Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC3104: Victimology

This module descriptor refers to the 2017/8 academic year.

Module Aims

This module aims to provide you with an introductory knowledge of victimology. It aims to introduce you to the concept of “victim” and encourage you to critically engage with it. More broadly, it aims to teach you about the various discourses surrounding victim participation and provide you with a working knowledge of the various ways in which victims may be involved in the criminal justice process. In doing so, it aims to help you develop your critical thinking skills and engage in debates about victimisation and victims' rights, offenders' right to fair trial, etc.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate a clear and detailed understanding of victimology
2. Critically assess different ways of understanding the term “victim”.
3. Engage with a wide range of ways in which victims might be involved in the criminal justice system.
4. Critically engage with academic discourses about victim engagement.
Discipline-Specific Skills5. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the explanatory frameworks and their application to criminology.
6. Demonstrate a clear and detailed understanding of different sources of data and critically assess their reliability and utility in debating whether victim involvement in the criminal justice process is a positive development
7. Clearly present research and policy in your arguments.
Personal and Key Skills8. Present an argument orally and in writing in a clear, coherent, effective and organized manner;
9. Analyze and critically assess sources of qualitative and quantitative data;
10. Demonstrate you can work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specific task.