Overview
This course is designed to introduce students to the field of victimology. Students who work or intend to work in fields such as law enforcement, institutional or community corrections, and public or private security will find this course relevant to their careers.
CRJS 352 is organized into three sections. The first section provides a contextual foundation for the course by reviewing historical issues in victimology and describing how crime rates are measured. This section also includes a description of the Canadian criminal justice system. The second section is focused on the impact of victimization, the use of victim impact statements in court proceedings, and international perspectives on victimology. In the final section, the focus narrows to specific victim populations, with units devoted to victimization experiences organized loosely by crime categories.
Outline
CRJS 352 is composed of eleven units as follows:
- Part 1: Introduction
- Unit 1: History of Victimology
- Unit 2: The Criminal Justice System
- Unit 3: Measuring Crime Rates
- Part 2: General Issues
- Unit 4: The Consequences of Victimization
- Unit 5: Victim Impact Statements
- Unit 6: International Perspectives
- Part 3: Specific Victim Populations
- Unit 7: Homicide Victims
- Unit 8: Sexual Victimization
- Unit 9: Intimate Partner Violence
- Unit 10: Child and Elder Abuse
- Unit 11: Hate Crimes and Other Special Populations
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University's online Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for CJRS 352, you must complete and submit all of the assignments and write the final exam. You must achieve a minimum grade of D (50 percent) on the final exam, and an overall grade of at least D (50 percent) for the course.
You will be evaluated on your understanding of the concepts presented in the course and on your ability to apply those concepts. Your final grade in the course will be based on the marks achieved for the following activities.
| Activity | Weight |
| Assignment 1 | 30% |
| Assignment 2 | 30% |
| Final Exam | 40% |
| Total | 100% |
The final examination for this course must be requested in advance and written under the supervision of an AU-approved exam invigilator. Invigilators include either ProctorU or an approved in-person invigilation centre that can accommodate online exams. Students are responsible for payment of any invigilation fees. Information on exam request deadlines, invigilators, and other exam-related questions, can be found at the Exams and grades section of the Calendar.
To learn more about assignments and examinations, please refer to Athabasca University’s online Calendar.
Materials
Digital course materials
Links to the following course materials will be made available in the course:
Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2019). Victimology: Legal, psychological, and social perspectives (5th ed.). New York: Pearson.
Other Resources
All other materials can be found online.
Challenge for credit
Overview
The challenge for credit process allows you to demonstrate that you have acquired a command of the general subject matter, knowledge, intellectual and/or other skills that would normally be found in a university-level course.
Full information about challenge for credit can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Evaluation
To receive credit for the CRJS 352 challenge registration, you must achieve a grade of at least D (50 percent) on the online examination.
Challenge for credit course registration form