems to be associated with particular types of criminal activity.
• An APA-formatted reference page, linking back to your in-text citations and supporting your recommendations. You cannot have only in-text citations or only references; you must have both.