CM3S050 - Contemporary Issues in Youth and Crime 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2027 | Version 1
Associated Module Information
| Module Code: | CM3S050 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Module Title: | Contemporary Issues in Youth and Crime | ||
| Faculty: | Faculty of Life Sciences and Education | ||
| Faculty Group: | Policing and Criminology | ||
| Faculty Sub Group: | Post Compulsory Education | ||
| Module Leader: | Helen Martin, Jennifer Maher | ||
| Module Team: | Daniel Welch | ||
| First Intended Intake: | SEP 2022 | Final Year of Intake: | |
| Date Closed: | |||
| Credit Value: | 20 | Credit Level: | 6 |
| Language: | English | ||
| Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: | 0 | ||
| Equivalent Module: | |||
| HECOS codes: | |||
| HECOS Code Weighting: | |||
Document Version Information
| Version | 1 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2022 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2027 |
Module Aims
This module aims to provide students with the ability:
• To evaluate the roles that children and young people [CYPs] play in the criminal justice system as suspects, defendants, offenders, informers, witnesses and victims.
• To present case studies detailing youths in the criminal justice system, with specific focus on youth gangs.
• To challenge common misconceptions of YPs as offenders and youth gang members.
Content Summary
This module builds on knowledge gained by students in previous years, through modules which explore the criminal justice system (henceforth CJS), theoretical criminology and social harms. It focuses on expanding students’ critical understanding of the current issues in relation to youth and crime. By this we mean those topics that are currently highlighted by the media, of political interest and/or are of particular concern to young people (CYPs) themselves in relation to their experiences of criminality, victimisation and the criminal justice system. One half of the module considers one current and particularly pernicious form of youth crime and victimization – the topic of youth gangs – from a local, regional, and international perspective. The other half considers a broad range of topics relating to youth and crime (e.g. bullying and social media) and their interactions with the criminal justice system.
The module aims to challenge commonly held misconceptions of youth and crime. The media, government and even the academic community have been responsible for shaping the often-harmful way in which we think about CYPs and youth groups in the CJS. Even though young males are the most likely people to be victims of crime, we tend to think of them as offenders rather than victims. Furthermore, groups of CYPs, whether troublesome or not, are too readily classified as youth gangs. Traditionally, university modules have focused on youth crime and young offenders rather than thinking more broadly about the other contexts in which CYPs come into contact with the CJS and the contexts in which YPs act as suspects, defendants, offenders, informers, witnesses and victims. Overall, through considering the ways in which CYPs, in the broadest sense, are dealt with in the CJS and their behaviour in groups, this module challenges commonly held misconceptions and provides both depth and breadth in understanding the contemporary issues impacting youthand crime.
In summary, this is a challenge-based module which requires students to examine, in a collaborative and hands-on way, diverse issues relating to youth and crime with a critical lens and to critically examine current responses and think about
formulating alternative solutions. Not only is the teaching style collaborative and hands on, but the innovative assessment methods of podcast production and report writing are too. Both the teaching and assessments enable students to develop transferable skills.
Learning and Teaching Methods
| Activity Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Lecture | 12 |
| Practical classes and workshops | 36 |
| Independent Study | 80 |
| Groupwork | 25 |
| Problem / challenge based learning | 47 |
| Total Hours Selected | 200 |
Learning Outcomes
| # | Learning Outcome |
|---|---|
| LO1 | Demonstrate the ability to evaluate the institutions, procedures and penalties that deal with CYPs in the criminal justice system in<br />England and Wales. |
| LO2 | Demonstrate a comprehensive and critical knowledge of the nature and extent of, theoretical perspectives on, and responses to a specific contemporary CYP case study/phenomenon. |
Module Requisites
N/A
Assessment Criteria
| Assessment Category | Assessment Type | Description | Duration | Word Count | Weight (%) | Best of? | Pass Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asynchronous Assessment | Report 1 | A report for a fictitious government department on a current issue relating to youth and crime. Students will be required to draw on the academic literature and other evidence of their choice | 0 | 2500 | 50 | No | 40 |
| Synchronous Online Oral Assessment | Presentation (Synchronous Online) 1 | A group podcast or presentation profiling a case study of a youth gang | 15 | N/A | 50 | No | 40 |
Assessment Matrix
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| LO1 | LO2 | ||
| Report 1 | ✘ | ✔ | |
| Presentation (Synchronous Online) 1 | ✘ | ✔ | |