Overview
This unit introduces you to the basic elements of criminology and criminal justice. The nature and trends associated with crime are examined, together with how it relates to dimensions such as social class, age, gender and ethnicity. You will examine crime in the context of contemporary criminology theory. This unit also introduces you to the institutional response to Criminal Justice in Australia, how society responds to offensive behaviour and the roles of key agencies and individuals within the justice system.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2024
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Student evaluation (qualitative)
More real-world examples
A primary case study could be applied to each week wherein a theory of crime is explored, allowing students to connect and apply the key concepts to a real crime event during the lecture and workshop.
Feedback from Anecdotal student feedback; UC reflection
Clarity around use of AI
Students should be provided with clear parameters around the use of AI at the outset of the unit, especially as this is a first-year subject. This information should be based on best practice as advised by the Academic Integrity Unit. Students should be guided on appropriate use of AI, and where it should not be utilised this must be made clear within the marking instructions/rubric/guides.
- Describe how crime is classified, measured and analysed
- Analyse basic criminology theories and how they relate to criminal activity
- Explain the roles of individuals and key agencies within the justice system
- Examine the societal and institutional responses to criminal justice in Australia.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | ||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | ||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | ||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
| 1 - Communication | ||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | ||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | ||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | ||||
| 5 - Team Work | ||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | ||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | ||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | ||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | ||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | ||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | ||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Online Quiz(zes) - 15% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Written Assessment - 35% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Written Assessment - 50% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
There are no required textbooks.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
j.hotten@cqu.edu.au
WEEK ONE: What is Criminology and Criminal Justice?
Begin Date: 08 Jul 2024Module/Topic
Unit introduction: Crime and Criminal Justice
Chapter
Bruinsma, G., & Loeber, R. (2011). Introduction: Challenges for criminological and criminal justice research, p. 8 -20. In Bruinsma, G., Elffers, H., & De, K. J. (Eds.). (2011). Punishment, places and perpetrators. Willan Publishing. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=449541&ppg=38
Fishwick, E., & Marinella, M. (2018). Criminology in Australia: A global south perspective. In Triplett, R. A. (Ed.). The handbook of the history and philosophy of criminology. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=5144712&ppg=397
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK TWO: Psychological theories of crime
Begin Date: 15 Jul 2024Module/Topic
Psychological positivism and criminality
Chapter
Hollin, C. R. (2013). Chapter three: Psychological theories applied to crime, p.48. In Psychology and crime : an introduction to criminological psychology (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203074282https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=1114653&ppg=4
Wortley, R. (2011). Introduction, p. 1-19. Psychological Criminology: An Integrative Approach. Willan Publishing. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=684003.
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK THREE: Social theories of crime
Begin Date: 22 Jul 2024Module/Topic
Sociological perspectives on crime
Chapter
Zembroski, D. (2011). Sociological Theories of Crime and Delinquency. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 21(3), 240–254. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2011.564553. https://cqu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61CQU_INST/669qn3/cdi_proquest_journals_871970798
Dooley, B. D. (2019). Undisciplined: Tracing criminology’s growing divergence from sociology. Sociological Inquiry, 89(1), 94-122. https://cqu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61CQU_INST/669qn3/cdi_openaire_primary_doi_29442b4d5c71b0f816d14b8cdbf0e34d
DiCristina, B. (2016). Durkheim’s theory of anomie and crime: A clarification and elaboration. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 49(3), 311-331. https://cqu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1rb43gr/TN_cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A464112459.
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK FOUR: Cultural criminology
Begin Date: 29 Jul 2024Module/Topic
Exploring cultural criminology
Chapter
Ferrell, J et al (2016). Chapter 1: Cultural Criminology - An Invitation. In J. Ferrel, K. Hayward & J. Young. (2015). Cultural Criminology. SAGE Publications. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/detail.action?docID=6408502.
Hayward, K. (2009). Visual criminology: cultural criminology-style. Centre for Crime and Justice Studies. https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/sites/crimeandjustice.org.uk/files/09627250903385172.pdf
Sunde, H. M., Ilan, J., & Sandberg, S. (2021). A cultural criminology of “new” jihad: Insights from propaganda magazines. Crime, Media, Culture, 17(2), 271–287. https://doi.org/10.1177/1741659020915509
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz opens
WEEK FIVE: Critical Criminology & Deviance
Begin Date: 05 Aug 2024Module/Topic
Critical criminology
Chapter
DeKeseredy, W. S. (2022). Chapter 1: What is critical criminology?. In Contemporary critical criminology (Second edition).Routledge.https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=6702853&ppg=18
Panfil, V. (2018). Young and unafraid: queer criminology’s unbounded potential. Palgrave Communications, 4, 110. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-018-0165-x
Turley, E., King, N., & Monro, S. (2018). Illuminating the erotic in BDSM. Psychology & Sexuality, 9(2),148-160. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19419899.2018.1448297?scroll=top&needAccess=true&journalCode=rpse20
Sollund, R. (2017). Doing Green, Critical Criminology with an Auto-Ethnographic, Feminist Approach. Critical Criminology, 25(2), 245–260. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10612-017-9361-z
Events and Submissions/Topic
Quiz closes
Online Quiz Due: Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 12 Aug 2024Module/Topic
No class: catch-up study week
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook part 1 submission due
WEEK SIX: Crimes of the Powerful
Begin Date: 19 Aug 2024Module/Topic
Crime of the powerful: White Collar & Corporate crime
Chapter
Severson, R.E., Kodatt, Z.H., & Buruss, G. (2020). Chapter 11: Explaining white collar crime: Individual level theories, p. 159. In M.L., Rorie (Ed.). (2020). The handbook of white-collar crime. Wiley Blackwell. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=5896936&ppg=185
Button M.,Nicholls C M,Kerr J.,Owen R.,(2014) Online frauds: Learning from victims why they fall for these scams. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology, 47, 391-408.Sage Publication, London.
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0004865814521224
Holt T J., Burruss G W., Bossler A M., (2010) Social learning and cyber-deviance: Examining the importance of full social learning model in the virtual world. Journal of Crime and Justice, 33, 31-61, Elsevier, Amsterdam
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/0735648X.2010.9721287
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK SEVEN: Victimology
Begin Date: 26 Aug 2024Module/Topic
Victimology: Studying victimisation and victim experiences
Chapter
Hale, R., & Harkness, A. (2023). Rural victims of crime in contemporary context, pp. 1-12. In R. Hale & A. Harkness. Rural victims of crime. Routledge. https://cqu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61CQU_INST/669qn3/cdi_openaire_primary_doi_118dc221bfaf7f8466db980c1be7b46f
Carrington, F. & Nicholson, G. (1984). The victims’ movement: An idea whose time has come. Pepperdine Law Review, 11(5), 1-18. https://cqu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1rb43gr/TN_cdi_gale_infotracacademiconefile_A3377622.
Duggan, M. (2018). Introduction: Revisiting the “Ideal Victim”: Developments in Critical Victimology (1st ed.). Policy Press. https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447338765.003.0001
Gottfredson, M. (1986). Substantive contributions of victimization surveys. Crime and Justice, 7, 251-287. https://cqu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1rb43gr/TN_cdi_proquest_journals_1295208252.
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK EIGHT: Policing
Begin Date: 02 Sep 2024Module/Topic
Introduction to policing studies
Chapter
McLaughlin, E (2006). Police studies: Traditional perspectives. Sage publications. https://us.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-assets/26565_book_item_26565.pdf
Bleakley, P. (2021). The trouble with squads: accounting for corruption in Australia’s specialist policing units. Criminal Justice Studies, 34(1), 115–133. https://doi.org/10.1080/1478601X.2020.1763985
Stinson, P. (2020). Introduction: police violence, p 1-20. In Stinson, P. M. Criminology Explains Police Violence. University of California Press,. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520971639
Events and Submissions/Topic
Offender case study analysis submission due
Offender Case Study Analysis Due: Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
WEEK NINE: Courts
Begin Date: 09 Sep 2024Module/Topic
Overview of courts
Chapter
Camilleri, M., & Harkness, A. (2022) Context and controversies of Australian courts: Introduction. In M. Camilerri & A. Harkness (2022). Australian courts: controversies, challenges, change. Palgrave. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=7175620&ppg=23
Lacey Schaefer & Mary Beriman (2019) Problem-Solving Courts in Australia: A Review of Problems and Solutions, Victims & Offenders, 14:3, 344-359. https://cqu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61CQU_INST/669qn3/cdi_crossref_primary_10_1080_15564886_2019_1595245
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK TEN: Corrections
Begin Date: 16 Sep 2024Module/Topic
Studying corrections, prisons and punishment
Chapter
Michelle, B. (2009). Chapter 2: Prison Theory - Engaging the Work of Punishment. In The Culture of Punishment (pp. 21-). NYU Press. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/cqu/reader.action?docID=865527&ppg=2
Duff, A. & Kelly, E. (2008). Legal punishment. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.). The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Stanford University Press. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/legal-punishment/
Eriksson, A. (2023). The Taint of The Other: Prison Work as ‘Dirty Work’ In Australia. Punishment & Society, 25(2), 324–342. https://doi.org/10.1177/14624745211047534
Events and Submissions/Topic
WEEK ELEVEN: Reintegration and Rehabilitation
Begin Date: 23 Sep 2024Module/Topic
Post-release pathways: Exploring the concepts of 'reintegration' and 'rehabilitation'.
Chapter
Maruna, S. (2017). Desistance as a social movement. Irish Probation Journal, 14, 5-20. https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/159713772/Desistance_as_a_Social_Movement.pdf
Weaver, B. (2019). Understanding desistance: A critical review of theories of desistance. Psychology, Crime & Law, 25(6), 641-658. https://cqu-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1rb43gr/TN_cdi_crossref_primary_10_1080_1068316X_2018_1560444
Hale, R. (2020). Good Intentions: Women’s Narratives of Post-Release Anticipatory Desistance in the Context of Historical and Contemporary Disadvantage and Trauma. Feminist Criminology, 15(5), 519–544. https://doi.org/10.1177/1557085120923403
Events and Submissions/Topic
Workbook part 2 submission due
Workbook Due: Week 11 Friday (27 Sept 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
WEEK TWELVE: Summary of key learnings & reflection
Begin Date: 30 Sep 2024Module/Topic
Unit summary: What will you take away from CRIM11001?
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 07 Oct 2024Module/Topic
No class
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 14 Oct 2024Module/Topic
No class
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Online Quiz(zes)
The quiz will open on Monday at 9:00am AEST in week 4 and closes on Friday in week 5 at 5:00pm AEST.
This is an online multiple choice, true/false and short answer assessment. The questions will be drawn from the material from modules 1-4. The quiz will include material from lectures, workshops, readings and other resources.
Please be aware all questions are worth 1 mark each. There will be 15 questions to answer.
Students will have to complete this assessment in one session. Multiple attempts will not be available, so think carefully about your responses and answer accurately.
You will not be able to go back and change your responses.
The session will time out after 60 minutes.
*If you require reasonable adjustments to this task (e.g. due to disability) please discuss this with the unit coordinator.
1
Other
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Quiz must be completed by this time. Any incomplete attempts will be submitted at this time.
Week 5 Friday (9 Aug 2024)
- Knowledge of course content (from weeks 1-4), including readings and workshop activities.
- Application of theory to practical situations
- Understanding the nature of studies in criminology and criminal justice
- Describe how crime is classified, measured and analysed
- Analyse basic criminology theories and how they relate to criminal activity
- Explain the roles of individuals and key agencies within the justice system
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
2 Written Assessment
1700 Words - due week 8
In the first half of this unit, you will explore the factors that influence offending and various ways that crime can be understood, studied, and interpreted (see - theories and perspectives of crime).
In this assessment you will apply these learnings to a hypothetical offender profile, demonstrating your understanding of key concepts.
This assessment requires that you select one offender profile and write an analysis of the offender and their crime/s, explaining relevant concepts learned in the unit.
Your analysis should include:
- An analysis of the offender's life history and experiences, including any relevant factors relating to their childhood, family, upbringing etc., and the impact these may have had on their pathway into offending and why.
- An analysis of any social, biological and/or psychological factors that appear relevant to the chosen case, applying the appropriate theories and concepts learned in the unit (or sourced from the broader academic literature) to support your analysis.
- An overview of any other factors relevant to the particular case, supported by theories/concepts/terms from the broader literature.
- A brief reflection on how criminological theories/perspectives/concepts can assist in understanding offending behavior and determining appropriate responses to crime (e.g. policies, legislation, practice, interventions).
In doing so, you must apply reliable scholarly sources e.g. academic journal articles). A minimum of five scholarly sources must be applied throughout the paper. A reference list with the full details of each source should be provide at the end of the paper (starting on a new page).
Week 8 Friday (6 Sept 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
Week 10 Friday (20 Sept 2024)
- Illustration of relevant criminology concepts through carefully considered analysis of the chosen case /8
- Application of key concepts/terms from the unit to the case in order to explain offending /10
- Application of research and literature from the course material, including set readings, as well as self-sourced scholarly literature (minimum of five academic sources) /10
- Quality of piece: Clear expression, layout, structure and correct referencing /7
- Analyse basic criminology theories and how they relate to criminal activity
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
3 Written Assessment
Word limit: 2000 words
Students will submit a learning journal (available to download via Moodle) consisting of short activities relating to Criminology to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of various criminological issues covered during the unit modules.
Students are provided with a task to complete each week from weeks 1-10. There are 10 tasks in total. These short tasks make up the learning journal. Each task is relevant to that week’s particular topic and will develop your knowledge and reflections in relation to criminology and criminal justice.
Select TWO entries from weeks 1-5 for submission #1 (due Monday of mid-term vacation), and TWO from weeks 6-10 for submission #2 (due end of week 11).
These should be the entries you think are your best in terms of your understanding of the topic, depth of the response, and quality of writing. These four entries will make up your final grade for the assessment. You can note your chosen weeks on the front page of the workbook at each submission point (there is a box at the very bottom of the front page).
WORD COUNT
Word length should be 500 words (+/-10%) per chosen weekly entry (1,000 words total per submission point)
Make sure you keep responses relevant and concise - use the short word count wisely!
Responses must be written as complete sentences, not dot-points or lists.
REFERENCING
Students should provide three different scholarly references within each weekly response.
For example, submission #1 requires 2 references for your first chosen week and 2 different references for your second chosen week = 4 references total.
Include full details of references at the end of each response for all material cited. Referencing must adhere to American Psychological Association (APA 7) guidelines, which can be found here. Full references are not included in the word limit, however in-text citations are.
Lecture notes should not be used as part of the reference list - students should find their own original sources. Remember to avoid non-scholarly sources such as dictionaries and Wikipedia.
MARKING
The assessment is worth 50 marks overall for the unit (half of your final mark).
25 marks are allocated to submission #1 (two chosen entries from weeks 1-5), and 25 marks to submission #2 (two chosen entries from weeks 6-10)
Each entry is marked against the rubric criteria available on Moodle and overall feedback will be provided.
Please ensure you incorporate the feedback from submission point #1 to improve your second submission.
Week 11 Friday (27 Sept 2024) 5:00 pm AEST
There are two submission points for this task - week 5 and week 11. See Moodle for more information.
Review/Exam Week Friday (11 Oct 2024)
Each workbook submission will be marked as follows: -
- Level of consideration and detail given to the weekly activity, including depth of response and degree of critical analysis /10
- Demonstration of how theories and concepts from the coursework integrate into practical and applied situations /10
- Quality of entries, including appropriate writing style and referencing /5
- Explain the roles of individuals and key agencies within the justice system
- Examine the societal and institutional responses to criminal justice in Australia.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
