An Introduction to Crime
CCJ15
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Level of study: What does Undergraduate Level 1 mean?
Undergraduate Level 1
EFTSL: What does EFTSL mean?
0.125
Delivery Method: What does delivery method mean?
Web Dependent
Prerequisites: What are the prerequisites?
Availability: What is a Study period?
For enrolment (2012): For forward planning* (2013): What is Forward Planning?- SP1
- -
- SP3
- -
Duration:
13 weeks
Fee: Fees (current and planned)
- Domestic student fee:
- $795.00 (AUD)
- HECS student fee:
- $706.00 (AUD)
- International student fee:
- $1,020.00 (AUD)
Description
This unit is intended to introduce students to criminal justice and criminology. It begins with an examination of the nature of crime, and the ways in which it is defined and explained in contemporary society. A major emphasis of the unit is exploring the dimensions of crime, particularly the relationship between crime and social class (corporation and white collar crime); the links between youth and crime and youth and the criminal justice response; the relationship between gender and crime; and the reasons for the huge over-representation of Indigenous people in all parts of the criminal justice system in Australia. The unit also surveys the ways in which crime and criminal behaviour are 'explained' via a review of the contemporary literature in criminological theory.
Assessment details will be advised at the beginning of the unit offering.
Prerequisites
Recommended prerequisites
You are recommended to have completed the following unit(s) or have equivalent knowledge before starting this unit:
Assessment
- Essay (40%)
- Invigilated Exam (40%)
- Non-Invigilated Mid Term Exam (20%)
Learning Outcomes
At the completion of this unit students will:
- understand how crime is defined, measured, explained and prevented
- develop a broader appreciation of the relationship between crime myth and crime fact
- develop a sound understanding of the nature of crime, criminals and criminality
- develop academic analytical and writing skills.
Topics
This unit addresses the following topics.
| Number | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | Media and crime |
| 3 | Defining and measuring crime |
| 4 | Prevalence |
| 5 | Victim and offender characteristics and white collar crime |
| 6 | Crime in the streets; crime online |
| 7 | Violent crimes and crimes against morality |
| 8 | The role of theory and psychological perspectives |
| 9 | Sociological perspectives |
| 10 | The interactionist approach |
| 11 | Criminal justice system; the police; the criminal courts; corrections |
| 12 | Victims, criminal and restorative justice |
| 13 | Crime prevention |
Study Resources
This unit is delivered using the following methods and materials:
Instructional Methods
- Discussion Forum/Discussion Board
- Online assignment submission
Print based materials
- Welcome Letter
Online materials
- Online Assessment
- Resources and Links
Textbooks are subject to change within the academic year. Students are advised to purchase their books no earlier than one to two months before the start of a unit.
Click on the titles of the listed books below to find out more:
Required textbooks
Introduction to Crime and Criminology3rd
By:Hayes Hennessey
ISBN: -
Format:Print
Supplier:Go to Unibooks
Recommended textbooks
There are no recommended textbooks for this unit.
Relevant Courses
This unit is a core requirement in the following courses:
This unit is an approved elective in the following courses:
- Bachelor of Behavioural Studies (Psychology), Swinburne University of Tnlgy
- Bachelor of Behavioural Studies, Swinburne University of Tnlgy
This unit may be eligible for credit towards other courses:
- Many undergraduate courses on offer through OUA include 'open elective' where any OUA unit can be credited to the course. You need to check the Award Requirements on the course page for the number of allowed open electives and any level limitations.
- In other cases, the content of this unit might be relevant to a course on offer through OUA or elsewhere. In order to receive credit for this unit in the course you will need to supply the provider institution with a copy of the Unit Profile in the approved format, which you can download here. Note that the Unit Profile is set at the start of the year, and if textbooks change this may not match the Unibooks textbook list.
If you would like to study this unit and enrol today, add it to your Study Cart. Alternatively if you are still exploring your options, you can save this unit to review later by clicking Save to Wishlist.
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