Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice

• Topics

  • 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

    • Disscusion forum/Discussion Board
    • Online Quizzes/Tests
    • Podcasting/Leacture capture

  • Online Materials

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

Entry Requirements

Equivalent Subjects

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

• GRF-CCJ15

Special requirements

No special requirements

This subject 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 subject 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 subject also surveys the ways in which crime and criminal behaviour are "explained" via a review of the contemporary literature in criminology theory. The subject concludes with an exploration of the criminal justice system as a response to crime.

• Assignment 1 - Quiz 1 (10%)
• Assignment 2 - Quiz 2 (10%)
• Assignment 3 - Take Home Exam (40%)
• Assignment 4 - Final Exam (40%)

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 subject.