Handbook : Unit informationEdith Cowan University

Faculty of Business and Law

School: Law and Justice

This unit information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester.

• Unit Title

  Minority Groups as Offenders and Victims

• Unit Code

  CRI1106

• Year

  2015

• Enrolment Period

  1

• Version

  1

• Credit Points

  15

• Full Year Unit

  N

• Mode of Delivery

  On Campus
  Online

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Description

This unit examines the position of minority and marginalised groups both as victims and offenders in the Criminal Justice System. The groups examined are women; youth; people with disabilities; people from ethnically diverse communities; people from the gay and lesbian community; and people who have mental illness. Students consider the fundamental cultural dynamics of each group with a view to understanding their participation in the Criminal Justice System as either victims or offenders or both. This unit also provides students with an understanding of the legislation that underpins the area of discrimination, and current practices in the three arms of the Criminal Justice System: the Police the Courts and Corrections.

Equivalent Rule

Unit was previously coded JUS2101

Learning Outcomes

On completion of this unit students should be able to:

1. Critically examine changes in public perceptions and changes in social attitudes to minority groups.
2. Critically scrutinise the effect that peoples minority status has on their becoming a victim or an offender in a particular area.
3. Demonstrate creativity and sound communication skills.
4. Demonstrate the ability to collaborate in teamwork.
5. Identify minority groups and understand that a minority is not necessarily about numbers but about imbalances in power.
6. Understand how legislation translates into the application of policies in the Criminal Justice System.
7. Understand legislative provisions for anti-discrimination.
8. Understand the cultural traditions of ethnic groups, and their impact on the behaviours of the group.
9. Understand the role played by the Police, the Courts and Corrections in minority groups when they are part of the Criminal Justice System.

Unit Content

1. A critical exploration of power imbalances.
2. The contrast between individualistic and collective values and their influence on behaviour.
3. The definition and identification of minority groups.
4. The impact of group behaviour on individuals when they act as members of a minority.
5. The importance of the values of class and culture in the minority groups and in the society as a whole.
6. The relevant legislation and its application through public policies.
7. The roles of the Police, the Courts and Corrections, both in theory and in practice.

Additional Learning Experience Information

This unit is conducted in both the on-campus and off-campus modes. On-campus students attend a two hour lecture and a one hour tutorial each week. Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts relevant to understanding marginalised groups within the context of the criminal justice system. On-campus tutorials provide students the opportunity to discuss critical aspects of the lecture. Assessment methods allow students to further develop and demonstrate their content knowledge and cross-cultural awareness as well as develop their teamwork and written communication skills. Off-campus students are provided with an electronic version of the internal lecture and weekly tutorials. All information is delivered to off-campus students via Blackboard. The Lectures are used to introduce the central concepts relevant to understanding marginalised groups within the context of the criminal justice system. Regular online activities delivered via the online modules and the discussion board provide students the opportunity to discuss critical aspects of the content in greater detail. Online tutorials using Adobe Connect Pro allow students to develop their oral communication skills. Assessment methods allow students to further develop and demonstrate their content knowledge and cross-cultural awareness as well as develop their teamwork and written communication skills.

Assessment

GS1 GRADING SCHEMA 1 Used for standard coursework units

Students please note: The marks and grades received by students on assessments may be subject to further moderation. All marks and grades are to be considered provisional until endorsed by the relevant Board of Examiners.

Text References

• Germov, J., & Poole, M. (Eds.). (2007). Public sociology: An introduction to Australian society. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin.
• Tiffen, R. (2009). How Australia compares. (2nd ed.). Port Melbourne, Vic: Cambridge University Press.
• White, R., & Wyn, J. (2013). Youth and society. (3rd ed.). South Melbourne, Vic: Oxford University Press.

Journal References

• Boldy, D., Horner, B., Crouchley, K., Davey, M., & Boylen, S. (2005). Addressing elder abuse: Western Australian case study. Australiasian Journal on Aging, 24, 3-8.
• Raynor, P., & Lewis, S. (2011). Risk-need assessment, sentencing and minority ethnic offenders in Britain. Journal of Social Work, 41, 1357-1371.
• Anastasio, P. A., & Costa, D. M. (2004). Twice hurt: How newspaper coverage may reduce empathy and engender blame for female victims of crime. Sex Roles, 51, 535-542.
• Shinkfield, A. & Graffam, J. (2009). Community reintegration of ex-prisoners: Type and degree of change in variables influencing successful reintegration. Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 53, 29-42.
• Jeffries, S., & Bond, C. (2012). Indigenous disparity in lower court imprisonment decisions: A study of two Australian jurisdictions. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 447. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
• Loeber, R., & Farrington, D. P. (2000). Young children who commit crime: Epidemiology, developmental origins, risk factors, early interventions and policy implications. Development and Psycholpathology, 12, 737-762
• Ogloff, J. P. R., Davis, M. R., Rivers, G., & Ross, S. (2007). The identification of mental disorders in the criminal justice system. Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No 334. Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology.
• Overby, L. M. (2014). Etiology and Attitudes: Beliefs about the origins of homosexuality and their implications for public policy. Journal of Homosexuality, 61, 568-587.
• Poynting, S., & Mason, V. (2007). The resistible rise of Islamophobia: Anti-muslim racism in the UK and Australia before 11 September 2001. Journal of Sociology, 43, 61-86.

Website References

• Australian Bureau of Statistics http://abs.gov.au/
• Australian Institute of Criminology http://aic.gov.au/

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