Units

---

Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

In recent years the effectiveness of the criminal justice system has come under sustained criticism. A key criticism of traditional criminal justice responses to crime involving police, courts and imprisonment is that they are reactive responses, occurring only after a crime has been committed. This has lead policy makers, criminologists and criminal justice practitioners to develop schemes that involve Federal, State and local authorities working together to identify and address causes of offending. Such approaches to crime control emphasise proactive responses, which seek to prevent the crime before it has occurred. There are various approaches to crime prevention, as well as many perceived barriers to its successful implementation.. This unit introduces students to the concept of crime prevention as well as its application to societal problems.

Aims

This unit aims to provide you with the capacity to comprehend and examine crime prevention theory, policy and practice. Students will develop skills that help them evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches to the prevention of crime and acquire practical knowledge related to the design, planning and implementation of crime prevention strategies and policy in a range of community and organisational contexts. Students will acquire theoretical knowledge and problem solving skills that will equip them with the ability to research and develop practical responses to crime.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

• Develop an understanding of contemporary crime prevention theory and techniques;


• Demonstrate a range of skills to help in applying crime prevention theory in specific contexts, solve problems, scan for and conduct research on ways to prevent crime, and complete tasks in set timeframes;


• Develop an understanding of crime prevention initiatives adopted in Australia and overseas; and


• Understand ways to evaluate crime prevention projects and factors that impact on the implementation of programs.

Content

Week 1: Introduction to unit
Week 2: Key approaches to crime prevention
Week 3: Social crime prevention
Week 4: Environmental crime prevention
Week 5: Evaluating crime prevention
Week 6: Assessment Item No. 1 due
Week 7: The Australian National Crime Prevention Framework
Week 8: Global perspectives on crime prevention
Week 9: Young people, social disorder and crime prevention
Week 10: Crime prevention and emerging technologies
Week 11: The future of crime prevention
Week 12: Revision of unit
Week 13: Exam preparation

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The main approach adopted in this unit is that of student centred learning which, in effect, means that you are required to take primary responsibility for your own learning under the general guidance and assistance of the unit's teaching staff. A program of lectures, tutorials and readings form the basis of the unit.

It is essential that all students familiarise themselves with the layout and contents of QUT Blackboard for this unit. On this site you will have access to:

• Lecture slides;


• Audio recording of lectures (uploaded on a regular basis);


• Copies of articles and readings which are prescribed for course preparation and assessment;


• Links to web sites containing material useful to your study and assessment;


• Notices from the lecturer - be alert for any weekly announcements by visiting Blackboard regularly;


• Details of assessment requirements and tips; and


• An electronic copy of the Unit Information.

Assessment

The assessment for this unit is both formative (since you will be provided with either written or verbal feedback for written assessment) and summative (since each piece of assessment will receive a mark that will contribute to your final grade).Feedback is provided to students for each piece of assessment.

Assessment name: Essay
Description: Students will be provided with an essay question in week one, which will require them to critically analyse an aspect of crime prevention.
Relates to objectives: This assessment relates to objectives 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 6

Assessment name: Examination
Description: Students will be asked a series of multiple choice questions taken from the unit content covered during the 13 weeks of semester.
Relates to objectives: This assessment relates to objectives1, 2, 3, and 4.
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Both
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Examination Period

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

The prescribed text for this unit is as follows and is available for purchase from the QUT bookshop:

Sutton, A., Cherney, A. and White, R. (2008) Crime Prevention: Principles, Perspectives and Practices, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.

There will be additional readings provided throughout the semester. However, the following bibliography may also provide useful resources for this unit:

Australian Institute of Criminology (2012) National Crime Prevention Framework - Bibliography. Available:

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 09-Jan-2013