The primary argument of the classical school of criminology is that offenders commit crimes due to rational choice. As discussed in the Classical School of Criminology (Links to an external site.) video, rational choice theory focuses on offenders weighing the risks versus rewards prior to engaging in a criminal act (Dorsey, 2013). If the risks are low and the rewards are high, the offender will engage in the crime. However, if the risks are high and the reward is low, the offender generally will not engage in the offense. In addition to the aforementioned, the classical school of criminology also contends that punishment is the primary way to deter crime. In order for punishment to be effective, it must be swift, severe, and certain. In your paper,

• Explain how crime can be prevented as it relates to the beliefs of the classical school of criminology;
• Assess the major components of the classical school of crime causation;
• Discuss specific and general deterrence as it relates to the presence of punishment and the challenges to create deterrence in today’s society; and
• Discuss how risk can be increased and rewards decreased as it relates to conventional crimes and the rational choice theory.

Your paper must

• Be three to five double-spaced pages in length not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center (Links to an external site.).
• Include a separate title page with the following: 
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted
• Use at least five scholarly sources in addition to the course text and the article being evaluated.
• Document all sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.
• Include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center.

Carefully review the Grading Rubric (Links to an external site.) for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment