Youth Crime and Justice (P02186)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : LAW-P-LW0065

The aims of this module are to: explore patterns of offending and desistance from crime amongst children and young people; examine theories which have been forward to explain offending in childhood and adolescence; and assess the interventions and institutions which have been developed to deal with youth crime. The module will consider the ways in which youth crime has been depicted in academic, political and popular discourses and assess the extent to which these various discourses have influenced the response of youth justice systems to both child offenders and the victims of youth crime. Taking a historical and comparative approach, it will explore the distinctive characteristics of the juvenile justice systems which emerged over the course of 20th century in the UK, across Europe and the USA. In particular, it will explore how evolving systems have been influenced by competing welfarist and punitive principles. The module will also assess the effectiveness of specialist programmes and alternative modes of dispute resolution (including restorative justice) which have been implemented in a range of jurisdictions as a means of reducing youth crime.

? Keywords : youth crime, youth justice

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Law, (School of Law, Schedule F)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 1 hour(s) 50 minutes per week for 10 weeks

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module students should be able to: understand and interpret contemporary patterns and trends in youth crime; describe and summarise the main theories which have been forward to explain offending in childhood and adolescence and be able to assess their strengths and weaknesses; summarise the main features of a range of models of youth justice which have evolved in both Europe and the USA and understand the social, political and cultural processes which have shaped such models; assess the strengths and weakness of specialist programmes and alternative modes of dispute resolution which inhere in contemporary youth justice systems.