| Unit name | Youth Justice |
|---|---|
| Unit code | SPOL20022 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | I/5 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Jo Staines |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | School for Policy Studies |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Offending behaviour by children can have a significant impact on those harmed by their behaviour; involvement in the youth justice system can also contribute to poor long-term outcomes for the children themselves and increase the likelihood of further offending behaviour. Exploring why children become involved in offending and how their behaviour is affected by different youth justice approaches can help us to understand how best to respond to offences committed by children, thus reducing the harm caused to others and improving the outcomes for children who do offend. The unit is important for students who envisage a career working within or related to the criminal justice system, and those who have a broader interest in offending behaviour by children.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This a level 5 optional unit that tackles some of the key challenges and tensions within the youth justice system in England and Wales. It builds upon key concepts, theories and skills introduced in previous years of the Childhood Studies and Criminology programmes and complements learning across other units within the School for Policy Studies.
An overview of content
The unit explores the needs and rights of children and young people involved in offending behaviour and in the youth justice system, and how we should respond to those children and young people who cause harm to others. The unit unpicks the politicization of youth crime and the demonisation of young people, reflects on the recent development and explores the current 'Positive Youth Justice’ approach. We consider the research evidence that attempts to explain why children and young people become involved in offending behaviour, ranging from anti-social behaviour to grave crimes. Understanding current priorities within the youth justice system, such as the over-representation of specific groups of children or their involvement in ‘county lines’ offences, is an integral part of the unit; we also consider international perspectives on youth crime to see how youth justice systems operate elsewhere in the world. Seminar debates will be held on potentially controversial issues, such as the age of criminal responsibility or the responses to children who commit serious offences. The objectives of the unit are to develop students' awareness and knowledge of:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
Students will be able to recognise how the factors that influence children’s offending behaviour, and how children are affected by involvement in the youth justice system, equipping them with the knowledge needed to effectively support children who commit offences and those harmed by their behaviour. Students will have a broader awareness of how media, politics and public attitudes can affect legal and policy responses to children’s behaviour
Additionally, participation in formative exercises and the summative assignment will enable students to develop:
Learning outcomes
At the end of the unit, students will be able to:
The unit consists of a weekly mix of seminar, lecture and guided independent activities. These activities combine teacher delivery to students, asynchronous activities such as recorded interviews/talks and other teaching materials, student discussion, student group work and student independent activities including structured reading, engaging with audio/visual resources and analysing written and statistical data sources.
Tasks which help you learn and 'prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The different elements within the portfolio will build on discussions and tasks completed within the seminars; formative feedback will be provided within the seminars, office hour and through a discussion thread on Blackboard
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Portfolio (3000 words, 100%) This assessment will cover all of the ILOs.
When assessment does not go to plan
Subject to the university regulations for taught programmes, unsuccessful students may be offered an opportunity for reassessment. This will comprise a task of the same format as the original assessment.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL20022).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
