PSY5202 - Forensic Psychology in Theory & Practice

Objectives:

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of a range of psychological theories relevant to the field of forensic psychology and be able to explore findings from international, global and cross-cultural research
Evaluate and critically reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of psychological theories explaining offending behaviour and treatment;
Demonstrate a critical awareness of a range of issues within forensic psychology;
Understand the processes required to prepare and write a case study report.

Content:

This module develops student understanding of the relationship between theory and practice within the field of Forensic Psychology. Topics may include: Deviant Sexuality, Sexual Offending, Psychology and Mental Health Issues in Prisons, International Perspectives, Drugs and Crime, Child and Adolescent Offending, Personality Disorder and Crime, Polygraphy, Violent Offending, Psychopathy and the Cognitive Interview.

Students will apply their understanding of psychological theories and apply them to the risk assessment and treatment of a fictitious sexual offender as part of their assessment.

Learning and Teaching Information:

The majority of sessions in this module will be workshop based teaching where students work in small groups to discuss issues and undertake a range of tasks.

A wider range of materials will be provided on Moodle to support students in their independent learning. The time allocated for guided self-management activities will allow students to use a variety of library facilities such as book chapters, journals and online resources.

Lectures/workshops/practical
Hours: 30
Intended Group size: 60

Guided Independent Study
Hours: 170

Further Details Relating to Assessment
Case Study: Students will be asked to choose one of three sex offender case studies and write a treatment plan which considers the ethical and practical implications and applies a theoretical framework to the case in order to reduce the risk of reoffending.

Other relevant matters
This module is only available to BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology students and BA (Hons) Criminology students (subject to approval).

Assessment:

001 Case Study; 3,000 words; End of Sem 1 100%

Fact File

Module Coordinator - Paul Smith
Level - 5
Credit Value - 20
Pre-Requisites - NONE
Semester(s) Offered - 5S1

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