CR5008 - Youth, Crime and Deviance

The module aims to further develop key graduate skills, including independent study, research, critical thinking and analysis, oral and written communication, organisation and time management. The module will be delivered through weekly two-hour lectures and one-hour seminars. The lectures will typically adopt a workshop style format, with an emphasis on interactivity and student engagement. The lectures will incorporate discussions of theory, research, policy and practice. The seminars will each focus around an activity, with students expected to engage in preparatory reading in advance. The seminars will aim to further develop student Students will also be expected to learn through independent study (supported by an e-reading list and tutorials) and the completion of assessments.

The academic, professional and personal development of students will be facilitated by classroom based support from module tutors, external guest speakers and peers. Support will also be offered by tutors via weekly feedback and tutorial hours and email communication. An extensive e-reading list for the module will also be provided, alongside detailed lecture slides and seminar briefs which will be posted on the module eLP site.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
1. To critically analyse, and engage in debates about concerns about youth crime and deviance within contemporary society
2. To analyse the different ways in which research, key theories and concepts on youth crime and deviance help to explain this key social problem and underpin responses to it.


Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
1. To collaborate with others and to work as part of a team to formulate questions about, critically discuss and evaluate particular case studies.


Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):
1. To have confidence in your own thinking and assessment of events and issues, but also to be open to challenge and debate too.

The module will have two summative assessments:

- A 1200 word group blog (MLOS KU 1, 2, IPS 1, PV 1).

- A 2,500 word essay – worth 70% of the module mark. (MLOS kU 1, 2, 3, IPSA 1, PVA 1).

Formative feedback will be given through the lectures and seminars, where the emphasis will be on student interactivity and engagement in constructive tasks.

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Through this module, students will develop rich theoretical and applied knowledge and understanding of many aspects of the study of youth crime and deviance. The module is divided into three broad sections. In the first section, we will explore youth crime trends, public perceptions of young people, the different ways in which children and young people have been viewed over time and different theoretical explanations for and perspectives on youth crime. In the second section, we will explore and critically discuss the evolution of youth justice policy and the development and operation of the youth justice system. The final section of the module will focus on the issue of serious youth violence (which includes knife crime, gang violence and county lines). In addition to learning more about the various facets of this, we will assess the merits of enforcement and public health-based responses. The module will draw on a number of case studies and typically includes contributions from guest speakers working in the youth justice and public health arenas, and young people’s charities.