CRIME & OFFENDING - 2023/4

Module Overview

This module focuses on the nature and extent of crime and offending.  It examines the different approaches to measuring crime and offending (police recorded crime, victim surveys, ‘known’ offending and self report studies).  It considers the main factors associated with crime and offending and highlights the importance of understanding the nature and patterns of crime in planning strategies and interventions.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

MCCARTHY Daniel (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

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

Module Availability

Semester 2

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

The module covers the following

1.      Introduction to the course, assessment requirements and the measurement of crime and offending

2.      The geographical distribution of crime

3.      Poverty, unemployment and crime

4.      Young people and crime

5.      Race, gender and crime

6.      Health, housing and education

7.      Drugs, alcohol and crime

8.      Victims and repeat victimisation

9.      Antisocial behaviour

10.     Crime Prevention

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their in-depth knowledge of theoretical, empirical and policy issues related to crime and offending. Students select from a range that cover the whole module.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:

·       Two 2,000-word essays

 

Formative assessment and feedback

Students receive written feedback on both their summative assignments, with the feedback from the first being able to feed into the undertaking of the second. Students are encouraged to see the module leader about their work.

Module aims

• Introduce students to the extent and nature of crime and offending in England and Wales
• Examine models of crime and offending
• Consider relevant policy and legislation on crime and offending an, as appropriate, its effectiveness

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to reflect the programme’s key learning and teaching aims by:

• Engendering knowledge of key theoretical conceptualisations and understanding of crime and offending.


• Promoting knowledge of the empirical basis for our understanding of the relationship between crime, offending and wider aspects of social life


• Developing transferable skills that that relate to employability in the field of crime and justice and help prepare students for PhD study

The learning and teaching methods include:

• Lectures (2 hour per week)


• Class exercises


• Class discussions


• Independent study

Each session focuses on one aspect of the relationship between crime and offending. Sessions aim to provide a broad introduction to a topic and interaction between lecturer and students is encouraged throughout. There will also be use of forms of media such as TV, film and radio, as appropriate. Each session has one piece of primary reading which all students are expected to read to get the most from the sessions. Wider reading is encouraged and essential for the assessments.

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: SOCM019

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.