VIOLENCE AND SOCIETY – CRIJ 4340
Syllabus – Spring, 2016
DR. BARBARA L HART
Office: Bus. Adm. 219Office Hours: TTH 12:00-1:30
Phone: (903)566-7426Other times by appointment
E-mail:
Course Meets: TTH 2:00-3:20 PM, BUS 257
Course Goals:
The goal of this course is to provide an overview of chronic and serial violent behavior with a focus on those behaviors that invoke response from the criminal justice system. Various violent crimes, their causes, victimization effects, prevention and treatment will be included. Students will learn the complexities behind chronic aggression and causal factors which will aid in the identification and apprehension of these criminal offenders.
Objectives:
Students will learn
- Comparative data on violence and the context/history of violence in the U.S.
- The complex and interacting causes of violent behavior from biological, psychological and sociological perspectives
- Motivation systems behind violent behavior
- Major profiles of violent crime types and violent offenders with concentrations on serial murder and serial rape.
- Introduction to criminal profiling
- The relationship of drugs, alcohol, and mental illness to violent behavior
- Strategies of response to violent behavior for the criminal justice and health care professional
Texts:
Bartol, C. R. & Bartol, A. M. (2012). Criminal Behavior: A Psychosocial Approach (10th ed.). Cambridge, UK: Pearson.
Holmes, S. T. & Holmes, R. M. (2008). Sex crimes: Patterns and behavior (3rded.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Holmes, S. T. (2008). Profiling violent crimes: An investigative tool (4thed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Student Requirements:
60% - Threeexams (including the final) @ 20% = 60%.
These exams will be a combination of objective and essay questions and will come from the texts, lectures, class presentations, discussions, etc.
(Missed exams create a serious problem for everyone. Make every effort to take exams as scheduled. If you have an incredibly good reason complete with documentation, a makeup exam must be taken within one week.)
20% - Research/reaction paper @ 20%.
This paper will research facts and/or theories about a specific topic that is addressed in class or the text books and will include your personal response and opinion on the topic. Such response might be your recommendation for reducing or preventing that particular behavior; your view of what responsibility the criminal justice has toward such behavior; your view about the importance or prevalence of that behavior; personal knowledge and/or experience with such behavior, etc. Each student will select (with the instructor’s approval) a topic to explore in depth. A suggested list of topics will be provided. These topics have a research focus - not a biography Suggested length of each paper is 8-12 pages. Studies of specific violent individuals will not be on this list as they are topics for the discussion groups (see below). At least half of the sources for these papers should be from professional journals which allows for up to 50% from popular media. These response papers must be in your own words and must comply with APA documentation. Any plagiarism will result in an automatic grade of zero. Be sure that you are well acquainted with the APA (American Psychological Association) method of citation and reference. Many web sites are available which explain this system. The instructor and the graduate assistant can also help. Be prepared to produce your sources. Each paper should be grammatically perfect.
15% - A Case Study of a noted criminal - researched by groups: 15% for paper
We will also study cases of noted violent individuals. I will assign you to groups and assign the subject or give you a list of choices. Thanks to our electronic resources, you will not have to physically meet (unless you want to) but the group will be responsible for a detailed description of the background of the subject, a brief description of his/her violent behavior and then a comprehensive theoretical causal explanation. This study will end with suggestions for prevention and/or treatment for such an individual. I would expect your group report would be 5-8 pages. Submit your completed paper electronically. Your grade assessment will depend on your individual research and contribution to these discussions; therefore, your report should identify the separate authors. These reports should be in your own words (not taken verbatim from any source) and it must also be grammatically perfect and well documented. Students will review these profiles and note similarities, differences, etc.
5% - Post an outline of your case study to Discussion Board. Each student will review each of the case studies and draw conclusions as to similarities, lessons learned, etc. A separate Discussion Board Forum will be created for your comments.
Tentative Schedule:
January 18Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, No Classes
January 19-21Bartol: Chapter 1: Introduction to criminal behavior
Incidence and history of violence in the U.S.
Bartol: Chapter 3: Origins – Biological Factors
January 26-28Bartol: Chapter 2: Developmental Risk Factors
Bartol: Chapter 4: Learning and Situational Factors
February 2-4Bartol: Chapter 5: Human Aggression and Violence
Bartol: Chapter 6: Juvenile Delinquency
Have research topic approved by instructor
February 9- 11Bartol: Chapter 16: Substance Abuse, Alcohol, and Crime
February 16 -18Review and Exam #1
Bartol: Chapters 1, 3, 2, 4, 5, 6, plus lectures
February 23-25 Bartol: Chapter 7 Criminal Psychopathy
March 1-3Bartol: Chapter 8 Crime and Mental Disorders
March 7 – 11Spring Break
March 15 -17Bartol: Chapter 9 Homicide, Assault, and Family ViolenceBartol:
Bartol: Chapter 10: Multiple Murders
Revitch and Schlesinger’s motivation typology -Provided by instructor
March 21 Last day to withdraw from any class
March 22 - 24Holmes: Profiling Violent Crimes Chapters 1-7, 11, 12 & 15
March 29-31Review and Exam #2Bartol Chapters 16, 7, 8, 9 & 10 plus lectures. Holmes Profiling Chapters 1-7, 11, 12, & 15
April 5-7Bartol: Chapter 12: Sexual Assault
Holmes: Profiling Violent Crimes Chapters 8-10
Case Study Paper and Outline Due April 7. Submit paper electronically. Post outline.
April 12-14Bartol: Chapter 13: Sexual Assault of Children and Youth and Other Sexual Offenses
April 19 – 21 Holmes: Holmes: Sex Crimes Chapters 1-5
Holmes: Sex Crimes Chapters 6-8.
Holmes: Sex Crimes – Chapter 9 and 10
Individual Research Paper Due April 21 – Electronic copy
Your observations, lessons, from the Case Studies Due April 21 – Post to Discussion Board
April 26 – 28 Bartol: Chapter 11 – Psychology of Terrorism
Bartol: Chapter 14 – Property Crime
Bartol: Chapter 15 – Violent Economic Crime and Crimes of Intimidation
May 3 – 6 Exam #3 during the Final Exam period. Bartol Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15;Holmes Profiling Chapters 8-10; Holmes Sex Crimes – Chapters 1-10 (Spring Final Exam Calendar not posted yet)
POLICIES THAT MUST APPEAR IN EACH COURSE SYLLABUS
Statement Regarding Academic Dishonesty
Academic dishonesty is a violation of University policy and professional standards. If compared to a violation of the criminal law, it would be classed as a felony. Academic dishonesty is defined as cheating, plagiarism, or otherwise obtaining grades under false pretenses. The penalty for academic dishonesty in this class will be no less than immediate failure of the course and a permanent student record of the reason therefore. In most cases, a written record of academic dishonesty or an instructor’s report of same to an agency investigator during a background check will bar an individual from employment by a criminal justice agency as it is considered indicative of subsequent corrupt acts.
Many students have an inadequate understanding of plagiarism. Any idea or verbiage from another source must be documented. Anytime the exact words from another author are used they must be enclosed with quotation marks and followed by a citation. However quotations should only be used on rare occasions. Student papers should be written in the student’s own words; therefore excessive quotations will result in a failing grade.
Make-up Tests: The University Catalogdoes not establish make-ups as a student right. Major tests are forecasted; therefore, no make-up opportunities are contemplated. Opportunities to make-up missed examinations will be provided only for exceptional reasons and must be documented (e.g., hospital records, obituaries). Make-up examinations may be in forms completely different from original examinations and will be scheduled at the convenience of the instructor.
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