Criminology with Psychology

This module explores the range and scope of issues and topics examined by the specialist discipline of Criminology including the nature of crime and the mechanisms and processes of the criminal justice system. The module aims to enhance students understanding of the multifaceted nature of crime and criminal justice through an examination of the social, political, and economic context of crime, criminal behaviour and the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Students will explore, evaluate, and analyse crime alongside the policies, practices, and reforms of criminal justice, including rights and protections afforded to individuals and society. Utilising interactive delivery styles, guest speakers and authentic case studies students will gain an authentic understanding of the complex nature of crime and the criminal justice system.

This module will introduce students to the historical and contemporary development of Criminology and victimology through the lens of leading thinkers in the discipline alongside social, political, and legal influences on criminality and victim status. Through an interactive delivery style students will identify, explain, and apply criminological theory to contemporary constructions of crime, criminality, and ‘victimhood’. Students will become familiar with a range of key themes that run through the array of Criminological theory and Victimology, developing a core understanding of how these varied views complement and contradict one another.

Historically crime has always been a theme for popular media and critics suggest it is having an important role in the construction of discourses or ideologies of crime and punishment today. This module critically evaluates and explores the inter-relationship between criminological narratives, storytelling of popular culture, morality, deviant behaviour through crime, culture and media. The inter-play between different narratives and popular culture representations of societal concerns will be examined, with a focus on a conceptual and theoretical criminological framework, audio, written, visual and social media. Underpinning these will be further analysis of public understanding and opinions, personal lived experiences and exploring the role of ‘crime’ within a range of popular culture artefacts through the three dimensions of (non-) fiction, ‘reality’, and theory, with a focus on public understanding and opinions coupled with personal/lived experiences.

This module introduces students to the main sub-disciplines of psychology: biological psychology, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences, and social psychology, as outlined in the British Psychological Society’s required curriculum. Students will look at core topics within each of these sub-discipline areas, gaining an understanding of how psychology (and its sub-disciplines) developed over time and an understanding of key conceptual and historical issues that are relevant to the discipline as a whole. Seminars will further develop this understanding by fostering discussion and debate on key concepts and studies, helping students to better understand the relationship between theory and research.

The module will introduce students to the tradition, principles, philosophies, and ethical considerations of conducting research within social sciences with a specific focus on criminological research. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct primary research. They will experience the initial stages of the research process by identifying suitable topics and knowledge gaps, examining issues, considering methodological and analytical approaches to design and development a research proposal for their independent project/placement in their final year. They will engage with quantitative and qualitative data management, analysis and interpretation through fieldwork, workshops, and an employer provided dataset. Overall, students will develop a working knowledge of the relevant research skills they will need to complete their Independent Project/Placement and employment post-graduation.

Violent crime often triggers social outcry and political response when targeted towards particular vulnerable groups within society. However, the notion of violent crime moves beyond the obvious offending into areas such as chastisement of children, violence in social disorder and domestic abuse. The module will move from violence between individuals, to state sanctioned violence and onto international violence. Not only will the criminal aspects of violence be considered, but also the acceptable forms of violence in terms of sports and fictional representations. Drawing on theoretical considerations from sociological, penological and psychological fields of knowledge alongside political, social and media reactions, the module offers a multi-disciplinary view on this particular form of behaviour in all its forms.

This module builds on the coverage of developmental and social psychology at Level 4 by exploring contemporary theories and applications of developmental and social psychology in greater depth. Students will be introduced to the major historical and contemporary theoretical perspectives on child and adolescent development, as well as key conceptual and historical debates in social psychology. For developmental psychology, key empirical studies, applied issues, and developmental diversity will be critically examined in areas such as attachment, social relations, language, and cognitive development. Students will gain critical understanding and practical experience of observational research methods with child participants. For social psychology, key topics such as identity, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping, attribution theory, and leadership will be covered, as well as critical approaches to social psychology and traditions emerging from these, such as social constructionism. Across both developmental and social psychology, the influence of diverse sociocultural environments will be considered, as well as the importance of cultural context upon experience and behaviour.

Students can choose one of the following in term 1:

Digital Crime and Investigation (15 credits)
Technology is part of our everyday life, from smartwatches and mobile phones to smart technology, all providing a connection to the internet that can both enhance user experience and lead to malicious misuse. Additionally, because technology can confirm the use and/or location of comparable devices at a specific time it has become part of accepted evidence in court. Consequently, investigators need to emulate technological developments and the internet to ensure that evidence can be collected, analysed and be of evidential value in the court of law. This module draws on current criminal activities making use of the digital environment and cyberspace to examine methods of investigation on a practical, technical, social and legal level. Through this examination students will develop a critical understanding of digital crime and investigation to further their employment opportunities in crime investigation and prevention.

Youth Crime and Deviance (15 credits)
This module presents ‘youth’, ‘crime’, ‘deviance’ and ‘anti-social behaviour’ as social constructs and students will critically apply criminological theories to understand youth crime and deviance in a range of cultures and contexts, drawing upon race, gender, LGBTQ+, class, neurodiversity and the intersectionality between these. Students will examine youth involvement in contemporary crimes (e.g. knife crime and/or county lines), identifying how young people can be both offender and victim. We will consider media representation of youth crime/youth subcultures and debate around moral panic created by misrepresentation. This module provides insight into every stage of the youth justice system; police, courts, probation, Youth Offending Teams, Young Offender Institutions/secure training centres and multi-agency work to tackle youth crime. Trauma-informed practices and adverse childhood experiences are progressively embedded into services supporting youth offenders and we will explore different paradigms within youth justice, including punitive, ‘child first’, social harm-based perspectives and desistance-based approaches/interventions.

Students can choose one of the following in term 2: 

Crime Mapping and the Criminology of Place (15 credits)
This module explores the multiple relationships between crime, space and place at a variety of scales. It considers crime in rural and urban settings and the ways in which the environment influences fear of crime. It also introduces students to researching crime through crime mapping using geographic information systems (GIS). It will provide critical overviews of crime mapping and crime data and explore a range of publicly available sources of crime data. Students will also compile their own crime data. The module will consider the applications of crime mapping and associated professional contexts. Students will be introduced to cartographic principles and techniques and GIS analysis. The module is delivered through a mix of lectures, workshops and practical crime mapping sessions.

Comparative Criminal Justice (15 credits)
The module aims to introduce students to international criminal justice models from around the world, focusing on lessons that can be learnt regarding differing legal positions, criminal justice systems, perspectives on crime and criminal behaviour, policing, court processes, prison systems, and human rights. Through an application of criminological theory and case studies students will develop the skills to critically compare global variations in justice and punishment.

The Independent Law Project/Work Placement module affords students the opportunity to choose to undertake EITHER (i) an extended independent study on an area of law which is of particular interest to them OR (ii) a work placement. Students undertaking option (i) will be assigned a supervisor who will support them to produce a coherent and detailed dissertation (10,000 words, maximum) which critically analyses a particular legal issue. These students are expected to formulate their own research question, conduct research (ie. find and critically analyse relevant primary and secondary legal sources), and appropriately structure an extended piece of writing that clearly expresses a central argument. Students undertaking option (ii) will work within a professional legal environment for a minimum of 120 hours. This is an opportunity for students to develop their employability skills and career identity, improve their understanding of legal practice, and gain tangible experience in the workplace. The work placement hours for this module are to take place within semester dates and will normally be on one chosen day per week.

This module will consider current research, theory, and debates relevant to psychology’s application to the Criminal Justice System, from crime through to offender rehabilitation. Students will draw on theories of cognitive, social and development psychology, and apply these to the real-world concerns of both forensic and investigative psychologists. Within the module students will become familiar with a range of topics relevant to police and jurors (such as interview procedures, line-up construction and juror decision making), witnesses and victims (such as memory, suggestibility, and individual vulnerabilities) and offenders (such as theories of criminal behaviour, false confessions, detection of deception, and rehabilitation). Students will critically engage with this evidence and communicate their knowledge of these issues to a non-psychology audience.

Students can choose one of the following 30 credit modules: 

Punishment and Desistance (30 credits)
This module explores theoretical and practical issues surrounding the effectiveness of prison as punishment, focussing upon current penal conditions in England and Wales and prison officers as ‘caretakers’ in the distribution/legitimacy of punishment. Through real-life case materials and experiences students will be able to contextualise carceral landscapes and apply critical penological perspectives to understand competing ideologies around control/security, care, and hope/possibility in carceral settings. Examination and critical discussion of prison reports will facilitate a critical discussion on the effectiveness of benchmarking criteria alongside ethical and moral issues around incarceration/sentencing and how non-custodial sentences might better support desistance, rehabilitation, reintegration and reduce recidivism. Finally, this module will debate the importance of paradigm shifts within criminal justice to support effective offender reintegration; underpinned by left and right critical realist approaches (penal populism) giving students an insight into real world/lived experience to take forward into future employment within the Criminal Justice sector.

Organised Crime and Modern Slavery (30 credits)
This module examines the multifaceted world of organised crime and modern slavery, presenting a nuanced exploration of their development, impact, and the challenges in combating them. The course begins by examining the local and global factors that contribute to the formation of criminal organisations, their connections with politics, and the blurred lines between legal and illegal economies. Special focus is on how globalization has transformed organised crime, including an analysis of IT-related crimes, moral panic, social control, and political dimensions. The module then transitions to discussing the nature, extent, and patterns of modern slavery, engaging with the debates and challenges victims face. It places a particular emphasis on the legislative frameworks surrounding modern slavery and human rights protection, covering the identification, support, and care for victims. This includes considerations of gender, stakeholders, and secondary victimisation, offering a thorough understanding of these critical issues from multiple perspectives.

Students can choose one of the following in term 1: 

Criminal Bodies (15 credits)
This module covers the criminological theories and approaches which link a criminal attitude with the individual body, or certain bodily characteristics. From explanations that have roots in the old Lombrosian theories to the most modern scientific devices in order to prove their point, the module explores the central role of the body - discusses the concept of “stigma” (bodily/ mentally/ behavioural) in the modern criminological approaches, reflects on the treatment different categories of people get when they have contact with the Criminal Justice System, and looks at the contemporary techniques that treat/prevent crime by managing and disciplining the bodies. The students will be urged to adopt a critical attitude during the module, and to provide evidence of their understanding of the module lectures.

Identity, Equality and Crime (15 credits)
This module will explore the various ideologies and aspects of inclusion, exclusion, equality, and cultural identity and how this relates to crime and the criminal justice system. To do this, particular attention will be given to the historical development of these concepts and how this has informed our understanding and development of criminal justice legislation, policies, and practices. The module will also examine how ideas, practices and responses to crime have developed surrounding those who are ‘marginalised’ through discursive and social practices. This is underpinned with considerations of the societal perceptions and lived/personal experiences. This will all be drawn together to critically examine how it exists within the structure of contemporary society.

Students can choose one of the following in term 2:

Addiction, Crime and Control (15 credits)
This module aims to introduce students to the core debates and controversies surrounding addiction and substance abuse and how these issues are constructed, measured, and responded to from a social, medical and criminal justice perspective. The module critically explores the development, rationale and effectiveness of policies intended to control the supply and use of substances and addictive behaviours linked to crime. Using real-life narratives students will gain a critical understanding and deeper appreciation of the complex substance-offending relationship, the pattern and nature of offending, and the intricacies of recovery from a theoretical, political, social, and individual perspective.

Sport and Crime (15 credits)
Sport permeates every aspect of our lives, including media representation, participation, spectating and employment opportunities. However, sporting contexts are contaminated by deviant and criminal activities. This module will draw upon contemporary case studies and apply criminological/sociological theories to understand a range of sporting crimes, and the contested nature of such crimes. Students will explore racism, LGBTQ+, gender and disability as identities within sport that can lead to discrimination, physical and online abuse, and hate crimes. Drug taking and doping, corruption/crimes of the powerful, human rights abuses, sexual abuse/violence and animal abuse are all key areas explored within this module. Sport can facilitate crime, but it can also reduce crime and provide pathways away from offending (desistance). This module allows students to draw upon case studies of personal interest to examine sport related crimes from local, national and global perspectives identifying the underlying political, economic and social factors involved.