CR 434: Victimology

Course Description

People experiencing a criminal victimization suffer to different degrees depending upon the gravity of the crime, but any victimization sets a chain of events in motion; Victimology will explore the entire landscape of criminal victimization. (3 Credits)

Supplemental Course Information

This is a flipped classroom course. Online and ground-based students will be listed in the same section.

Course Meeting Times/Place

Term: [instructor add]
Location: [Instructor add Online/Campus]
Start Date: [instructor add]
End Date: [instructor add]
Time: [instructor Add]
Type: Hybrid

Instructor Information

Name of instructor: [instructor add]
Office Location: [instructor add]
Office Hours: [instructor add]
Office Phone: [instructor add]
Regis.edu email: [instructor add]

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

Prerequisite Courses

None

Course Materials

Required Text

Fisher, S., Reyns, B., & Sloan, J. (2016).Introduction to victimology. New York, NY:Oxford University Press. ISBN: 978-0-19-932249-7

Students are required to access the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) for information about composition strategies, grammar and punctuation rules, and APA 7th formatting and citation styles. While the OWL is free to access as a reference resource, please note the Fair Use Policy regarding restrictions for using the OWL.

Optional Course Materials

Strunk, W. & White, E. B. (2000). The elements of style(4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon. ISBN: 0-205-31342-6 (case bound); ISBN: 0-205-30902-X (paperback).

General Course Requirements

The following expectations will be in place for all who take this course:

Readings: In order to gain the maximum potential from the learning environment, it is expected that you complete the assigned reading(s) in advance.

Weekly Discussion Questions (Online Students Only): Weekly discussions are an important part of demonstrating communication in the course. Your initial response to questions should be posted by midnight (MT) Wednesday of each week and comment on at least two other postings by midnight (MT) Saturday of each week. Your facilitator will post any amendments or changes to these requirements in the weekly discussion area. Use a formal writing style (no abbreviations and correct punctuation).

Written Assignments: Online Students – It is expected that all written assignment submissions be submitted by Sunday midnight of each week. Your facilitator will post any amendments or changes to the written assignment requirements through WorldClass email. All written work must be in a 12 point, Times New Roman font, spell-checked, and in APA Style. Writing is a critically important skill for college-level students. Therefore, please carefully revise and edit any papers before submitting them to the facilitator. The instructor reserves the right to refuse to accept a paper if she or he believes that it is not up to Regis standards.

Written Assignments: Ground-Based Students – Written assignments will be due on class night of the week they are assigned in the syllabus. All written work must be in a 12 point, Times New Roman font, spell-checked, and in APA Style. Writing is a critically important skill for college-level students. Therefore, please carefully revise and edit any papers before submitting them to the facilitator. The instructor reserves the right to refuse to accept a paper if she or he believes that it is not up to Regis standards.

Assignment Weeks Points
Assignments Course Participation 20 points
Week 2: Victim Theories 15 points
Week 3: Environmental Criminology 15 points
Week 4: Child vs. Elder Abuse
Quiz
15 points
10 Points
Week 5: Victimology Related Topic 25 points
Total 100

Criteria for assessing and grading will be discussed throughout the course. All products will be assessed with an emphasis on depth of understanding and connections made between the content of readings and class discussions.

Grading Scale

93-100 A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
70-72 C-
67-69 D+
63-66 D
60-62 D-
59 or lower F

Course Assignments and Activities

Write a 3-5-page paper (not counting reference and title pages) on the perspective of Environmental Criminology. Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from your reading and at least two outside sources besides your textbook to support your observations and conclusions. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th. This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar and mechanics. OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)CL Classroom Participation (4 points)Choose a topic that has to do with victimology and write a 6-8-page paper (not counting reference and title pages) on that topic. This topic must be cleared with the facilitator to ensure that there are no duplicate topics so get your choices in early.Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from the textbook and at least three outside sources to support your observations and conclusions. Your choice of topic must apply to one of the five course outcomes listed in the syllabus. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th. This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar, and mechanics.Classroom Students: You will give a 10 to 15 minute PowerPoint Presentation of your final paper Please dress in business-casual attire for your presentation.Online Students:  Please prepare a Powerpoint Presentation of your paper and submit both to the dropbox by Sunday midnight of finals week. OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)CL Classroom Participation (4 points)

Week Readings Graded Assignments or Assessments (points)
One
Introductions.
In class Activity. The facilitator will present controversial topics on the whiteboard. Each student will select the one that represents their position and have them explain their perspective on the topic from a victimology perspective. These are not written activities but discussion activities for ground-based students.

Potential Topics:
There are four theories of victimization in Chapter two. Briefly describe the theory and then explain its criminal victimization.
Lifestyle-exposure
Routine activities
Multilevel opportunity
Structural Violence
Patriarchy
The U.S. as a "rape supportive Culture."
Cybercrime and Routine Activities Theory
Gottfredson and Hirschi's A General Theory of Crime and self-control as a central concept
Text:
Chapters 1,2, and 3
Written Assignment:
None

OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)

OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)

CL Classroom Participation (4 points)
Two
Potential Topics:
Sources, Trends, and Types of Victimization<
Victimization of Women, Children, and the Elderly
Measurement and Ways to hide crime
Simple assault and Routine Activities<
Murder vs. Aggravated Assault and Violence
Victimization-Men vs. Women
National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence
White-collar Crime and Healthcare Fraud
Text:
Read Chapters 5 and 6
Scan: Chapter 4
Written Assignment:
Victim Theories
Write a 3-5-page paper (not counting the reference and title pages) that explains why some individuals, businesses, or organizations become crime victims while others do not. Explain this from the perspective of second and third generation victimologists and victimology theories.
Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from your reading to support your observations and conclusions. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th. This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar, and mechanics.

OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)

OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)

CL Classroom Participation (4 points)
Three
Potential Topics:
Domain Specific Victimization
Recurring Victimization
Responses to and Consequences of Victimization
Rape Myths and the Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance Scale
Burglary and Re-victimization
Prevention of Re-victimization
Failure to Report Crimes-Consequences
Victim Blaming vs.Victim Responsibility
Diffusion of Responsibility-Taking Cues from Others
Text:
Chapters 7, 8, and 9
Written Assignment:
Environmental Criminology
Write a 3-5-page paper (not counting reference and title pages) on the perspective of Environmental Criminology. Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from this week’s reading assignment and at least two outside sources besides your textbook to support your observations and conclusions. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th. This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar and mechanics.
OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)

OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)

CL Classroom Participation (4 points)
Four
Potential Topics:
The Criminal Justice System's Response to Victimization Fear of Victimization
Fear of Crime Effects
The Shadow of Sexual Assault Hypothesis
Criminal Justice and Civil Justice
The Burden of Proof in a Civil vs. Criminal Trial
Restitution and Compensation<
Restorative Justice
The Crime Victims' Rights Act
Recurring Victimization and Different Types of Crime
Review of the Quiz.
Text:
Chapters 11,12, 13
Written Assignment:
Child vs. Elder Abuse
Write a 3-5-page paper (not counting reference and title pages) comparing child abuse to elder abuse; how they are alike and how they are different.
Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from your reading and at least two outside sources besides your textbook to support your observations and conclusions. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th.
This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar and mechanics.

OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)

OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)

CL Classroom Participation (4 points)
Five
Potential Topics:
Preventing Victimization with Environmental Criminology

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) incorporates modifying the environment to help prevent criminal activity. For example, controlling access to potential crime targets has been proven to reduce victimization risks significantly. This can also be done through increased use of lighting which provides for more natural surveillance.

Examine your home or apartment building and pinpoint three environmental flaws and what you could change that might lessen your chance of being victimized by using some of the suggestions from CPTED theory.
Text:
Chapter 14
Final Written Assignment:
Victimology Topic
Choose a topic that has to do with victimology and write a 6-8-page paper (not counting reference and title pages) on that topic.This topic must be cleared with the facilitator to ensure that there are no duplicate topics, so get your choices in early.
Be sure to incorporate terms and concepts from the textbook and at least three outside sources to support your observations and conclusions.
Your choice of topic must apply to one of the five course outcomes listed in the syllabus. Include proper citations in accordance with APA 7th.  This assignment will be graded on content and integration, as well as organization, grammar, and mechanics.
Online Students: Prepare a Powerpoint presentation your final paper and deposit both the paper and presentation to the dropbox by Sunday midnight of final's week.

Classroom Students: You will give a 10 to 15- minute PowerPoint Presentation of your final paper on class night of the final week. 
Dress in business-casual attire for your presentation.
OL Initial Discussion Post (3 points)

OL Posts to Two Other Students (1 point)

CL Classroom Participation (4 points)

Note to Learners: On occasion, the course faculty may, at his or her discretion, alter the Learning Activities shown in this Syllabus. The alteration of Learning Activities may not, in any way, change the Learner Outcomes or the grading scale for this course as contained in this syllabus. Examples of circumstances that could justify alterations in Learning Activities might include: number of learners in the course; compelling current events; special faculty experience or expertise; unanticipated disruptions to class session schedule.

Criminology Department Policies

Late Papers

Students are advised that what the course instructor may modify course requirements for the class and these requirements supersede policies previously written in the course syllabus. Points will be deducted for any late papers by the course instructor. The number of points will be at the discretion of the instructor.

In addition, course assignment papers will not be accepted at all after the week following the date they are due. No final papers or presentations will be accepted after final paper deadlines because of University policies governing when faculty are required to submit semester grades.

Academic Resources and Policies

School for Professional Advancement Policies

University Student Resources