SS7080 - Crime and Offender Patterns (2017/18)
Module specification | Module approved to run in 2017/18 | ||||||||||
Module title | Crime and Offender Patterns | ||||||||||
Module level | Masters (07) | ||||||||||
Credit rating for module | 20 | ||||||||||
School | School of Social Sciences | ||||||||||
Total study hours | 200 | ||||||||||
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Assessment components |
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Running in 2017/18(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
This module allows students to identify and critically assess patterns in specific forms of crime and offending behaviour, as well as to consider the prevalence, characteristics and typologies of specific types of offence. Models used to explain crime and offender patterns, as well as recidivism and desistance, will be considered. These will be related to the wider theoretical criminological field.
To begin with, the module is structured around identifying and evaluating key patterns and characteristics of recorded crime and offending behaviour, with a particular (but not exclusive) emphasis on the UK. The module also aims to present and assess explanatory models used to explicate crime trends, and changes in offending patterns.
The module then focuses on specific types of offence category (including violent and sexual offences, financial, organised crime and environmental crime), and identifies specific trends. As a corollary, the escalation of offending behaviour and the concept of criminal 'career' is evaluated.
The third and final element of the module centres on an analysis of 'serial offenders', and the ways in which offender and geographic profiling might (or might not) assist in understanding and detecting such offenders.
Module aims
At end of module students will be able to identify and critically assess patterns in specific forms of crime and offending behaviour
They will be able to consider the prevalence, characteristics and typologies of specific types of offence.
They will be able to use various models to explain crime and offender patterns, as well as recidivism and desistance.
Syllabus
Lectures are built around key themes, including the following:
• The extent of offending and criminological theories
• Official figures
• Self-report studies
• Diversity of offending
• Co-offending
• Spatial analysis of offending
• Recidivism and desistance
Learning and teaching
Teaching will usually consist of an hour lecture followed by a seminar. All students must attend the sessions, and prepare for them as necessary. Students are expected to read and research outside of formal teaching times for between 6 and 7 hours per week and are encouraged to bring to the sessions relevant supporting material (such as photographs, diagrams, and newspaper or internet reports).
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module students will be able to:
• gain an overview of related criminological theoretical models
• critically evaluate trends in crime and offending behaviour
• identify and assess explanatory models of crime and offending
• understand the prevalence and characteristics of key forms of offending (such as violent crime)
• identify and comprehend trends in the escalation of offending behaviour
• demonstrate an enhanced knowledge of research conducted in the field of offending patterns
• demonstrate an understanding of the use and efficacy of offender and geographic profiling
Assessment strategy
The essay is due for submission in week 13. Essay titles will be published in week 7. The essay will count for 100% of the assessment and students will be able to submit formative essay plans prior to submission. There will also be formative presentations during seminars.
Bibliography
Adler JR (2004), 'Forensic Psychology: Concepts, debates and practice', Cullompton: Willan publishing
Ainsworth P (2001) ‘Offender profiling and crime analysis’, Cullompton: Willan
Andrews DA and Bonta J (2003), 'The Psychology of Criminal Conduct', Cincinatti: Anderson Publishing Co.
Blackburn R (2000), 'The Psychology of Criminal Conduct: Theory, Research and Practice', Chichester: John Wiley and Sons
Brookman F (2005), 'Understanding Homicide', London: Sage
Bull R, Cooke C, Hatcher R, Woodhams J, Bilby C and Grant T (2006), ‘Criminal Psychology: A Beginner’s Guide’, Oxford: Oneworld Publications
Canter D (2003) 'Mapping Murder: The Secrets of Geographical Profiling', London: Virgin Books
Davies A and Dale A (1995) Locating the Stranger Rapist, London: Police Research Group
Davies A, Wittebrood K and Jackson JL (1998) ‘Predicting the Criminal Record of a Stranger Rapist’, London: Policing and Reducing Crime Unit
Farrington, DR (2002), 'What has been learned from self-reports about criminal careers and the causes of offending?', University of Cambridge: Institute of Criminology (report for the Home Office) Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, London: Home Office
Fox JA and Levin J (2001) 'The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder', London: Allyn and Bacon
Gibson DC (2004) 'Clues from Killers: Serial Murder and Crime Scene Messages', Westport: Praeger
Hollin C (1989), ‘Psychology and Crime: An Introduction to Criminological Psychology’, London: Routledge
Holmes RM and Holmes ST (1996) (second edition), 'Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool', London: Sage
Holmes ST and Holmes RM (2002), 'Sex Crimes: Patterns and Behavior', London: Sage
Jackson JL and Bekerian DA (1997) ‘Offender profiling: theory, research and practice’, Chichester: Wiley
Johnson SD, Bowers KJ, and Pease K (2005), ‘Predicting the future or summarising the past? Crime mapping as anticipation’, in Smith MJ and Tilley N (eds), Crime Science: New approaches to preventing and detecting crime’, Cullompton: Willan
Keppel RD and Birnes WJ (2003) 'The Psychology of Serial Killer Investigations: The Grisly Business Unit', London: Academic Press
Leyton E (2001) 'Hunting Humans: Inside the minds of the real-life Hannibal Lecters', London: John Blake publishing
Mouzos J (2000) 'Homicidal Encounters: A study of Homicide in Australia 1989-1999', Australian Institute of Criminology, Research and Public Policy Series No. 28
Myers WC (2002), 'Juvenile Sexual Homicide', London: Academic Press
National Institute of Justice (2005), ‘Co-offending and Patterns of Juvenile Crime’, Washington DC: US Department of Justice
Pincus JH (2001) 'Base Instincts: What Makes Killers Kill', New York: WW Norton & Company
Proulx J, Beauregard E, Cusson M and Nicole A (2007), 'Sexual Murderers: A Comparative Analysis and New Perspectives', Chichester: John Wiley and Sons Ltd
Putwain D and Sammons A (2002), ‘Psychology and Crime’, London: Routledge
Ressler RK, Burgess AW and Douglas JE (1988) ‘Sexual Homicide: Patterns and Motives’, Toronto: Lexington Books
Rossmo D. Kim (2000) 'Geographic Profiling', London: CRC Press
Sears DJ (1991) 'To Kill Again: The Motivation and Development of Serial Murder' Wilmington, DE: Scholarly Resources
Smith DJ (2007), ‘Crime and the life course’, in Maguire M, Morgan R and Reiner R (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford University Press
Soothill K, Francis B, and Fligelstone R (2002), 'Patterns of Offending Behaviour: A new approach', Lancaster University: Department of Applied Social Science'
Sorensen DWM (2005) 'The Journey to Danish Residential Burglary: Distributions and Correlates of Crime Trips Made by Convicted Danish Offenders', University of Copenhagen
Tilley N, Pease K, Hough M and Brown R (1999), 'Burglary prevention: Early lessons from the Crime Reduction Programme', London: Home Office (Policing and Reducing Crime Unit)
Thornberry TP and Krohn MD (2000), ‘The Self-Report Method for Measuring Delinquency and Crime’, Measurement and Analysis of Crime and Justice, available at http://www.ncjrs.gov/criminal_justice2000/vol_4/04b.pdf