Online Criminology BA (Hons)

Core modules

Introduction to Contemporary Issues in Criminology

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to key social issues as they relate to crime and crime control. Throughout this module you will learn core sociological, criminological and psychological concepts and theories of crime and how they may be used to understand contemporary crime. To achieve this, module content has been designed to explain and explore key theoretical ideas in an accessible way. These ideas will be applied to contemporary criminological case studies. You'll complete structured tasks supporting you to actively engage in your own learning and develop the skills needed to study at undergraduate level. This module will aim to build your academic skill set by supporting the development of your analytical and critical thinking skills. The module is designed to include practical study skills sessions that will support the development of your academic writing and communication skills. Throughout this module you will also be introduced to the importance of planning your employability journey and taking your first steps towards building a strong employability profile.

The Evolution of Crime and Criminology

Historical awareness guards against the impression that modern features of law-breaking, deviance, policing, or punishment are either entirely new, or remain relatively unchanged. In the Evolution of Crime and Criminology, you will trace and explore the origins of laws, as well as the construction of ‘crimes’, sanctions and control mechanisms that have emerged over time. In addition, you will consider the role that religion and the state have played in the shaping of society, tracing the origins and developments of the principal institutions of the criminal justice system and reformulations of criminal justice policy, which governments and societies re-shape regularly. You will evaluate the development of Criminology as a discipline and interrogate its foundational theories, their underlying philosophies, and how we can position and re-position the origins of crime and its control.

Into ARU

Entering third level education is exciting; but it can also be a daunting experience. At ARU, we want all students to make the most of the opportunities Higher Education provides, so they reach their potential, become lifelong learners, and find fulfilling careers. However, we appreciate that the shift from secondary education, or a return to formal education is, in itself, quite a journey. This module is designed to ease that transition. You will be enrolled on it as soon as you receive an offer from ARU so you can begin to learn about university life before your course starts. Through Into ARU, you will explore a virtual land modelled around ARU values: Courage, Innovation, Community, Integrity, Responsibility, and Ambition. This innovative module is designed as a game, where you collect knowledge and complete various mini tasks. You will proceed at your own pace, though we expect all students to have completed their ‘Into ARU’ exploration by week 6. Students who, for whatever reason, are unable to complete by that date, will be signposted to existing services so that we can be confident that they are supported.

Criminal Justice in England and Wales

Criminal Justice in England and Wales will introduce you to the criminal justice system in this country, taking you through the key elements of the justice system: Police, Courts, Prisons, Probation, and the Youth Justice System. Each week, you will be introduced to a different stage of the system and unpack some of the critical issues that are discussed in this area. For example, you will learn about the role of police, and the benefits that a policing system provides, while also looking at the controversial aspects of policing, such as racism and the ongoing debate about how much force the police should use. You will also discuss the statement ‘prison works’ and examine the shifting landscape of the prison system in the context of overcrowding and privatization. During the research skills workshops, you will learn how to critically assess research on the criminal justice system, developing evaluation skills and knowledge of research methods in the process. You will learn how research is undertaken and have the chance to do this yourself in relation to issues of criminal justice, such as public attitudes to various elements of the criminal justice system. By the end of Criminal Justice in England and Wales, you will be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the complicated position of victims and offenders in England and Wales.

Media, Society and Crime

Media representations of crime are a matter of public interest as well as political debate. The way the media treats crime has important implications for public perceptions of crime, criminals and the processes of the criminal justice system. Should crime always be newsworthy? How objective is the presentation of crime in the media? With the use of specific examples, you will examine key issues in traditional and new media, to provide you with an understanding of changing social norms and expectations in relation to crime and the media formats through which it is discussed and portrayed. You will explore the ways in which media shapes our perception of crime and critically examine the theoretical perspectives on media and propaganda. In addition, you will explore the construction of crime news and the role of politics and ideology in this context. You will explore the fictional and factual representation of youths and sex in the media; the fear of crime; contemporary surveillance culture; the analysis of relevant statistics, and the use of propaganda techniques. You will examine these issues through the use of case studies, reports, and theory. You will be expected to select one or more case studies in order to develop analytical skills as well as presentation skills during the seminars. The selected case study will build a foundation for the essay. In the essay you will develop techniques to evaluate debates about the relations between media, society and crime, as well as public perceptions.

Making A Difference

Making a difference in the world begins with the belief that you can do something that does not just benefit yourself, by inspiring one person first. It’s a simple, measurable and an achievable goal that will show you what’s possible. However, in order to ensure success, you'll be required to demonstrate that you have the credentials to defend your ideas and your goals. In this module you'll learn how to combine key aspects of entrepreneurialism with research methods, in order to present an airtight and thoroughly evaluated plan or pitch through which you'll be able to demonstrate how you can positively impact academia, the workplace and society. You'll study over two trimesters, and become equipped to consider, research, pitch and evaluate an idea that could potentially make a positive contribution to your chosen area. You'll learn important research tools, as well as how to design and build survey questionnaires and interview schedules, which will thoroughly equip you for your major project.

Violence and Confrontation

Violence and Confrontation aims to guide you through the key thinking and theory behind some of the most pressing issues facing criminologists and wider society today. Each week, you will explore theory framed within case study, allowing you opportunities to consider media, policy, and criminal justice system responses to types of violence ranging from hate crime to homicide and terrorism. You will also be considering the construction of race, gender, and sexuality, getting to the core of social issues which might incite violence. This module seeks to build your critical thinking skills as well as your analytical ability, granting you opportunities to question and debate with your fellow students within seminars, as well as undertake active learning tasks. By the end of the module, you will be able to both apply theory and critique instances of violence through a new modern lens.

Cybercrime and Policing

Cybercrimes are becoming increasingly prevalent in western society, and their policing and control progressively problematic. You will have the opportunity to explore the risks that modern cybercrimes pose to individuals, organisations and the nation state, and examine how authorities both locally and transnationally have attempted to police new digital patterns of criminality. The module is taught in two, discreet halves, with the first exploring the development of new ‘cyber-dependent’ crimes that exist solely as a product of new internet technologies. The second half will examine the emergence of ‘cyber-enabled crimes’ involving the reconstitution of established and traditional crimes such as human trafficking, organised crime, terrorism and hate crime that been irrevocably changed by virtue of their online ‘digitisation’. Within each of the topics covered in the module, you will have the chance to explore cutting edge cyber-crime case studies against a backdrop of the challenges that authorities have faced when attempting to police these crimes both locally and transnationally. In addition, you will examine the impact of the Dark Web and Tor Network, and how these continue to evade traditional policing styles. You will learn about the facilitation of radicalisation and terrorism, othering and stigmatisation, transnational crime, migration and human trafficking and the policing and security strategies that have been developed to combat and prevent them. You will examine the topics within online digital settings, which will provide you with insights that will deepen and complement other taught modules that adopt an ‘offline’ approach when investigating crime and policing. You will achieve an understanding of a wide range of cybercrimes, their sociological and criminological conceptualisation and the key modes of policing, punishment and control designed to reduce and contain their risk.

Violence, Gender and Victimisation

Violence, Gender and Victimisation will take a deep dive into issues surrounding gender-based violence and harms. You will examine violence in the context of gender and wider societal responses, examining social norms, policy challenges and criminal justice responses. You will critically consider current and potential barriers and complexities in the response to gender-based violence and reflect on current policy guidance.

Dark Web Policing and Control

The Dark Web is often referred to as the ‘cybercrime capital of the internet’. This label accurately represents the role that the dark web plays within global networks of online child sexual exploitation, the transnational trade of illicit goods and online terrorism and radicalisation. Dark Web Policing and Control confronts such issues and seeks to critically evaluate the tactics and strategies that both UK and international law enforcement agencies have used to control the scale and spread of these offences. Dark Web Policing and Control begins by explaining the tools and technologies that underpin the dark web and how the dark web can be used and accessed safely. You will then explore each of the major crime types associated with the dark web and the key policing strategies used to control each. Across each of these themes, recent case studies will be used to illustrate how investigations unfolded, the digital evidence that was gathered and how law enforcement stakeholders collaborated to secure prosecutions. You will also examine how you may undertake social sciences research within the dark web and the digital methodologies that are required. The content offered is research led and informed by first-hand qualitative interviews with dark web investigators based within the UK.

Revolving Doors: Punishment and Rehabilitation

Revolving Doors: Punishment and Rehabilitation will introduce you to the key debates surrounding penology, prisons and alternatives to imprisonment. Each week, you will learn about a different issue relating to the justification of punishment, the prison system, rehabilitation, and alternatives, such as community service, probation and parole. You will examine different theories of justice that inform contested debates about issues such as culpability, sentence lengths and the penal environment. You will also hear about a range of contemporary issues affecting prisons, in particular the growing number of ageing prisoners, how mental health issues are dealt with, and the rise in prisoner violence and radicalisation. The module will enable you to be able to demonstrate knowledge of the theories underlying punishment, prisons and rehabilitation. The assessment will comprise an essay that gives you the opportunity to explore what an ‘effective’ sanction looks like, and a chance to review and appraise a current rehabilitative programme.

Intoxicants and Intoxication

Intoxicants and intoxication will introduce you to the sociological analysis of the place of intoxicants, and the role of intoxication, and how this has changed over time. It incorporates a broad range of themes: production and distribution; regulation, control and the law; substance use, misuse and addiction; gender and intoxication; and socio-economic changes in the place of intoxicants in societies (e.g. work, time and alcohol use). You will gain an understanding of the broad historical and cultural differences in the meanings ascribed to intoxicants and intoxication. You will develop analytical skills in identifying how substances, who consumes them, and the place/time they are consumed change, and that they are shifting targets of problematisation in society. Substances you will study may include alcohol, cannabis, opiates, New Psychoactive Substances and MDMA. You will gain an insight into how one phenomenon, that of intoxicants and intoxication, can act as an observational lens through which a wide range of sociological issues can be examined, including gender, age, social class, disorder, offending and regulation.

Youth, Crime and Aggression

Youth, Crime and Aggression has been designed to allow you to build on your previous two years of work to think critically about the Youth Justice System and its place in the wider context of the criminal justice system. In this module, you will critically evaluate the youth justice system in England and Wales. You will identify areas of tensions and contradictions within the youth justice system. You will compare and contrast theories explaining youth crime and youth culture. You will also analyse competing strategies in youth justice and their outcomes, discussing recent developments in youth justice legislation, policy and practice, which will teach you to evaluate current practices in youth justice issues. Within this module, you will explore recent developments and key innovations in the youth justice system and their implications for the rights of young offenders and their victims.

Exploitation, Trafficking and Sexual Violence

The exploitation of humans in order to force them to engage in activities against their will is a poorly understood, yet prevalent practice. Human trafficking, exploitation, sexual violence and slavery are multi-faceted and global; they can affect anyone regardless of age, socio-economic background, ethnicity, gender or location. Exploitation can take many forms, and any given situation can involve various stages of development. Through the coercive nature of these types of abuse, victims cannot consent, yet they are frequently depicted as culpable for the abuse they have been subjected to. In Exploitation, Trafficking and Sexual Violence, you will examine the tensions that exist between the ’recruitment’ or ’grooming’ of potential victims through force, fraud, coercion, enticement, deception, blackmail or other non-consensual acts. Rather than considering each constituent separately you will seek to draw comparisons and contrasts between them, such as power-imbalances, gendered violent stereotypes and dehumanisation. The exploitation of humans will be considered from a political, policing, social and media perspective in order to juxtapose the precarious nature of the disempowered, who are often at the mercy of the powerful. Finally, you will evaluate policies and support mechanisms that have been implemented to protect victims, who may face long-lasting and devastating consequences. Whilst tying together the themes of the module, you will consider barriers to justice alongside the growing body of evidence that calls for action to recognise all forms of endemic and pervasive violence as political.

Investigative Psychology

The psychological study of crime, criminals and victims within an investigative framework is known as criminal or investigative psychology. In this module, you will examine the role that psychology and psychological perspectives can play in the criminal justice process. You will pay particular attention to the application of psychology to police investigations including the collection, examination and utilisation of investigative information and evidence as well as to the role of the psychologist in the court room. You will explore the different ways criminal psychologists contribute to police training, investigations and interviewing as well as their contribution to understanding evidence in the courtroom and how juries process that evidence. In addition, you will examine and evaluate the challenges and pitfalls that can arise when advising on police investigations. These exercises will utilise real case studies, designed to familiarise students with the types of criminal cases and associated outputs produced by criminal psychologists in a 'real world' setting.

Criminology and Policing in Policy and Practice

The objects of the criminological enquiry – crime, policing, justice, punishment, victims, order, and security - have come to occupy a prominent and disputed place in the lives and consciousness of citizens and governing authorities. Your career may be determined upon how well you understand the systems that you seek to work in. In Criminology and Policing in Policy and Practice you will explore the intersections of crime, criminology, and contemporary practice to better understand how key policies impact on perpetrators and victims of crime, as well as the broader society. In Criminology and Policing in Policy and Practice you will analyse and critique a range of relevant policies, placing them within a political, policing, economic and social context. You will critically examine some of the tensions that exist within organisations, such as decision-making, agenda-setting and resource allocation. You will think critically about the processes that are involved in turning ideas into action, building ‘joint working’ initiatives and managing policy implementation. Furthermore, you will apply some of the wider criminological and policing issues you have studied in relation to the criminal justice work setting, how do cultural, political, and patriarchal and policing attitudes affect the shape of agenda-setting, and what could be the impact of vicarious trauma upon the agents in whom we put so much trust? Criminology and Policing in Policy and Practice will provide you with the skills necessary to connect your degree with the criminal justice sector, its policies and practices.

Organised Crime

Organised Crime begins with a discussion of the UN 2030 sustainability goals and you will identify policies and practices, justifying why they have to be challenged in these uncertain times. You must be prepared to research and discuss controversial cases relating to organised crime and the far-reaching, and often hidden impact that they can have on society, the economy and policing jurisdictions. You will consider the nature and shape of criminal networks, and the potential immunity that power and influence can wield. You will critically evaluate the potential exploitative opportunities that are available to criminal networks, focusing on particular selected recent examples of white-collar crimes, environmental crimes and corporate crimes.

For the assignment, you will select a relevant theme and explore it within a variety of social, political, media, legal and cultural contexts. You will test your adaptability skills by facilitating discussion of organised crimes from a range of social contexts; and cultivate an understanding of a variety of ‘voices of authority’.

Police and Counter-Terrorism

Perceptions of rising extremism and growing insecurity have increased the opportunities for tighter and arguably more invidious forms of social control in western societies in the rhetorical ‘war on terror’. In this module you will identify and critically examine terror-related issues through criminal justice, criminological and legal perspectives. You will investigate the shift from 'old' terrorism to 'new' terrorism, and you will apply a range of theoretical perspectives to selected cases of twenty first century domestic and international terrorism. You will contrast various typologies of terrorist, such as the ‘home-grown’, the ‘lone-wolf’, religious extremist, animal rights activist or neo-nazi, and consider the various types of media coverage that each category attracts. Counter-terrorist measures will be evaluated in relation to a number of factors, such as prejudice, propaganda, nationalism, xenophobia and religion. You will critically evaluate concepts such as universal human rights, freedom of speech, radicalisation, axis of evil and war on terror, and apply them to examples of strategies that have been utilised and justified in the international ‘war against terror’.

Undergraduate Major Project - Criminology

The individual final Major Project module allows you to engage in a substantial piece of individual research, focused on a topic relevant to your specific discipline. Normally the topic will be agreed in consultation with academic staff and an appropriate supervisor will be appointed to supervise you in your chosen topic. The topic may also be drawn from a variety of sources including: Anglia Ruskin research groups, previous or current work experience, the company in which you are currently employed, or a professional subject of specific interest (if suitable supervision is available). The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. The chosen topic will require you to identify and formulate problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, develop software and/or media artefacts as appropriate, process data, critically appraise and present your findings. Regular meetings with the project supervisor and or/group workshops should take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. The assessment will normally include a substantial written report, including a bibliography.

Modules are subject to change and availability.