Leader: TBA

Offered

Gippsland First semester 2008 (Off-campus)

Synopsis

This unit examines crime prevention and crime reduction initiatives, programs and strategies that attempt to alleviate the problem of criminal activities. This unit surveys crime prevention from the local community to that of global perspectives. Theories and arguments of crime prevention policy and practice are examined. Students learn various research methodologies used in conducting and evaluating crime prevention initiatives. Specific topics to be explored include threats to national security, international and transnational crime, people smuggling, theft of body parts, money laundering, drugs, commercial and organised crime, white-collar crime, public disorder and street crimes.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this unit, students are expected to have developed:

1. a critical understanding of various theories and strategies of crime prevention;
2. the ability to critically examine changes in international and transnational offending via appropriate legal, political and justice perspectives;
3. a critical understanding of the governance and administration of collaborative international crime prevention efforts;
4. the ability to evaluate the effectiveness and importance of crime prevention initiatives by identifying limitations and assumptions that underpin such programs;
5. an awareness of global justice attempts to curb global crime problems;
6. the ability to formulate crime prevention policy and practice;
7. the ability to research and complete a substantial research project of the student's own choice;
8. the ability to hypothesise about likely future global crime problems.

Assessment

Evaluation Paper (2500 words): 25%
Crime Prevention Policy Analysis (2500 words): 25%
Crime Prevention Research Project (4000 words): 50%