CRJS 370: Youth Justice is a three-credit, undergraduate-level course that takes a criminological approach to understanding Canada’s separate youth justice system. Young offenders receive special status under the law in Canada. How we respond to youth crime is important to society and, more broadly, to criminal justice. This course explores major theoretical perspectives that seek to explain the causes, nature, and processes of youth crime and delinquency and how the criminal justice system responds to them. Specifically, students examine what youth crime “looks like” in Canada and how it is measured for research purposes. The course also focuses on the historical development and policy shifts that have changed how the system handles young offenders. This includes an examination of police discretion with youth, sentencing, and the use of interventions and programming to prevent youth crime. Students learn about—and critically evaluate—the current debates and issues in youth justice: Are youth more violent today than in the past? Does increasing penalties reduce youth crime? Do crime prevention programs work? Can we effectively rehabilitate young offenders?
Outline
CRJS 370 is divided into seven units:
Unit 1 – What Is a Youth Justice System and Why Do We Have a Separate System for Young People?
Unit 2 – Theoretical Explanations of Delinquency
Unit 3 – Understanding Youth Crime and Prevention
Unit 4 – Understanding Discretion and the Use of Diversion in Youth Justice
Unit 5 – Sentencing Young Offenders
Unit 6 – Social Justice Issues: Exploring the Social Context of Youth Crime and Justice
Unit 7 – The Future of Youth Justice
Objectives
When you have completed CRJS 370: Youth Justice, you should be able to:
Understand the historical, social, and political shifts that have influenced how youth justice systems operate in Canada.
Understand the theoretical perspectives used to explain the causes, nature, and processes of criminal behaviour and youth crime.
Appreciate the distinction between youth crime and youth justice.
Understand how we formally respond to youth crime.
Appreciate the social injustices perpetuated within the youth justice system.
Evaluation
To receive credit for CRJS 370, you must achieve a cumulative grade across the course of D (50 percent) or higher to pass the course. The weighting of the grade is as follows:
Activity
Weight
Assignment 1 Research Paper Proposal
10%
Assignment 2 Case Study
20%
Assignment 3 Research Paper
30%
Final exam Multiple Choice 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
Bell, S. J. (2015). Young Offenders and Youth Justice: A Century After the Fact (5th ed.). Toronto: Top Hat Monocle. (Online)
Other Materials
All of the course materials for CRJS 370 are available online through the myAU portal. The textbook is available digitally and will be sent to you before your course start date.
Athabasca University reserves the right to amend course outlines occasionally and without notice. Courses offered by other delivery methods may vary from their individualized study counterparts.