6 ECTS credits
150 h study time

Offer 2 with catalog number 4016571FER for all students in the 2nd semester at a (F) Master - specialised level.

Semester
2nd semester
Enrollment based on exam contract
Possible
Grading method
Grading (scale from 0 to 20)
Can retake in second session
Yes
Enrollment Requirements
Volgtijdelijkheid: De student is ingeschreven in de Master Criminologische Wetenschappen en heeft reeds een credit behaald voor het studiedeel “Criminologische psychologie”. Ofwel is de de student ingeschreven of geslaagd is voor de bachelor Criminologische Wetenschappen met studieduurverkorting, voor het voorbereidingsprogramma criminologische wetenschappen, voor het schakelprogramma criminologische wetenschappen, voor de bachelor Politieke wetenschappen minor criminologie, voor de bachelor Sociologie minor criminologie of voor de 2de Master Rechten afstudeerrichting criminologie.
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

Forensic psychology is situated at the interface between justice and social care. It is a broad domain, which includes both voluntary and compulsory care and which focuses on both the perpetrator and the victim of crime. In this course, students get acquainted with the specificity of this sector and learn to reflect critically on relevant topics.

This course focuses on the prevention of criminal - and more specifically violent - behaviour (e.g., domestic violence and sexual violence). In this course, we consider violent behaviour as a public health problem. We will consider an elaboration of a multidimensional prevention policy from a socio-ecological perspective with taking into regard the individual, interpersonal relationships, the community and society.  

This course builds on knowledge acquired by the students in the course Criminological Psychology and supplements the existing knowledge of these students. Throughout this course we discuss how forensic psychological theories can be applied in the field of prevention. The different levels of prevention, i.e., primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary prevention, will be applied to different target groups (perpetrators and victims) and to various forms of violent behaviour such as domestic, sexual and honour-related violence.

The emphasis will be on acquiring theoretical knowledge. This course will also devote a lot of attention to practice. For instance, guest lectures given by professionals will give students insights into practice. 

The lectures are taught in Dutch. For working students, recorded lectures will be made available.

 
Course material
Digital course material (Required) : Slides en teksten die de behandelde thema’s situeren en uitdiepen. Deze teksten worden ter beschikking gesteld, Canvas
Additional info

Digital course material (required): slides and texts that situate and elaborate on the topics discussed during the lectures. These texts are made available on Canvas. If applicable, the slides from the lectures will be posted on Canvas after the class. For more information regarding the structure of the course, see Canvas.

Learning Outcomes

General competencies

Domain-specific learning objectives:

  • To have in-depth knowledge and insights into criminological theories, facts, phenomena and the reactions to these phenomena and to apply these in a criminological setting.
  • To approach and evaluate criminologically relevant (policy) issues in a critical and multidisciplinary manner.
  • Valuing, analysing, interpreting, and integrating results of criminologically relevant scientific research with previously acquired knowledge.
  • Exhibit an attitude of independent and lifelong learning.

Programme-specific learning objectives:

Knowledge & Insight:

  •     Graduates have an in-depth and critical understanding of the central concepts and paradigms of criminology, forensic psychology and international criminological theory in relation to a wide range of subdisciplines and the field;
  •     Graduates can independently gain insights into the criminological and forensic psychological policy and research domain from a chosen analytical framework and are thus able to increase their theoretical literacy in relation to their own areas of interest.

Students: 

  •    Are able to correctly understand various, mostly English, psychological research articles (theoretical and empirical studies), and identify and summarize the mutual coherence, differences and contrasts in a nuanced way;
  •    If necessary, are able to independently collect additional information to analyze and apply criminologically relevant themes discussed throughout the course;
  •    Are able to apply the acquired knowledge to concrete criminologically-relevant practical examples.

Skills:

  •     Graduates exhibit the necessary communication skills to report research findings and insights in a clear and concessive manner, both orally and in writing, to their peers.
  •     Graduates are able to discuss and debate current themes and theoretical developments within the field of study on the basis of critical, well-founded reflections and with an open mind.
  •     Graduates are able to understand and evaluate criminological policy and research reports.

Students: 

  •     Are able to communicate insights in forensic psychology in writing and orally in group, and debate about these insights in a scientifically responsible manner.
  •     Are able to have a discussion with external experts from an objective-scientific point of view, and communicate scientific findings in a clear manner.

Attitudes

  •     Graduates have a critical, inquisitive and principled attitude, and demonstrate intellectual curiosity and honesty as well as a spirit of lifelong learning;
  •     Graduates have a scientific, cross-disciplinary attitude with openness to different problem definitions and research methods;
  •     Graduates have a strong interest in social and criminological topics and exhibit an ethical-scientific attitude;
  •     Graduates deal respectfully with the emotional aspects of the phenomena discussed during the course;

Students: 

  •     Are able to use forensic-psychological insights to reflect on criminological questions and criminologically-relevant practical examples.
  •     Are able to point out where their knowledge is insufficient or uncertain, and despite this uncertainty, can still speak to others in a scientifically reflective way about how a practice-relevant question can be answered with scientific insights.
  •     Are able to read and analyze in a multidisciplinary way, and without losing their own perspective, deal constructively with basic sciences.

Grading

The final grade is composed based on the following categories:
Oral Exam determines 30% of the final mark.
Other Exam determines 10% of the final mark.
LEC Teamwork determines 60% of the final mark.

Within the Oral Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Oral Defence with a relative weight of 30 which comprises 30% of the final mark.

Within the Other Exam category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Peer evaluation with a relative weight of 10 which comprises 10% of the final mark.

Within the LEC Teamwork category, the following assignments need to be completed:

  • Paper with a relative weight of 60 which comprises 60% of the final mark.

Additional info regarding evaluation

The assessment consists of the following assignment categories:

  • Paper (60%):

Students will work in small groups on a paper assignment in which they integrate forensic-psychological insights with criminological knowledge and perspectives with the aim of meeting a need from the relevant field. 

  • Oral defence (30%):

The students present their paper and have to answer questions from a peer group and the lecturer.

  • Peer evaluation (10%):

Students evaluate the work of other groups, formulate a question during the oral defence and discuss the presentations critically.

Failure to cooperate or limited cooperation in the three examination assignments may result in a reduction of points or a referral to the next exam period. 

In working out the above-mentioned assignments, students are required to use the course material and to supplement it with scientific texts and information obtained from practice which they collect and process independently. The assignment regards a critical, scientific reflection on a specific topic/practice and/or the application of theory to practice.

For the second session the same evaluation format is maintained, unless a group division is impossible due to a too small number of students (<3). In that case, the development of an individual assignment will be required.

Allowed unsatisfactory mark
The supplementary Teaching and Examination Regulations of your faculty stipulate whether an allowed unsatisfactory mark for this programme unit is permitted.

Academic context

This offer is part of the following study plans:
Master of Adult Education: Profile Social Studies (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Criminology: Standaard traject (only offered in Dutch)
Master of Teaching in Social Sciences: criminologische wetenschappen (90 ECTS, Etterbeek) (only offered in Dutch)