Simply put, the course seeks to answer the following four questions:
- What is criminal violence?
- What are its causes?
- What are its effects?
- What can we do about it?
In doing so, the course also examines the trends, nature, and patterns of criminal violence. Relying upon both sociological and psychological explanations of violent criminal behavior, the course looks at a variety of forms of violence, including but not limited to gun violence, mass violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, terrorism, and genocide. Potential prevention and policy responses are also examined through the inclusion of discussions with experts in the field. The course also encourages students to think both critically and analytically about topics within the criminal justice and criminological fields.
Learning Goals:
This course has several interconnected goals:
This course has several interconnected goals:
- To guide students towards a deep understanding about different theories of and empirical research on criminally violent behavior.
- To encourage an appreciation for the complexities of criminal violence and teach students to be wary of simple explanations to complex subject matter.
- To develop analytic skills for assessing information about different forms of criminal violence.
- To develop knowledge about approaches that individuals, communities, and the criminal justice system have used to attempt to prevent and respond to criminal violence.
