JSB238 Explaining and Preventing Crime
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | JSB238 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | 72cp of completed study |
| Equivalent(s): | JSB272 or JSB374 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $2,174 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $1,020 The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,456 |
| International unit fee | $4,932 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | JSB238 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 72cp of completed study |
| Equivalent: | JSB272, JSB374 |
| Coordinator: | Matthew Ball | mj.ball@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Delve into key criminological paradigms, explore theories developed over centuries, and examine crime prevention strategies. This unit will equip you with the ability to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of these theories and strategies, and their relevance in today’s world. You’ll gain insights into the role of media in shaping our understanding of crime and its prevention. Furthermore, you’ll have the opportunity to critique the western canon that dominates criminological theories through the lens of post-colonial and southern criminological perspectives. This unit is not just about learning theories; it’s about understanding the relationship between how we perceive crime and how we believe it can be solved. It’s an essential stepping stone for those aspiring to become justice professionals, providing you with the knowledge and skills to make a real difference in our society.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Compare and contrast criminological paradigms and theories that underpin approaches to crime prevention.
- Critically analyse theories of crime and crime prevention strategies as they appear across media and popular culture.
- Apply scholarly criminological paradigms and theories to develop evidence-based strategies responding to real-world crime problems.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- key criminological paradigms that shape understanding of crime and crime prevention, including classical, positivist, critical and post structural
- related theories of crime developed over the last two centuries which have sought to understand and solve contemporary crime problems including feminist, post-colonial, labeling, development, deterrence, and social ecology
- crime prevention strategies that seek to solve crime in our community and their relationship to criminological paradigms and theories
- the strengths and weaknesses of criminological theories and prevention strategies and their usefulness for modern society
- the role of the media in shaping our understanding of crime and crime prevention
- critique of the western cannon that dominates criminological theories through the lens of post colonial and southern criminological perspectives
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures - live and recorded
- workshops - face-to-face and online
- readings, media and video resources.
The unit adopts an interactive and problem-based learning approach in which you are encouraged to identify, observe and critique theories of crime and crime prevention strategies in everyday social settings. You will also be provided with problem scenarios and cases to analyse, being asked to develop strategies to manage real world crime problems in groups and individually.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Media Analysis - This task draws on key theories of crime to analyse media and identify the assumptions underpinning the approach to crime prevention.
2. Written exam - This task brings together core unit concepts to discuss crime, crime theory and crime prevention.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media Analysis and Policy Brief
You are a Policy Officer for the Queensland Department of Justice. A pressing crime issue affecting the local community has emerged, and the Department has requested your expertise to investigate the problem and recommend effective prevention or intervention strategies.
Drawing on criminological paradigms and theories, you are required to compare and contrast theoretical approaches to the issue, critically evaluate their strengths and limitations, and propose a strategy (or combination of strategies) tailored to the local context. As part of this, you must also critically engage with media reporting on this issue to understand community concern and offer appropriate responses.
Your findings will be presented in the form of a report to the Department and key stakeholders to support the development of evidence-based responses to crime.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is allowed to help you study and find out more about the topic; noting AI-generated content may not be accurate, reliable, or may display bias. Any content generated may not be copied and included in your final submission.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Written Exam
You will respond to a series of short answer and long response questions about the concepts and theories covered in this unit.
The use of Generative AI tools in this assessment is not permitted.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
White R, Haines F, Asquith NL, Crime and Criminology, 7th ed. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, 2023. ISBN 9780190338695
Risk Assessment Statement
Students are advised that some content in justice units may be confronting. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Media Analysis and Policy Brief, Written Exam - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO2, Media Analysis and Policy Brief
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Online
| Unit code: | JSB238 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | 72cp of completed study |
| Equivalent: | JSB272, JSB374 |
Overview
Delve into key criminological paradigms, explore theories developed over centuries, and examine crime prevention strategies. This unit will equip you with the ability to critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of these theories and strategies, and their relevance in today’s world. You’ll gain insights into the role of media in shaping our understanding of crime and its prevention. Furthermore, you’ll have the opportunity to critique the western canon that dominates criminological theories through the lens of post-colonial and southern criminological perspectives. This unit is not just about learning theories; it’s about understanding the relationship between how we perceive crime and how we believe it can be solved. It’s an essential stepping stone for those aspiring to become justice professionals, providing you with the knowledge and skills to make a real difference in our society.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Compare and contrast criminological paradigms and theories that underpin approaches to crime prevention.
- Critically analyse theories of crime and crime prevention strategies as they appear across media and popular culture.
- Apply scholarly criminological paradigms and theories to develop evidence-based strategies responding to real-world crime problems.
Content
This unit will cover the following:
- key criminological paradigms that shape understanding of crime and crime prevention, including classical, positivist, critical and post structural
- related theories of crime developed over the last two centuries which have sought to understand and solve contemporary crime problems including feminist, post-colonial, labeling, development, deterrence, and social ecology
- crime prevention strategies that seek to solve crime in our community and their relationship to criminological paradigms and theories
- the strengths and weaknesses of criminological theories and prevention strategies and their usefulness for modern society
- the role of the media in shaping our understanding of crime and crime prevention
- critique of the western cannon that dominates criminological theories through the lens of post colonial and southern criminological perspectives
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures - live and recorded
- workshops - face-to-face and online
- readings, media and video resources.
The unit adopts an interactive and problem-based learning approach in which you are encouraged to identify, observe and critique theories of crime and crime prevention strategies in everyday social settings. You will also be provided with problem scenarios and cases to analyse, being asked to develop strategies to manage real world crime problems in groups and individually.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Media Analysis - This task draws on key theories of crime to analyse media and identify the assumptions underpinning the approach to crime prevention.
2. Written exam - This task brings together core unit concepts to discuss crime, crime theory and crime prevention.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media Analysis and Policy Brief
You are a Policy Officer for the Queensland Department of Justice. A pressing crime issue affecting the local community has emerged, and the Department has requested your expertise to investigate the problem and recommend effective prevention or intervention strategies.
Drawing on criminological paradigms and theories, you are required to compare and contrast theoretical approaches to the issue, critically evaluate their strengths and limitations, and propose a strategy (or combination of strategies) tailored to the local context. As part of this, you must also critically engage with media reporting on this issue to understand community concern and offer appropriate responses.
Your findings will be presented in the form of a report to the Department and key stakeholders to support the development of evidence-based responses to crime.
The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools is allowed to help you study and find out more about the topic; noting AI-generated content may not be accurate, reliable, or may display bias. Any content generated may not be copied and included in your final submission.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Written Exam
You will respond to a series of short answer and long response questions about the concepts and theories covered in this unit.
The use of Generative AI tools in this assessment is not permitted.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
Resource Materials
Prescribed text(s)
White R, Haines F, Asquith NL, Crime and Criminology, 7th ed. Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, 2023. ISBN 9780190338695
Risk Assessment Statement
Students are advised that some content in justice units may be confronting. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO3, Media Analysis and Policy Brief, Written Exam - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO2, Media Analysis and Policy Brief