Criminology Personal Statement Example 16

I am interested in studying Criminology at university for the purpose of gaining a wider understanding of the causes and consequences of crime and delving deeper into the effects crime has on society. The way the human mind operates is something I find very intriguing, especially in terms of criminals.

Additionally, I believe that people who have done wrong in the world deserve to be brought to justice. This is something I am aiming to be able to do myself later in life as I would like to be a Detective, using my own set of skills to solve cases. Whilst doing my own research I came across cases involving people such as Luka Magnotta and Christopher Watts, both were involved in different acts of murder.

These cases instantly gripped my attention, and many questions ran through my brain. What could drive someone to commit such violent crimes? What must have been going through their brains at the time the crime was committed? Could it be as a result of nature or nurture? There are so many questions I have on the subject of criminology, which only fascinates me further.

Before taking on Psychology at college, I assumed the reasoning behind why humans behave the way they do would be easy to answer. However, I soon found out this was not the case because of the variety of studies and theories I have come across in the subject. Studying Psychology has helped reinforce some of the knowledge that I have gained from Criminology due to the courses linking very well. During my studies, Psychology has advanced my learning on all things to do with the human mind and behaviour. With this, it has allowed me to apply this to analysing criminal minds and why criminals may commit crimes.

The study by Raine et al (1997), which looked at brain abnormalities in murderers, is a perfect example of how my knowledge in both subjects has linked. It allowed me to learn about how criminals may have differences in the brain to the average person which I found myself extremely interested in. Also, Psychology in particular has taught me how to write answers to long answer questions and essays as this is required throughout the whole course. In both Psychology and Sport, I have built upon my team-work skills during many group assignments that I have worked through to improve my studies.

These tasks have allowed me to show that I can be a valuable member to any team that I am in due to my resilience and work ethic. In some of my studies in Sport I have learned that I am capable of being a team leader, particularly through my 'Sports Coaching and Activity Leadership' unit. During this, I coached many sports sessions for my peers and took charge of whole sessions.

On the other hand, some studies in Sport have included sociological theories that explain societies behaviour in terms of in sports. It can be said that these types of theories have a criminological link as they explain behaviours of society, much like the sociological theories of criminality that I have learned about too. In my spare time, I enjoy playing football for my local team Springhead FC.

It is here that I have enjoyed pushing myself to my limits constantly in order to be successful. I also have a part time job at a supermarket whilst studying at college, where I solve many different problems for customer, ensuring they have a good experience. I like to watch true crime documentaries/series in my free time such as The Ripper, Night Stalker and Amanda Knox.

I also enjoy fictional crime shows too including Line of Duty and The Stranger. I strongly believe that there is always something new to learn and that the most important skill is listening. This way of thinking, combined with my enormous amount of curiosity for the subject, is exactly why I desire to be on the course. This is something I am immensely passionate about, which is why I am more than ready to move onto higher education and become an expert in criminology before pursuing my aspirations of being a Detective.