LCRZ105 - Violent Crime and Society

Year

Credit points

Campus offering

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

LCRM105 Violent Crime and Society , LCRD105 Violent Crime and Society

Unit rationale, description and aim

There are many types of violence. These are pervasive and ubiquitous phenomena that characterise a lot of criminal behaviour. Students' knowledge and conceptual understanding of them is therefore important within employment contexts that interface with criminal behaviours. In this unit students will begin by charting the historical development of violence as phenomena, and as a concept. To do this the unit helps students to identify what violence is, to describe it, and then to consider it more analytically and theoretically in its many adjectival forms. Based on this foundation, students will then consider violence through the lenses of gendered violence, family violence, criminal violence and hate speech. The aim of the unit is to arm students with a wider and deeper appreciation of the many different forms that violence can take through history and within contemporary society.

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

Topics will include:

• What is violence?
• Why do people behave violently? Biological and psychological explanations
• Why do people behave violently? Criminological and sociological explanations
• Collective violence
• Young people and violence
• Gender and violence
• Intimate partner & family violence
• Responses to family violence
• Technology-assisted violence
• Hate crime
• Violence prevention

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit comprises 150 hours of focused learning to achieve the unit learning outcomes. Learning associated with this unit incorporates face-to-face teaching activities (lectures and tutorials), online activities, readings, discussion forums, preparation and generation of assessment items and self-directed study. Students are expected to take responsibility for their individual learning and to participate actively within group activities.

The teaching strategy is to encourage students to actively engage with unit content and their peers; to provide a clear link between lecture content and tutorial practicum to develop an authentic understanding (of principles and theory) that (in combination with learning from other units) bridges the gap between theory and practice. Thus, the learning and teaching strategy extends from within this unit, to integrate with other units in the course. Within an integrated learning framework, lectures will provide core content relating to the topics identified above and begin a process of active, engaged, exploration, which will be deepened by detailed explanation and further investigation in tutorials. Through direct interaction between students and teachers, students active, engaged exploration of the foundational knowledge they acquire supports its assimilation in the form of comprehension of concepts and theory. Students are then encouraged to test that evolving understanding by applying it to factual situations, to produce solutions supported by legal authorities and arguments; and to reflect on their learning. Each component is intended to build on knowledge, understanding and skills to progressively scaffold student learning.

Students entering university need significant support to transition into a learning and teaching environment where they are required to drive their own learning. To guide students in their learning feedback is required to identify what is being done well, what requires additional work and to identify progress toward required learning outcomes. Located in the first year of the programme, this theory unit includes significant face-to-face teaching hours and a directed online component to introduce students to managing their study off-campus. Lectures are utilised to convey content and its central principles while tutorials deliver interactive learning sessions which include formative feedback to build foundational tertiary study skills while also providing an opportunity to establish group-work and learning community skills. Online materials are introduced to provide students with a foundation for ongoing, directed, self-motivated study.  

Mode of delivery: This unit is offered in different modes to cater to the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants and maximise effective participation for isolated and/or marginalised groups.  

Attendance Mode 

In a weekly attendance mode, students will require face-to-face attendance in specific physical location/s. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops, most students report that they spend an average of one hour preparing before the workshop and one or more hours after the workshop practicing and revising what was covered. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise. 

Blended Mode 

In a blended mode, students will require face-to-face attendance in blocks of time determined by the School. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.  

Online Mode 

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of the essential knowledge associated with managing money. Students can explore the essential knowledge underpinning this unit and develop knowledge in a series of online interactive lessons and modules. Students are given the opportunity to attend facilitated synchronous online seminar classes with other students and participate in the construction and synthesis of knowledge, while developing their knowledge. Students are required to participate in a series of online interactive workshops which include activities, knowledge checks, discussion and interactive sessions. This approach allows flexibility for students and facilitates learning and participation for students with a preference for virtual learning.  

ACU Online 

This unit uses an active learning approach to support students in the exploration of knowledge essential to the discipline. Students are provided with choice and variety in how they learn. Students are encouraged to contribute to asynchronous weekly discussions. Active learning opportunities provide students with opportunities to practice and apply their learning in situations similar to their future professions. Activities encourage students to bring their own examples to demonstrate understanding, application and engage constructively with their peers. Students receive regular and timely feedback on their learning, which includes information on their progress. 

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment in this unit comprises three assessment tasks that are designed to scaffold learning, as well as to determine learning outcomes.

The first task aligns with the first learning outcome. It aims to determine students’ knowledge of the prevalence and varieties of violence in Australia. The second assessment task aligns primarily with the second learning outcome. It supports students' development of understanding of the relationship between law, policy and violence. The proposed task involves the preparation of an “issue summary” having regard to a problem statement provided with respect to media representations of violence. To do this requires critical evaluation of the regulation of that violence, therefore involving development and use of an understanding of fundamental concepts and theories of violence. Finally, students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of family violence regulation in their jurisdiction. It is proposed that this be done by asking them to write an essay that, among other things, details the legal and regulatory processes governing family violence in their jurisdiction. 

Strategies aligned with transition pedagogies will be utilised to facilitate successful completion of the unit assessment tasks. For each assessment, there will be the incorporation of developmentally staged tasks with a focus on a progressive approach to learning. This will be achieved through activities, including regular feedback, particularly early in the unit of study to support their learning; strategies to develop and understand discipline-specific concepts and terminology; in-class practice tasks with integrated feedback; and greater peer-to-peer collaboration.

Overview of assessments

Representative texts and references

Alexander, R. (2018). Family violence in Australia: the legal response. Federation Press.

Ellis, A. (2016). Men, masculinities and violence: an ethnographic study. Routledge.

Ferracuti, F. & Wolfgang, M. E. (Eds.). (2003). The subculture of violence: towards an integrated theory in criminology. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=1542743

Howe, A. (2008). Sex, violence, and crime: Foucault and the ‘man’ question. Routledge-Cavendish.

Meyer, S. & Frost, A. (2019). Domestic and family violence: a critical introduction to knowledge and practice. Routledge.

Raine, A. (2014). The anatomy of violence: the biological roots of crime. Penguin Books.

Ray, L. J. (2018). Violence & society (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Teasdale, B. & Bradley, M. S. (Eds.). (2016). Preventing crime and violence. Springer International Publishing AG. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=4751453

Van, H. V. B. & Bourke, M. L. (Eds.). (2018). Handbook of behavioral criminology. Springer International Publishing AG. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=5287936

Zahn, M. A., Brownstein, H. H. & Jackson, S. L. (2016). Violence: from theory to research. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=1798340