Social Science

Course summary

Criminology is the scientific study of criminal behaviour on individual, social and natural levels, and how it can be managed, controlled and prevented. This course will enable students to use theories of criminality to analyse criminal situations and make recommendations for policy. Students also develop the knowledge and skills to research policy in practice, assess campaigns for changes in awareness and examine information to review verdicts in criminal cases. WHY SHOULD I STUDY CRIMINOLOGY? You should study Criminology if you are thinking of studying other related humanities subjects at A Level, such as Psychology, Law, Sociology and are interested in learning more about the Criminal Justice System in the UK, such as, why offenders commit crimes and how we punish them. Criminology works to develop a range of transferable skills for your future career, including oral and written communication skills, the ability to solve problems, builds project-based research and development and presentation skills. USEFUL SKILLS & INTERESTS It is important that you are prepared to read around the content and consider how real life crimes and court cases could be explained using criminological theories. This means articles in “quality” broadsheet newspapers and magazines, as well as books. An interest in current events is also helpful to gain inspiration for your assignments and apply your knowledge to real life practice. An interest in the criminal mind and behaviour is also beneficial, as is exploring historic and infamous crimes. COURSE STRUCTURE & CONTENT Criminology is a fascinating interdisciplinary subject that draws on elements of Law, Psychology and Sociology to examine how crime is defined, why people commit crimes, the perceptions of crime, why some crimes are unreported, how society responds to criminal activity and how we punish offenders. We explore crime statistics and how we can reduce crime rates and successfully rehabilitate criminal individuals, as well as how physical evidence such as hairs, blood and fingerprints are collected from crime scenes and how this can prove innocence or guilt in the courtroom. There will be opportunities to debate the controversial criminological theories of crime and investigate their implications in our Criminal Justice System. Studying criminology will allow you to understand the culture of crime and the workings of the criminal justice system alongside allowing you to delve further into biological, individualistic, and sociological reasons for criminal behavior including exploring criminal personality traits, the born criminal and subcultures. All these exciting topics are woven into our following four units: Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime (First Year) Unit 2: Criminological Theories (First Year) Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom (Second Year) Unit 4: Crime and Punishment (Second Year)