Criminology and Sociology Personal Statement Example 3

Do you ever think about what your purpose in life is?

Being of a British African background the statistics don't always paint a rosy picture. They display a high level of educational underachievement and criminality. It's a pleasing concept to know that I am not part of this statistic. Recently I had a heated debate on David Starkey's comment 'the whites have become black' but failed to come to a conclusion as to whether black people are socialised differently as they are over represented in the prison population. Why are black people in society more likely to be involved in criminal acts? Is it due to cultural differential socialisation? What can I do to help improve my community?

Questions such as these have inspired me to work with young offenders engaging them into schemes that prevent them from re-offending. I would particularly enjoy a career in the HM Prison Service. To achieve these goals my first destination is university and to make this possible, I have chosen a criminology based degree. I have gained an entry level qualification into youth work which was a good introduction into my chosen career.It has taught me how to communicate effectively with young people from tough backgrounds; for example children in care. During this course I had the opportunity to enhance my presentation and debating skills which will be useful for the course. Recently I have developed more interest in criminology which has led me to wider reading for example Criminological Perspectives: Essential Readings' book. Through this I have learnt about victimisation, characteristics of criminal behaviour and groups who are more vulnerable to
crime.

Continually I have worked with my local careers service on the youth forum for young people 'Not In Employment, Education or Training' (NEETS), improving their confidence. Many of the youths had been excluded from school. This has enabled me to be more open-mided and patient. I believe these skills can be transferable to the prison service; offenders need someone who listens to them without prejudging them. During the last summer holidays I did an internship with the police. This taught me more about taking responsibility; for example as team leader during my internship I had to take charge of my team's whereabouts the tasks
required heavy analysis and in depth evaluation which will be useful when studying criminal cases. This will be of great importance especially when on placements where difficult situations may arise such as working with drug addicts.

I realise the importance of communication and interpersonal skills especially when assessing arguments from a different points of view. This has inspired me to take an active role in my community such as participation on outreach programmes with my church and also contributing to sponsoring a child through my youth group with the charity 'Compassion'. My current studies in psychology and sociology have influenced my outlook on life; this has broadened my essay writing and analytical skills which will be very useful especially when conducting research on how societies react to crime and victimisation.

University is not just a place that will broaden my horizons but I will be able to further extend my personal interests, such as joining societies which the university has. I am keen to pursue my hobbies such as dance, singing and acting. The greatest achievement in life is helping others achieve their goals. It is especially rewarding as I got the opportunity to mentor a student with personal issues that were affecting their school life, at my current school. This has encouraged me to be more open-minded about different situations that may arise and deal with them carefully and sensitively. Resourceful, independent, hardworking and resilient, are words that I would use to describe my work ethic. The demanding nature of a joint honours degree will motivate me to success, and a useful career, not just for me but for society in general.