MODULE TITLE: Victims and Victimology

MODULE CODE: CRI5074
FACULTY OF BUSINESS, LAW AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
BA (Hons) Criminology; BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation

Learning Outcomes Related to the Summative Assessment

You will be assessed on your ability to do the following:

• Demonstrate knowledge, understanding and a critical appreciation of the criminological sub-discipline of victimology, its strengths and weaknesses.

• Critically consider how social inequality impacts upon and influences experiences of victimization.

• Critically consider the experiences of victims within the Criminal Justice System and develop a creative synthesis of possible alternatives.

• Compose and communicate coherent arguments through the analysis of relevant literature, critical thinking and sound writing skills.

Summative Assignment Task

As a group project or as an individual piece of work, you will choose a particular type of crime (previous examples have included a particular hate crime, domestic abuse, sexual violence etc)and critically consider the victim experience, criminal justice/societal awareness/responses.  Finally, you will consider possible alternative approaches to improve the experiences of the victim of your chosen type of crime.

There are three key areas to the assessment:

Part 1 (LO One, Two, Three, Four) will consider the existing literature (both criminological and victimological) which relates to your chosen area of focus.  In doing so you will be trying to set the scene whilst demonstrating a critical appreciation of victimology and also the impact that social inequality can have on the experiences of your victim.

Part 2 (LO Three, Four) will consider victim orientated existing policy and laws, alongside the criminal justice, practitioner interventions/responses.  Within this section you could also explore and public understanding and awareness of your chosen victim of crime.

Part 3 (LO Three, Four) requires you to develop a creative, alternative response to how the experiences of victims of your crime of choice could be improved. Examples could include suggested criminal justice responses, policies or awareness campaigns but it needs to respond to the critical discussion that you have engaged with in the earlier parts of the report.  You should be as detailed and innovative as possible, using existing literature to develop your arguments. This aspect of the assessment in particular requires you to apply your learning and knowledge, considering not only what services and provisions currently exist for victims, but also how these could be improved. You could create visual materials to evidence and support your ideas.