COMPARATIVE YOUTH CRIME AND JUSTICE
| SHE Level | 3 |
| SCQF Credit Points | 20.00 |
| ECTS Credit Points | 10.00 |
| Module Code | M3L424411 |
| Module Leader | Annette Robertson |
| School | Glasgow School for Business and Society |
| Subject | Sociology |
| Trimester |
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Pre-Requisite Knowledge
Level 2 Criminology module, or equivalent
Summary of Content
This module provides students with a comparative historical, theoretical and contemporary understanding of the key issues relating to the study of youth crime and justice. The module is divided into 4 main areas: -360 1. 'Historical Representations' - provides a critical introduction to the social construction of childhood and the discovery of juvenile delinquency; -360 2. 'Theories of Youth Crime' - covers the main theories that have been developed to explain the relationship between 'youth' and 'crime'; 3. 'Youth Justice in Practice' - reflects on the development of a distinct approach to govern and control young people's 'troubled' and 'troublesome' behaviour; 4. 'Current Perspectives' - investigates various aspects of contemporary youth crime and justice at the national and international level, including the extent of youth crime (and victimisation) and how young people are controlled and punished in Scotland and around the world. This module incorporates aspects of PRME-related issues such as individual and institutional responsibility and accountability; ethics and values; gender; and human rights.
Syllabus
Topics covered include: -357b7 The Invention of Childhood b7 The 'Discovery' of Juvenile Delinquency b7 British Youth in the 20 th Century b7 Sociological Theories of Youth Crime b7 Young People and Labeling b7 Young People and the Criminalization of Drugs b7 Trends and Patterns of Youth Crime (Offending Rates, Gender and Ethnicity) b7 Regulating Young People (Historical Context, Current Debates, ASB Legislation) b7 Scottish and International Perspectives
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the module, students should have a critical understanding of the key ways of thinking about:" The social construction of 'youth' as a problem category;" Social, media and political representations of the youth-crime link;" The nature and extent of youth crime;" Theoretical explanations for youth crime;" Young people as offenders and victims of crime;" The regulation and punishment of young offenders." Scottish and international approaches to young people and crime
Teaching / Learning Strategy
There will be 2-hours of lectures and 1 seminar/group each week. Students are expected to read a selection of texts that should enhance the value of lectures and provide a basis for discussion during seminars. Feedback is provided on both formative and summative assessment. Extensive use is made of GCU Learn, including in the provision of marks and feedback.
Indicative Reading
Brown, S. (2005) Understanding Youth and Crime: Listening to Youth ? (Second Edition), Buckingham: Open University. Goldson, B. and Muncie, J. (2006) Youth Crime and Justice , London: Sage. Goldson, B. (Ed.) (2008) Dictionary of Youth Justice , Collompton: Willan. Hill, M. (Ed.) Youth Justice and Child Protection , London: Kingsley Publishers. Muncie, J. and Goldson, B. (2006) Comparative Youth Justice , London: Sage. Muncie, J. (2014) Youth and Crime (4 th Edition), London: Sage. Muncie, J., Hughes, G. and McLaughlin, E. (2002) Youth Justice: Critical Readings , London: Sage. Newburn, T. (2002) 'Young people, crime and youth justice', in M. Maguire, R. Morgan, and R. Reiner (eds) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology (Third Edition), Oxford: Oxford University Press. Smith, R. (2003) Youth Justice: Ideas, Policy, Practice , Collompton, Devon: Willan. Taylor, W. (2009) Youth Justice Handbook: Theory, Policy and Practice, Collompton: Willan.
Transferrable Skills
By the end of this module students will have developed competence in the following key areas: -360b7 Written and verbal communication skills b7 Time management and planning skills b7 The ability to work productively as part of a group b7 The capacity to collate and present evidence in appropriate formats b7 The evaluation of evidence to draw appropriate conclusions b7 The ability to apply knowledge to relevant case studies b7 Critical thinking
Module Structure
| Activity | Total Hours |
|---|---|
| Seminars (FT) | 12.00 |
| Lectures (FT) | 24.00 |
| Assessment (FT) | 18.00 |
| Independent Learning (FT) | 146.00 |
Assessment Methods
| Component | Duration | Weighting | Threshold | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coursework 1 | n/a | 25.00 | n/a | group presentation |
| Coursework 2 | n/a | 75.00 | n/a | 3000 essay |
