Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice

• • Introduction
  • Perceptions, facts, and fallacies
  • Defining and measuring crime
  • Prevalence: who are the victims and offenders?
  • Street crime and violence
  • White collar and internet crime
  • Psychological theories of crime
  • Sociological theories of crime
  • Policing: public and private
  • Criminal courts and the judiciary
  • Corrections
  • Victims and restorative justice/Crime prevention

• Study resources

  • Instructional methods

    • Discussion forum/Discussion Board
    • Online Quizzes/Tests
    • Podcasting/Lecture capture

  • Online materials

    • Resources and Links
    • Online Assessment
    • Audio-Video streaming

Equivalent subjects

You cannot enrol in this subject if you have successfully completed any of the following subject(s) because they are considered academically equivalent:

• GRF-CCJ15

Others

Students who have completed more than 2 OUA units (GPA 4.0+) and are planning on completing the Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice are strongly encouraged to enrol in the course. Part of this process will involve registering your study plan with Griffith University, which will help to ensure that you are studying the required units.

Special requirements

No special requirements

This unit introduces students to criminology and criminal justice. 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 criminology theory. The unit concludes with an exploration of the criminal justice system as a response to crime.

• Quiz 1 (10%)
• Quiz 2 (10%)
• Take Home Exam (40%)
• Final Invigilated Exam (40%)