Professor:Doris Kessenich - M.A.
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This is most recent syllabus. Your final syllabus will be given during your first day of class
Important Note: This class is cross-listed with SOC 249. This course was formerly PYCB 250.
Course Description
This course tries to give an answer to why people commit crimes by considering personality factors of the offender in response to situational variables. The focus will be on theories of crime, biological and psychological models of criminal behavior, crime and mental disorders, human aggression and violent crimes, cyber crimes and other specific offenses. Students will learn how to distinguish delinquent behavior from criminal behavior, how to profile an offender in base of their actions, risk factors in human development and policies of crime prevention. Recent research findings will be incorporated in the readings.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to demonstrate:
- knowledge of key concepts and propositions of psychological models of criminal behavior;
- capacity to identify the different perspectives on human nature that underlie the theoretical development and research of criminal behavior;
- familiarity with research methodologies commonly employed in the field of criminal psychology, as well as a capacity for analyzing their strengths and weaknesses; and
- ability to examine critically specific offenses and apply psychological models of criminality to case studies.
Course Materials
Anthony Walsh, Criminology: The Essentials, Second Edition, Sage Publications, 2014.
A mandatory course reader