General Information Professor Information

COURSE SYLLABUS
JUVENILE DELINQUENCY SYP3530-RVC-20176

GENERAL INFORMATION
PROFESSOR INFORMATION

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course explores and explains youth norm breaking in the modern era. The course will examine some of the formal and informal institutions designed to control youth offenders. It explores how theorists and scientists have explained and studied juvenile offenses. It also examines juvenile delinquency from gender, race/ethnicity, and class perspectives.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

• analyze the phenomenon of juvenile delinquency
• apply biological, psychological and sociological theories in explaining the behaviors of juvenile offenders
• evaluate various juvenile delinquency prevention programs in terms of their successes and limitations
• investigate the role of the juvenile justice system critically and gain an understanding of the ways of preventing juvenile delinquency

TEXTBOOK:

EXPECTATIONS OF THIS COURSE

This is an online course, meaning that most of the course work will be conducted online. Expectations for performance in an online course are the same as for a traditional course; in fact, online courses require a degree of self-motivation, self-discipline, and technology skills that can make them more demanding for some students.

• Review the how to get started information located in the course content
• Introduce yourself to the class during the first week by posting a self introduction in the appropriate discussion forum
• Take the practice quiz to ensure that your computer is compatible with Blackboard
• Interact online with instructor/s and peers
• Review and follow the course calendar
• Log in to the course 3-4 times per week
• Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings within 7 days
• Respond to emails within 1-2 days
• Submit assignments by the corresponding deadline

• Log in to the course 4 times per week
• Respond to discussion boards, blogs and journal postings within 7-9 days
• Respond to emails within 1-2 days

COURSE DETAILS
COURSE COMMUNICATION

The email feature is external communication that allows users to send emails to users enrolled in the course including the instructor and other students. Emails are sent to the student's FIU email on record.

This is the best method to communicate with your instructor privately.

ASSESSMENTS

QUIZZES

There will be 5 quizzes worth 100 points each, so the total will be 500 points. Each quiz will consist of 20 multiple-choice questions on its assigned chapters. Each correct answer will be worth 5 points, thus each exam will count up to a 100 points.

To prepare for each quiz, study the following:

• The text for each assigned chapter
• Power point lecture slides for each assigned chapter in Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory, Policy and Practice
• The textbook’s (Juvenile Justice: A Guide to Theory, Policy and Practice) website study aids: flash cards, practice quizzes, web resources, etc.

NOTE: The additional resources in the course modules: video/audio/websites are meant for reference purposes only and WON’T be included in the quizzes.

In order to mitigate any issues with your computer and online assessments, it is very important that you take the "Practice Quiz" from each computer you will be using to take your graded quizzes and exams. It is your responsibility to make sure your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements.

If you experience technical problems of any kind when attempting to take and exam (a) immediately contact FIU Online Support Services by email or phone AND (b) email , in order to document your problem so that a make-up can be arranged.

DISCUSSION FORUMS

There will be 10 discussion forums posted in the Discussions section. Each discussion forum will be worth 25 points, so the total will be 250 points.

Discussion forums will be graded based on the following criteria:

• Discussion posting deadlines: Each response to a forum must be posted to Blackboard (Discussions section) by its due date, as listed in the weekly schedule section of the syllabus. (The purpose of this policy is to ensure that students engage the material, and each other, in coordination of course matter). When the entire set of responses is posted at the end of the semester, the instructor will check to confirm that each assignment was posted by its due date.
• Relevance: The ideas expressed indicate that the student has read and understood the assigned material.
• Clarity, coherence: The ideas are stated clearly and coherently.
• Critical thinking: there is evidence that the student has adequately analyzed, synthesized, and evaluated the assigned material.
• Poses a question for discussion: The posting articulates a question for discussion that pertains to the assigned material.
• Spelling, grammar: The posting must meet university-level standards of spelling and grammar.
• Length: The posting must be no less than 20 lines (Times New Roman – Font Size 12); there is no maximum length
  

TERM PAPER

In this course, students will learn a wide range of theories that explain delinquent behavior, like: (1) Anomie/Strain Theory; (2) Social Disorganization Theory; (3) Differential Association Theory; (4) Behaviorism and Learning Theory; (5) Labeling Theory; (6) Conflict Theory; (7) Feminist Theory, (8) Rational Choice Theory, etc.

ALL students enrolled in this section will be required to write a term paper in which you may pick a delinquent act and explain it in terms of any three theories learned in the course. The papers should be FOUR-FIVE double spaced, typed pages. Use Times New Roman Font-size 12. The paper will be turned in through turnitin on Blackboard. The paper is due on Monday, April 15 by 11:55 PM. The Term Paper is worth 250 points.

Plagiarism Policy: ANY work that is not your own MUST be cited. This includes information that you have changed the wording but the idea is the same. For example: “Not only was sexism assumed to be normal during this early period of sociology, but so was racism.” (Henslin, 2011:10) and Both sexism and racism were assumed to be normal during the early period of sociology. If you are not sure if something should be cited, then cite it. You will find much less trouble for citing something that shouldn’t be cited than not citing something that should be. A special word about the internet; it is very tempting to cut and paste information from the web into your paper. If you do so, cite it. Wikipedia and Cliffnotes are NOT the best sources of information. Information that is not cited is plagiarized and will result in a zero for the paper.
GRADING

Course Requirements:Weight

5 Quizzes (100 points each)500 points

10 Discussion Forums (25 points each)250 points

Term Paper (250 points)250 points

Letter Grade

COURSE CALENDAR

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
MODULE 1

January 7-January 13

• Familiarize yourself with the course website, syllabus, calendar, etc.
• Introduce yourself to the course
• Complete practice quiz
• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 1, “Introduction to Deviance” pp. 1-17
• Video: Equal Justice - The History of the Legal Aid Society

• Video: Child Abuse – Prevention and Rights

• Video: 40 Years After In re Gault: The Role of Juvenile Defense

• Video: Juvenile Justice: In the Child’s Best Interest (2000); documentary film viewed online about juvenile incarceration in Connecticut

• Website: Website explaining the history of juvenile justice

• Website: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

• Website: Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice

MODULE 2

January 14-January 20

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 2, “Defining and Measuring Offenses By and Against Juveniles” pp. 18-36
• Video: Juvenile Crime in the 1930s

• Video: Serious Juvenile Crime Rising

• Video: Oklahoma’s Recidivism Rate Being Reduced

• Website: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics

www.childstats.gov

• Website: Uniform Crime Reports

http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestats

• Website: Youth Violence Statistics

http://www.ncjrs.gov/yviolence/statistics.html

Discussion Forum I: Due by January 20, 11:55 PM

MODULE 3

January 21-January 27

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 3, “Characteristics of Juvenile Offenders” pp. 37-79
• Video: Does Violence in Video Games Cause Juvenile Violence

• Video: Juvenile Status Offenders and their Families

• Video: People and Politics | The Fight Against Violence: Making It Easier to Punish Juvenile Offenders

• Website: Psychological and social characteristics of juvenile offenders with serious mental and behavioral disorders.

. . . -a0234148363

• Website: The Female Juvenile Offender in Hawaii: Understanding Gender Differences in Arrests, Adjudications, and Social Characteristics of Juvenile Offenders

http://nicic.gov/Library/023426

DISCUSSION FORUM II: Due by January 27, 11:55 PM

QUIZ I: January 25 (12 AM) – January 27 (11:55 PM): Chapters 1, 2 & 3 from Juvenile Justice

MODULE 4

January 28-February 3

• Juvenile Delinquency, Chapter 4, “Theories of Causation” pp. 80-112
• Appendix: Criminological Theories Summary Matrix
• http://www.uwec.edu/patchinj/crmj301/theorysummaries.pdf
• Video: Integrated Theory of Crime; General Strain Theory in Criminal Justice by Robert Agnew; Part 1and 2 of a 6 part series available online.
  
  
• Video: Marxist theories of crime and deviance

• Video: Child Crime and the Role of Fathers - Part One

• Video: Juvenile Justice and Mental Health

• Website: http://www.umsl.edu/~keelr/200/strain.html
  Provided by Professor Keel of University Missouri St. Louis on structural strain theories
• Website: David Matza’s theories of crime and delinquency and the application of techniques of neutralization for juveniles

http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/matza.htm

• Website: Poverty and Juvenile Delinquency

DISCUSSION FORUM III: Due by February 3, 11:55 PM

MODULE 5

February 4-February 10

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 5, “Purpose and Scope of Juvenile Course Acts” pp. 113-140
• Video: Juvenile Crime Control Act

• Video: High Court Rules on Juvenile, Sex-offender Cases

• Video: Rooney Speaks on Bill to Reduce Juvenile Crime

• Website: Legal Information Institute

http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/juvenile.html

• Website: State Statutes on Juvenile Interagency Information and Record Sharing

http://dept.fvtc.edu/childprotectiontraining/states.htm

DISCUSSION FORUM IV: Due by February 10, 11:55 PM

MODULE 6

February 11-February 17

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 6, “” pp. 141-168
• Video: Juvenile Delinquency Court Orientation Video

• Video: Inside Juvenile Detention: Court Day

• Website: The American Bar Association’s Juvenile Justice Center

• Website: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

• Website: National Juvenile Defender Center

• Website: Federal Youth Court Program

DISCUSSION FORUM V: Due by February 17, 11:55 PM

QUIZ II: February 15 (12 AM) – February 17 (11:55 PM): Chapters 4, 5 & 6 from Juvenile Justice

MODULE 7

February 18-February 24

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 7, “Juveniles and the Police” pp. 169-190
• Video: Parents, Law Enforcement Square Off On Juvenile Crime

• Video: ABC News: Bullying Story

• Video: Brian Patrick “Live” - D.A.R.E.

• Website: Crimes Against Children Research Center—Hate Crimes Against Children

http://unh.edu/ccrc/general/hatecrimes.pdf

• Article: Police Interactions with Juveniles: Arrest, Confessions, Search and Seizure

DISCUSSION FORUM VI: Due by February 24, 11:55 PM

MODULE 8

February 25-March 3

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 8, “Key Figures in Juvenile Court Proceedings” pp. 191-213
• Video: A Wonderful Juvenile Judge for Victory Over Violence

• Video: Elisabeth MacNamara

• Video: 40 Years After In re Gault: The Role of Juvenile Defense
• Website: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

• Website: American Bar Association—Juvenile Indigent Defense: Crisis and Solutions

DISCUSSION FORUM VII: Due by March 3, 11:55 PM

MODULE 9

March 4-March 10

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 9, “Prevention and Diversion Programs” pp. 214-246
• Video: Youth Justice at the UN

• Video: City Youth Now

• Video: Restorative Justice Evaluation – Dennis Maloney

• Video: Juvenile Justice and Richard Dembo, PhD

• Website: Restorative Justice for Youth

• Website: An Overview of Diversion Programs from NCJRS

http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/9909–3/div.html

• Website: Center for Faith Based and Community Initiatives

http://www.hhs.gov/fbci

DISCUSSION FORUM VIII: Due by March 10, 11:55 PM

QUIZ III: March 8 (12 AM) – March 10 (11:55 PM): Chapters 7, 8 & 9 from Juvenile Justice

March 11-March 17

SPRING BREAK – NO ASSIGNMENTS

MODULE 10

March 18-March 24

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 10, “Dispositional Alternatives” pp. 246-271
• Video: Young Offenders Victims of U.S. Detention System

• Video: Juvenile Justice and the Supreme Court

• Video: Inside Juvenile Prison

• Video: Kids Behind Bars

• Video: Life in Prison at Only 16

• Website: The Dispositional Alternatives Program of Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca

• Website: Juvenile Justice Commission—Detention of Juveniles in Municipal and Adult Facilities

• Website: The Annie E. Casey Foundation—Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiatives

DISCUSSION FORUM IX: Due by March 24, 11:55 PM

MODULE 11

March 25-March 31

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 11, “Child Abuse and Neglect” pp. 272-293
• Video: Child Abuse – Prevention and Rights

• Video: Spare the Rod – Politics of Child Abuse (Parts 1-5)

• Video: C.A.S.A. Court Appointed Special Advocates

• Website: Child Abuse and Neglect—Recognizing and Preventing Child Abuse

• Website: National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect

http://www.ndacan.cornell.edu

• Website: Child Abuse and Neglect in Oregon

http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/children/abuse

• Website: National Mental Health Information Center

http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/schoolviolence/links.asp

DISCUSSION FORUM X: Due by March 31, 11:55 PM

MODULE 12

April 1-April 7

• Juvenile Justice, “Violent Juvenile and Gangs” pp. 294-327
• Video: San Francisco Teenage Gangs: Juvenile Delinquency Documentary

• Video: The Three Big Lies That Gangs Tell - Liz Elliott Ph.D SFU Criminology

• Video: Juvenile Offenders in their Own Words

• Website: Gangs: A Bibliography

http://www-lib.usc.edu/~anthonya/gang.htm

• Website: Youth Violence Statistics

http://www.ncjrs.gov/yviolence/statistics.html

• Website: OJJDP Gang Fact Sheet

http://people.cornellcollege.edu/ccarlson/juvenile/factsheets/youthgangs.pdf

• Article: The Youth Gangs, Drugs, and Violence Connection

http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/93920.pdf

QUIZ IV: April 5 (12 AM) – April 7 (11:55 PM): Chapters 10, 11 & 12 from Juvenile Justice

MODULE 13

April 8-April 14

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 13, “Juvenile Justice Around the World” pp. 328-355
• Video: A Global Epidemic: Human Trafficking in Your Neighborhood

• Video: UNICEF: Reforming the Juvenile Justice System in Georgia

• Video: UNICEF MNE Juvenile Justice Reform - Judges and Policemen Training

• Website: Human Rights Watch—Children’s Division focuses on the protection of children’s rights in the global community.

• Website: UNICEF’s Innocenti Research Centre examining children’s justice issues worldwide

• Website: Defence for Children International is an independent NGO that has been promoting and protecting children’s rights on a global, regional, national and local level for 30 years.

• Website: Penal Reform International promotes penal reform worldwide.

TERM PAPER: Due Sunday, April 14 at 11:55pm

MODULE 14

April 15-April 21

• Juvenile Justice, Chapter 14, “The Future of Juvenile Justice” pp. 356-372
• Video: Justice Bobbe Bridge on Juvenile Justice Reform in Washington State

• Video: Reforming Juvenile Justice in Pennsylvania

• Video: Flaws With the California Juvenile Justice System

• Website: Community Justice Network for Youth

• Website: Urban Institute for Research on Children

• Policy Agenda Report: Coalition for Juvenile Justice: Unlocking the Future of Juvenile Justice

QUIZ V: April 19 (12 AM) – April 21 (11:55 PM): Chapters 13 & 14 from Juvenile Justice

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