Module SOCI3081: YOUNG PEOPLE & THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM III

Department: APPLIED SOCIAL SCIENCES (SOCIOLOGY AND SOCIAL POLICY)

SOCI3081: YOUNG PEOPLE & THE YOUTH JUSTICE SYSTEM III

Prerequisites

• None.

Corequisites

• None.

Excluded Combination of Modules

• None.

Aims

• To understand young people's rule-breaking and societal reaction in the context of the social and political structure of society and other social policies.
• To provide a theoretical and research base to professional work with young people in the youth justice system.

Content

• Brief history of perspectives on crime and methods of social control in C19 and C20.
• Definitions and key theoretical approaches to deviance (rule breaking/law breaking).
• Examination of crime statistics and the limitations of this data.
• The search for explanations of deviant behaviour.
• Theories of punishment and the welfare/justice debate.
• Black and feminist approaches to the analysis of juvenile justice.
• The police, courts and social control.
• Custodial and non-custodial provisions for young offenders.

Learning Outcomes

• A critical approach to the analysis of the history, statistics and theories of the causes of crime;
• Knowledge of the conflicting principles underpinning societal responses to young peoples' rule breaking.
• Critical understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the police, courts and other professional workers.

• The ability to respond appropriately to young offenders;
• The ability to appreciate roles of people in inter-disciplinary teams.

• a range of communication skills including the ability to: evaluate and synthesise information obtained from a variety of sources; communicate relevant information in different ways and select the most appropriate method of communication for different tasks; monitor, and reflect on, the use of communication skills;
• competence in the use of IT resources including the ability to: word-process; monitor and reflect on the use of IT skills;
• a capacity to improve own learning and performance, including ability to: manage time effectively; work to prescribed deadlines; engage in different ways of learning including both independent and directed forms of learning; gather necessary information from a range of bibliographic and electronic sources; monitor and critically reflect on the learning process.

Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

• Students will be encouraged to build upon personal and professional experience of youth justice and previous study of sociology and social policy. The structured programme will proceed through a combination of lectures, group discussions and dialogue with the tutor.

Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

Summative Assessment

Formative Assessment:

1 seminar presentation

■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University