CRIME, COMMUNITY SAFETY AND CRIME PREVENTION - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module explores the theory and practice of community safety and crime prevention, areas of contemporary criminological and policy interest. We look the social and historical context in which community safety and crime prevention theory and practice has developed. We consider how we understand what works in preventing crime and explore what interventions are effective in doing so. We look at specific theories which are have been important in understanding how criminal events are understood and their application in crime prevention work. In so doing, we focus on situational crime prevention and crime prevention through environmental design. We also look at alternative explanations of offending and their implications for crime reduction. Notably, developmental, social and community approaches to crime prevention. We also look at desistance theory and its implications. Lastly, we look at the relationship between the crime prevention and the criminal justice system.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

BULLOCK Karen (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

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

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Crime prevention and community safety in historical and social context


• Understanding what works in preventing crime


• Explaining the crime event (rational choice, situational precipitators, routine activities, geometry of crime and crime pattern analysis)


• Situational crime prevention


• Crime prevention through environmental design


• Crime prevention and the design of goods


• Developmental crime prevention and the management of risk


• Social and community approaches to crime prevention


• Desistance theories and crime prevention


• Crime prevention and the criminal justice system


• Women and crime prevention

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate they have (a) understood the basic principles and concepts underpinning crime prevention and community safety work (b) that they can apply this knowledge critically and carry out their own analyses. Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of one in-class test and one 1,500 word essay. Formative assessment and feedback will include feedback in class, in one-one-meetings and written feedback on the in-class test and essay. Students will be asked to work in small groups in most sessions and then present and discuss ideas based on the topics covered for that week. Formal verbal feedback will be given at the end of the session.

Module aims

• Appraise students about the historical and social context in which community safety and crime prevention theory and practice have been developed
• Introduce students to models and theories of community safety and crime prevention
• Inform students about the techniques developed to prevent crime and their impact

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy has been designed to encourage students to think critically about crime prevention theory and practice. The learning and teaching methods include The learning and teaching methods include eleven 2 hour seminars based around lectures, group work and open discussions.

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: SOC2061

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 2025/6 academic year.