Offer 2 with catalog number 1016546ANR for all students in the 2nd semester
at
a (A) Bachelor - preliminary level.
- Semester
- 2nd semester
- Enrollment based on exam contract
- Impossible
- Grading method
- Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
- Can retake in second session
- Yes
- Enrollment Requirements
- Volgtijdelijkheid: De student is ingeschreven in de Bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen en heeft reeds 20 studiepunten verworven binnen de Bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen. Hiernaast is de student tevens ingeschreven op het studiedeel "Psychologie". Of de student is ingeschreven in de bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen met studieduurverkorting. Of de student is ingeschreven in de Master in de Rechten en heeft reeds 20 studiepunten van de opleiding Master in de Rechten verworven. Voor studenten uit de Bachelor Psychologie die dit vak als keuzevak kunnen opnemen, gelden verder geen specifieke volgtijdelijkheidsbepalingen.
- Taught in
- Dutch
- Faculty
- Faculty of Law and Criminology
- Department
- Criminology
- Educational team
- Katarzyna Uzieblo
(course titular)
- Activities and contact hours
- 26 contact hours Lecture
50 contact hours Independent or External Form of Study
- Course Content
In criminological psychology we study (serious) transgressive behaviours from both a fundamental and an applied scientific angle, insofar as it is determined by psychological processes (cognitions, feelings, goals, motivations, and regulatory processes, …) which -by definition- occur in continuous interaction with psychologically relevant situational characteristics, and are also situated in developmental psychological trajectories.
The course consists of two parts: the development of transgressive (violent) behaviour (Part I) and the application of criminological psychological insights to criminal investigations and prosecution (Part II).
PART I. The first and main part of the course deals with various biopsychosocial theories to explain the development of transgressive behaviour while taking into regard the interaction between biological (e.g., neurobiological deviances), psychological (e.g., cognitions, emotion processing), and social risk factors (e.g., family factors) as well as the developmental psychological perspective. These themes are addressed through exemplary discussions of various forms of norm-breaking behaviour with a strong focus on violent offences such as sexual violence, partner violence, and stalking.
Part I offers insights into:
- Prevalence of violent behaviour,
- Psychological motives and explanatory models of violent behaviour,
- The possibilities and limitations of the psychological treatment of perpetrators of such behaviours, and
- The factors that increase (risk factors) or decrease (protective factors) the risk of recidivism.
PART II. In the second part, we discuss the added value of psychological insights in criminal investigations, including police investigations (e.g., vulnerable suspects and witness statements). Relevant legal psychological insights will also be discussed.
Criminological psychology presupposes the integration of nomothetic and idiographic research methods. This is illustrated throughout the course by means of concrete cases and applied methods to identify, understand, treat, predict and/or help prevent transgressive behaviour in individuals.
The translation of theoretical insights into practice is a central component of the course. We will rely on several cases and on one or more guest lectures to illustrate how criminological-psychological issues are dealt with in practice.
- Course material
- Digital course material (Required) : Syllabus met slides, Canvas
- Additional info
Slides will be made available via Canvas.
Where necessary or desired, these slides will be supplemented with additional English or Dutch articles that complement or critically examine the content of the slides. These articles will be made available in Canvas, before or after the respective class.
The papers to be read in advance are placed on Canvas.
The course material provided by the guest lecturer(s) is considered compulsory literature.
For more information about the concrete organization of the course: see Canvas.
- Learning Outcomes
-
General competencies
Domain-specific learning objectives:
- Knowledge and understanding of the criminological and criminal law reference frameworks and of the role of the various actors within criminal justice.
- Basic knowledge and understanding of the theories and scientific research relevant to the scientific approach to criminological facts, phenomena, and the judicial and non-judicial reactions to these.
- Knowledge and application of the relevant quantitative and qualitative methods and techniques of scientific criminological research.
- Theoretical as well as practical critical analysis of criminological facts, phenomena and (non-)judicial reactions based on scientific argumentation.
- Presenting and reporting in writing about a criminologically relevant question in a clear, concise, and scientific way.
- Acting as a criminologist with integrity and respecting deontological norms.
- Being aware of the importance of continuous professional and academic development of knowledge within one’s own and related fields of expertise.
Training-specific learning objectives:
I. Knowledge & understanding
- Graduates have knowledge of the main questions and the central theoretical concepts in international criminology;
- Graduates have insights into current international theoretical approaches in criminology and are able to situate international professional literature within criminology, as well as to identify the weaknesses and strengths of the various approaches;
- Graduates know the central theoretical concepts, basic methods and techniques of related fields of science (in this case: law, psychology, philosophy, history, and sociology);
- Graduates are familiar with the diversity of research methods and techniques within criminology and have insights into the various phases of a research cycle.
Students:
- Can explain, relate, and critically compare essential concepts of the biopsychosocial models of delinquency;
- Can correct formulate and illustrate basic findings from empirical criminological / forensic psychological research;
- The theoretical models can be applied when analyzing individual cases, and students are able to evaluate their relative value in these individual cases;
- Know the empirically validated criminogenic processes;
- Can correctly define the general psychological concepts explained in the course, and use these to psychologically formulate an individual case;
- Understand the methodological concepts and methods taught in the course; They can use these correctly and in a nuanced way to identify the meaning of empirical research;
- Understand the methodological concepts and methods taught in the course. They can use these correctly and in a nuanced way to analyze the theoretical perspectives and to reformulate them in terms of their implications;
- And are able to interpret tables and graphs containing psychological findings using these methodological concepts and to articulate their implications.
II. Skills
- Graduates are able to develop and delineate a problem for the purpose of a scientific analysis, and are able to relate this problem to criminological-psychological theories and research findings with assistance of academic staff.
Students:
- Are able to make a methodologically clear and well-founded start to dissect an individual case in a professional-scientific way, and to frame answers to the formulated problem within the criminological theories discussed and this on the basis of the knowledge and insights acquired during the lectures, and starting from a relevant problem formulated by the teacher,
- Based on the knowledge and insights gained during the course, they are able to make a methodically clear and well-founded first step to formulate advice concerning interventions and policy regarding concrete problems.
- With the knowledge and insights gained during the lectures, they are able to critically analyze and answer in a methodically clear and well-founded manner to problem situations encountered in practice.
III. Attitudes
- Graduates are interested towards acquiring and developing knowledge and exhibit an eagerness to learn in an independent way;
- Graduates are respectful towards the emotional aspects of the phenomena studies throughout the course;
- Graduates exhibit a critical and ethical attitude with regard to the reliability and validity of research findings;
- Graduates have an a-dogmatic vision in which they do not search for 'ultimate truths', but recognize the relative uncertainty and ambiguity of insights from an open scientific attitude.
Students:
- Are able to prepare course material in a partially independent manner, as demonstrated during the interactive moments during the lectures;
- Are able to reflect on a criminological-psychological question during interactive moments during the lectures with fellow students, and express their opinion correctly and serenely;
- Are able to use and name the relative value of the data presented when reading an individual case and answering questions about it;
- Are able to recognize in a nuanced way the seriousness and impact of concrete examples of transgressive behaviours, and use these insights in a scientific and respectful way when answering the problem presented to them;
- Are able to analyze their answers to a case that is relevant to practice, while taking into regard the deontological, individual, social and/or societal consequences of their scientifically motivated answer.
- Grading
-
The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Written Exam determines 80% of the final mark.
LEC Teamwork determines 20% of the final mark.
Within the Written Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:
- Written Exam
with a relative weight of 80
which comprises 80% of the final mark.
Within the LEC Teamwork category, the following assignments need to be completed:
- Groupwork
with a relative weight of 20
which comprises 20% of the final mark.
- Additional info regarding evaluation
Evaluation takes place in two ways.
A written final test in which three elements are dealt with by means of a closed book exam: (2) the analysis of concrete cases in which a number of practice-oriented questions must be answered on the basis of the knowledge and insights treated during the lecture, and (3) insight questions regarding the guest lectures. This final evaluation represents 80% of the points to be obtained.
The group assignment serves to broaden the knowledge of specific crime forms and/or crime groups, as well as an exercise in which the students are asked to apply theoretical knowledge to concrete cases. In practice, the students have to be able to place a case or a question from their practical experience in a theoretical framework and deal with it in an evidence-based manner. Both parts of the group assignment have to be put into a report that meets professional requirements. This evaluation counts for 20% of the points to be obtained.
Failure to cooperate or limited cooperation in the group task may result in a reduction of points or a referral to the next exam period.
Info on the 20% for second sitting (individual work):
The individual assignment serves to expand the knowledge of specific crime forms and/or crime groups and also as an exercise whereby theoretical knowledge is applied to concrete cases. In practice, the students have to know how to put a case or a question from practice in a theoretical framework and how to deal with it in an evidence-based way. Both parts of the group assignment must be put into a report that meets professional requirements. This evaluation counts for 20% of the points to be obtained.
- Allowed unsatisfactory mark
- The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.