VICTIMS AND VICTIMOLOGY - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module focuses on victims of crime. Recent years have seen increasing awareness of and attention to victim¿s experiences of crime and the criminal justice system. This module will explore the nature and extent of victimisation, victim policy and practice, and the role of victims within the criminal justice system. The module will cover theoretical perspectives on victims and victimisation, national and international policy development, and the nature and impact of public perceptions/attitudes and the ¿victims¿ movement¿. The module will critically examine who is and is not recognised as a victim, and how this has changed over time. The module will explore new and changing approaches to responding to victimisation, including restorative justice.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

GARLAND Jon (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

The emergence of the victim and the ¿victims¿ movement¿;

Measuring and quantifying the nature and extent of victimisation;

The social construction of the victim; and the ¿ideal victim¿;

Media and other representations of victims;

Victims experiences of the criminal justice system;

Policy and practice affecting victims;

Hidden victims / victims of the powerful;

Restorative justice.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the module learning outcomes as follows:

The case study assignment will require students to identify an example of victimisation from the media or their wider reading. Students will be asked to apply key concepts and theories to their chosen case study in order to critically engage with how the victim is constructed, public perceptions/attitudes toward the victim and the crime, and/or the victim¿s experience of and treatment by the justice system. The assignment will enable students to demonstrate all of the learning outcomes. Throughout the module, lectures will include discussion of examples of victims and victimisation so as to support and prepare students for completing their case study.

The essay will require students to demonstrate their understanding of the concepts, theories and criminal justice practice and policy relating to victims by developing an argument which critically engages with relevant literature. Students will chose one from a list of essay questions which will relate to the different aspects of the course. Each question will require students to critically engage with a particular concept, policy or practice around victims and victimisation (e.g. measuring the nature/extent of victimisation, the value of restorative justice approaches, public perceptions and fear of crime, etc.).

Formative assessment
Seminars will involve group and individual activities. Students will receive ongoing feedback during these sessions, and will be encouraged to see their module leader about their work and how they are progressing through the module.

Feedback
Feedback on summative assignments will be provided via SurreyLearn. Feedback will indicate what students did well, less well and what they need to do to improve in the future; will relate both to understanding of the module topic, research skills and more general communication skills. Formative feedback will be provided throughout the module within in-class discussions.

Module aims

• Enhance students' understanding of theoretical and conceptual perspectives on victims and victimisation.
• Deepen students' understanding of criminal justice policy and practice affecting victims.
• Critically analyse the nature and response to victimisation, and the social construction of victims.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to enable students to critically engage with the module content and reading, encouraging active participation and independent thinking.

The learning and teaching methods include:

Lectures, seminar discussions, guided learning and exercises. There will also be use of forms of media such as TV, film and radio as appropriate.
Weekly reading and seminar preparation.

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC3085

Other information

N/A

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2023/4 academic year.