CRI-30056 - Youth Justice and Crime
Coordinator:
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 6
Credits: 15
Study Hours: 150
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2023/24

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

CRI-10013 Criminal Justice: Process, Policy and Practice

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2023/24

This module introduces students to the key analytical debates surrounding youth crime, and how the youth justice system responds to the problem. We will consider whether youth crime is a problem and whether responses to it are effective. We will also explore current issues and challenges such as knife crime, child criminal exploitation and county lines. The module will be taught as a 2 hour weekly blended lecture and workshop; with the formal delivery taking place in the lecture, and then we will have the opportunity to discuss and explore key concepts during the interactive workshop.

Aims
To develop a critical understanding of the definitions, explanations and responses related to youth crime and youth justice.

Talis Aspire Reading List
Any reading lists will be provided by the start of the course.
http://lists.lib.keele.ac.uk/modules/cri-30056/lists

Intended Learning Outcomes

Understand the historical context surrounding how the 'problem' of youth crime emerged as a social issue, and how it plays out today: 1
Critically appreciate the impact of ethnic, gendered, political and cultural inequality and difference in the experience of youth justice: 1
Understand and critically evaluate the way that the youth justice system is structured and responds to children who break the law. This will include a focus on the police, youth offending teams, and the secure estate: 1
Critically engage with the literature on youth justice and distinguish between competing theories and different analytical approaches: 1
Understand and critically evaluate contemporary debates about the future of youth justice, and reforms that are needed to it: 1

Study hours

Lecture and workshop - 10 x 2 hours.
Weekly preparation for lecture and workshop - 10 x 4 hours
Assessment preparation - 30 hours
Independent study - 60 hours
Students will be expected to complete the recommended reading prior to each session, which is likely to take 2-3 hours per week. So prep for the sessions and the sessions themselves will take around 60 hours. The remaining 90 hours will be broken down by assessment preparation and completion. There may also be online blogs and documentaries that are posted during the course for the students to watch.

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Report weighted 100%
A 3000 word policy briefing for the Ministry of Justice on a chosen area of debate within youth justice policy.
Students will be asked to prepare a 3000 word policy briefing for the Ministry of Justice on a current issue within youth justice. Examples include: should the age of criminal responsibility be raised? Should criminal records for children be wiped at 18? Should imprisonment for all children be abolished and replaced with a care-based system? Students will be given an opportunity to receive formative feedback on an assignment plan around week 10 of teaching. For this, they will receive written, individually tailored feedback to assist with assignment preparation.