2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

LAW2175 Crime Prevention and Crime Science

20 creditsClass Size: 115

Module manager: Professor Graham Farrell
Email: G.Farrell@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 1 (Sep to Jan) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Module replaces

LAW2345 Victims, Crime and Justice

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

Offender decision-making is enormously influenced by the environment. Situational crime prevention looks at how offender decisions can be nudged or forced away from crime. It is underpinned by the major theoretical areas of choice theory and routine activity theory, the role of crime opportunities, the rich repertoire of 25 situational techniques, and an extensive body of evidence. The nature and role of targets and places where crime occurs is a particular focus. Many routine precautions are so commonplace that they appear normal - think single-sex toilets which are separate to reduce sexual victimization. There is compelling evidence that special situational measures work to reduce specific crime-types - think chip-n-pin to reduce credit card fraud or caller-ID to reduce obscene phone calls. Moreover there is strong evidence that the quarter century of declining crime in most developed countries is due to situational measures including improved vehicle and household security that stemmed criminal careers. Typically, crime is prevented with little or no displacement while a diffusion of preventive benefits may occur that reduces other crimes.

Objectives

The objectives of this module are:
- to introduce students to key theoretical areas of choice theory and routine activity theory and the techniques of situational crime prevention;
- to provide students with an understanding of how trends and variation in crime reflect the crime opportunity structure;
- to examine the mechanisms and evaluation evidence relating to the effectiveness (including ethics and human rights considerations) of situational crime prevention measures;
- to provide students with the capacity to critically reflect on the issues of crime displacement (does it just move around the corner?) and the diffusion of preventive benefits (do others times and places also benefit?).

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:
- explain local, national and international trends and variation in crime in terms of crime opportunity theories;
- understand the mechanisms by which crime can be prevented by situational means;
- critically reflect on how offenders' decisions can be 'nudged' and forced by situational means;
- critically reflect on the role of crime opportunities as a key cause of crime;
- understand the dynamic nature of crime and knock-on effects including displacement and diffusion of benefits.

Syllabus

The module will begin with the key meta-theories and concepts. This will include routine activity theory and the relationship between 'situational' crime prevention (SCP) and 'dispositional' criminology, the models of choice theory and the 25 techniques at the core of the SCP framework. Criticisms and myths will be addressed including the ethics of SCP, the concept of elegant security, the possibility of crime displacement and the diffusion of preventive benefits. Theories of targets will segue into Crime Prevention Through Product Design, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and Crime Prevention Through Housing Design. Repeat crimes and crime concentrations, including crime and place, will be examined in relation to the efficient allocation of crime prevention resources. Trends and variation in crime, particularly key national and international trends, will be examined and situational crime prevention explanations examined. The relationship between technology, crime and crime prevention will be a focus, and case studies of SCP will be examined along with evaluation method.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
On-line Learning	5	1.00	5.00
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	5	1.50	7.50
Private study hours			176.50
Total Contact hours			23.50
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			200.00

Private study

The online learning element is broken down into 15 minute tasks, there will be 20 x 15 minute tasks overall.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

A formative assessment opportunity will be provided.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	2000 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated.

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:15:25

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