Monday/Wednesday 9:30a-10:45a
This course is an introduction to the multi-disciplinary study and analysis of the nature, causes, and control of crime; measurement of crime; the interactive roles of the system, victim, and offender.
Course Alignment
This course provides an introduction to the field of criminology, providing an overview of the issues involved in defining, measuring, and explaining crime. Students will learn about the field of criminology, examine general characteristics of crime and criminals, review early and contemporary theories which attempt to explain criminal behavior, and discuss crime in the modern world.
Faculty Contact Information
M-TH 12:30-2:00pm
Dr. Melvina Calvin-Edwards
Course Information
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
- Explain each of the major areas of criminological theory including biological, sociological, psychological, and economic.
- Explain the various methods by which crime data are gathered and interpreted.
- Explain the influence of social and economic conditions upon delinquent and criminal behavior.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the influence of the criminal justice system on crime, individuals, groups, and society.
- Describe the relationship among criminal justice agencies, victims, and offenders in response to crime.
Criminology Today. 10th ed. Frank Schmalleger.
100-90= A
89-80= B
79-70= C
69-60= D
59-0= F
Attendance (5 pts/week)
Writing Assignment #1-
Writing Assignment #2-
Writing Assignment #3-
Quiz (4) 50 pts each
Weekly notes or movie submission
Final Exam
Up to 26.5 points (5%)
***Papers will be submitted through Canvas
***FINAL EXAMS may require students to write essay responses
Assignment 1: In-Dept Analysis of Classical Criminology
3
50 points
By completing this assignment, students will be able to:
– Explain the main principles of Classical and Neoclassical Schools of Criminology and the contributions of Cesare Beccaria, Jeremy Bentham, Thomas Hobbes, and John Locke.
– Connect Classical Criminology principles to modern criminal justice policies and practices.
– Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of Classical Criminology as a theoretical framework.
– Locate, read, and summarize an academic journal article related to Classical Criminology.
– Compare ideas from the textbook and scholarly sources, identifying similarities, differences, and their impact on contemporary criminological thought.
– Present ideas in a clear, organized, and academically professional manner using MLA or APA style
– Review chapter 3 on Classical and Neoclassical thought in Criminology Today.
– Identify and read
related to Classical school of Criminology. Complete the journal article review sheet and turn it in during class after submitting your essay. Sheets can be found in the classroom on top of the cabinet.
– Write a
(Times New Roman, 12 pt, double-spaced) that:
Explains the
.
Discusses
(Beccaria, Bentham, Hobbes, Locke).
Evaluates the
.
Critiques the
of the theory.
– Submit via Canvas in
, with in-text citations and a reference page.
| Thorough, accurate | Mostly accurate explanation with some detail on principles and figures. | ||||
| explanation of | Limitedor | ||||
| principles and | vague | ||||
contributions of Beccaria, Bentham, | explanation; missing key | /10 | |||
| (10 pts) | Hobbes, and Locke; | figuresor | |||
| demonstrates deep | ideas. | ||||
| understanding. | |||||
| pts) | (10 | Strong, well-supported connections between Classical Criminology and current policies/practices; insightful analysis. | Some connections made to modern systems but lacking depth or support. | Few or no connections; superficial or inaccurate analysis. | /10 |
| (10 pts) | Provides balanced, thoughtful critique of Classical Criminology with clear reasoning and examples. | Provides some critique but lacks balance or depth. | Minimal or no critique; relies on description only. | /10 | |
| Journal article is clearly | Journal article is included but connections to essay are weak or underdeveloped. | Journal article is missing, incomplete, or unrelated to assignment. | |||
| summarized and | |||||
integrated into the essay; connections to | /10 | ||||
| (10 pts) | textbook content are | ||||
| strong. | |||||
| Essay is well-organized, | Essay is poorly organized; frequent grammar errors; formatting incorrect or missing. | |||
| logically structured, and | Essay is generally | |||
polished; grammar/mechanics | organized; some grammar/APA/MLA | /10 | ||
| (10 pts) | are strong; correct | errors. | ||
| MLA/APA style. |
7 & 8
Strain Theory and Youth Crime
Analyze the relationship between Strain Theory and youth crime.
Review the chapter on Strain Theory in Criminology Today.
Select a case study of a youth involved in criminal activity. This can be from a book, documentary, news story, or news article.
Write a 2-page essay analyzing the case study through the lens of Strain Theory. Discuss how the individual's experiences of strain contributed to their criminal behavior and suggest potential policy or social interventions.
Labeling Theory and Recidivism
Investigate the impact of labeling on recidivism rates.
Review the section on Labeling Theory in Criminology Today.
Find and summarize at least two academic journal articles that discuss the relationship between labeling and recidivism.
Write a 2-page response on how being labeled as a criminal affects an individual's likelihood of reoffending. Include real-life examples and discuss potential strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of labeling.
| Demonstrates a thorough | Shows a good understanding of Strain Theory; applies it to youth crime, though connections to the case study may lack depth. | Shows limitedor | ||
| and accurate | unclear understanding | |||
| understanding of Strain | of StrainTheory; | |||
| Theory; effectively relates | minimal or inaccurate | |||
| it to youth crimewith | application to youth | |||
| insightful connections to | crime and the selected | |||
| the case study. | case study. |
| Provides a comprehensive analysis of the case study, with clear, relevant examples that illustrate how strain led to criminal behavior. | Analyzes the case study with relevant examples, but connections between strain and criminal behavior could be stronger or more detailed. | Provides a limited analysis of the case study; lacks relevant examples, or the connection between strain and behavior is weak or unsupported. | ||
| Offers insightful, realistic interventions or policies to address strain in youth, well-supported by theory and case study analysis. | Suggests relevant interventions or policies to address strain; suggestions are appropriate but maylack strong connection to the analysis or case study. | Provides minimal or unclear suggestions for interventions or policies; lacks relevance or support from the analysis or Strain Theory principles. | ||
| Essay is logically organized with clear, well- structured paragraphs that flow naturally; transitions enhance readability. | Essay is mostly organized withgenerally clear paragraphs; transitions are mostly effective butmay not be as seamless or well- placed. | Essay lacks clear organization; paragraphs and transitions are unclear or confusing, detracting from readability. | ||
| Writing is clear, concise, and free of errors; follows academic tone with accurate grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | Writing is mostly clear, with few errors; toneis mostly academic, and minor issues with grammar, spelling, or punctuation do not detract significantly. | Writing is unclear, with frequent errors that interfere with readability; tone may be too informal, or mechanics need significant improvement. |
| Demonstrates a deep understanding of Labeling Theory; clearly explains its impact on recidivism, using terminology accurately. | Shows a good understanding of Labeling Theory; explanation of its impact on recidivism is mostly accurate, though may lack detail. | Shows limited or unclear understanding of Labeling Theory; explanation of its impacton recidivism is inaccurate or lacks depth. | ||
| Integrates at least two relevant and credible journal articles effectively; usesthem to support key pointswith specific examples and data. | Includes two relevant journal articles but may lack effective integration or detailed support from examples/data. | Provides minimal or weakly relevant journal articles, or lacks specific examples or data to support points. | ||
| Insightfully analyzes real-life examples of labeling and recidivism, | Provides relevant examples of labeling and recidivism; connections | Examples are minimal, unclear, or lack relevance to labeling |
making strong connections between theory and examples. | to theory are clear but could be moreinsightful or detailed. | and recidivism, with weak or no connection to theory. | ||
| Proposes thoughtful and realistic strategies to reduce negative impacts of labeling; suggestions are well-supported by research and analysis. | Proposes relevant strategies, but some may lack depth or clear connection to research and analysis on labeling and recidivism. | Offers few or unrealistic strategies to reduce labeling effects, with minimal or no support from research or analysis. | ||
| Report is well-organized with smooth transitions; writing is clear,concise, and free of errors, with an academic tone throughout. | Report is organized and mostly clear, withminor issues in transitions, tone, or grammar that don’t detract significantly. | Report lacks organization and clarity; writing maybe unclear or informal, with frequent errors that hinderreadability. |
10-12
50
By completing this assignment, students will be able to:
– Define and differentiate between crimes against persons (e.g., homicide, assault, robbery) and crimes against property (e.g., burglary, theft, arson).
– Apply textbook concepts to real-world examples of criminal cases.
– Evaluate the similarities and differences in how society and the justice system respond to different categories of crimes.
– Assess the effectiveness of these responses and suggest improvements or alternative approaches.
– Develop academic writing skills, including organization, proper grammar, and APA citation.
Write a (Times New Roman, 12 pt font, double-spaced) that:
Explains the differences between crimes against persons and crimes against property.
Provides
(news reports, court cases, or local incidents).
Analyzes how the justice system responded to those cases.
| Provides a | Provides a mostly | Provides limited or | /10 | ||
| thorough, accurate | accurate | vague explanation; | |||
| explanation of | explanation with | missing examples | |||
| (10 | multiple crimes | some examples: | or showsweak | ||
| pts) | against persons | demonstrates | understanding. | ||
| with examples; | |||||
| demonstrates | good | ||||
| strong | understanding. | ||||
| understanding of | |||||
| textbook material. | |||||
| Provides a | |||||
| thorough, accurate | |||||
pts) | (10 | explanation of multiple crimes against property with examples; clearly distinguishes from | Provides a mostly accurate explanation with some distinctions and examples. | Provides limited or unclear explanation; fails to distinguish categories effectively. | /10 |
| crimes against | |||||
| persons. | |||||
| At least 2 well- | At least 2 examples included with some analysis; connections to criminology may be limited. | Fewer than 2 examples OR examples lack depth/connection to criminology. | |||
| developed, relevant | |||||
| case examples are | |||||
included analysis is strong and | /15 | ||||
Analysis (15 pts) | connects clearly to | ||||
| criminological | |||||
| concepts. | |||||
| Critically evaluates | |||||
| how the justice | |||||
| (10pts) | system responded to cases; provides thoughtful reasoning about effectiveness and fairness; may | Provides some evaluation of justice system responses with moderate reasoning. | Minimal or no evaluation; responses listed without analysis. | /10 | |
| includealternative | |||||
| perspectives. | |||||
| Essay is well- | |||||
| organized, logical, | |||||
| and flowssmoothly; | Essay is | Essay is poorly | |||
| grammar and | organized but | organized; frequent | |||
| mechanics are | may have minor | grammarerrors; | /5 | ||
| (5 pts) | strong;APA | grammar/APA | APA formatting | ||
| formatting and | errors. | incorrect or missing. | |||
| citations are | |||||
| correct. | |||||
Business, Technology & Human Services
Dean, Paul Carlson; 815-802-8858; V105; pcarlson@kcc.edu; Division Office – W102; 815-802-8650
Course Policies
Covid-19: KCC continues to comply with the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and the Illinois Department of Public Health as we teach and learn in the COVID-19 era. Masks are optional. Time Commitment Expectation: At a minimum, the average person can expect to spend one to two additional hours outside of class. This time will be dedicated to reading the textbook chapter(s), answering study questions, studying for quizzes and tests.
Class Attendance: Regular attendance at all scheduled class sessions is expected. There are NO excused absences. To receive full class attendance points, you must not be late or leave early. Reading assignments are indicated on the schedule and should be finished before the topic is covered in class. Some important information provided during the lecture does not appear in your textbook, but you will find it useful for completing your labs, quizzes or tests. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain handouts and information presented for any class for which he/she is absent. If a student misses four or more classes in one semester, he/she will receive an automatic “F”. Classroom Code of Conduct: Use of cell phones during class is not permitted. Use of tablets or laptops during class is not permitted. No texting, Twitter, Facebook, Internet surfing not related to Law Enforcement, No playing or watching video games. No sleeping. Please turn off or set cell phones to vibrate. If a call must be answered, please leave the classroom quietly. No disruptive side conversations while the instructor is teaching. If you violate any of these policies, you will lose that day’s attendance points and be asked to leave the class. Students need to adhere to the Code of Conduct located in the college catalog. FATS Simulator Lab, Apartment and CJ patrol vehicle Safety: Students will be allowed to learn through simulations in the simulated apartment and FATS simulator. Students will not be allowed to work in the simulated apartment Lab and FATS simulator outside of enrolled class times without prior approval or consent of instructor or program coordinator and direct supervision of tutor, instructor or program coordinator. Students must sign the college safety contract to participate in this course. There is also a safety contract students must sign in order to participate with the Criminal Justice FATS simulator and drive the Criminal Justice patrol vehicle for students with a valid driver’s license. Study Questions: Policy Study Questions can NOT be made up. Study Questions must be submitted by the date/time due. Any student failing to submit Study Questions by the date/time due will receive a zero. Quiz/test Policy: Quizzes and test can be made up. Any student arriving late for the quiz will not be given extra time to complete the quiz. Quizzes/tests may not be taken online outside of class. It is the responsibility of the student to request to make up the quiz or test within a week. After a week and the student fails to take a quiz or test, the student will receive a zero. Extra Credit Policy: Students may earn extra credit by participating in approved activities outside of regular class time. Opportunities include, but are not limited to, attending Teen Court sessions, volunteering at police agency events, or other community-based criminal justice activities as announced by the instructor.
-Extra credit will be awarded in the form of points added to course assignments or overall grade at the instructor’s discretion.
-Students must provide verification of attendance or participation (e.g., signed documentation, supervisor confirmation, or a brief reflection paper) within one week of the event to receive credit.
-Extra credit is intended to enhance learning and cannot replace required coursework. Points earned through extra credit are limited to a maximum of 5% of the final grade.
-Extra credit points are added on top of the 530 required course points. However, they are capped at a maximum of 26.5 points (5%), depending on the instructor’s chosen limit. Extra credit cannot replace required assignments.
All extra credit opportunities must be pre-approved by the instructor to ensure fairness and relevance to course objectives.
KCC Student Athletes Policy: All student athletes will be granted attendance points while participating in KCC sporting events, not practices. All missed labs, quizzes and tests due to sporting events must be completed within one week of the scheduled quiz or test. All missed quizzes and tests due to sporting events must be rescheduled during posted office hours. Incomplete Grade Policy: All course requirements must be completed by the end date of the course. An incomplete grade will NOT be granted regardless of the extenuating circumstances. Plagiarism: KCC defines plagiarism: Representing the words or ideas of another as one’s own. Plagiarism includes claiming credit for assignments completed by someone else. In all academic work, the ideas and contributions of others must be appropriately acknowledged and work that is presented as original must be, in fact, original. Using an AI-content generator (such as CHATGPT) to complete coursework without proper attribution or authorization is a form of academic dishonesty. Students who use ChatGPT and other AI writing assistance should use it as a tool (generate ideas for writing) and not use it to complete a writing assignment. If you are unsure about whether something may be plagiarism or academic dishonesty, please contact your instructor to discuss the issue. First violation will result in a zero for the assignment. The second violation will result in “F” failing of the course.
| LEARNING OBJECTIVE & ACTIVITY | |||
| 1 | What is | Read Chapters 1-2 | Introduction to course, |
| Criminology? /Where | Course outcome #1 & 2 met | reviewcourse policies | |
| Do Theories Come | and syllabus | ||
| From? | What is crime?What is | ||
| the definition of crime | |||
| that the authorof this | |||
| text has chosen to | |||
| use? What is deviance? | |||
| How are crime and | |||
| deviance similar? How | |||
| do they differ?Who | |||
| decideswhat should | |||
| be criminal? How are | |||
| such decisions made? | |||
| What is criminology? | |||
| What is therole of | |||
| social scientific | |||
| research methods in | |||
| the development of | |||
| criminological | |||
| theories? How does | |||
| the meaning of the | |||
| word evidence in | |||
| evidence-based | |||
| criminology differs from | |||
| the evidence foundat | |||
| a crimescene or the |
| evidence used in criminal trials? Whatis a theory? What purposes do theories serve? What role do research and experimentation play in theory building in criminology? | |||
2 | Classical and | Chapter3 | What is therole of |
| Neoclassical Thought | Course outcome #1 & 2 met | social scientific | |
| research methods in | |||
| the development of | |||
| criminological | |||
| theories? How does | |||
| the meaning of the | |||
| word evidence in | |||
| evidence-based | |||
| criminology differ from | |||
| the evidence foundat | |||
| a crimescene or the | |||
| evidence used in | |||
| criminal trials? What is | |||
| a theory? What | |||
| purposes do theories | |||
| serve?What role do | |||
| research and | |||
| experimentation play | |||
| in theory building in | |||
| criminology? | |||
3 | EarlyBiological | Chapter4 | Whatare the |
| Perspectives on | Course outcome #1 met | differences between | |
| Criminal Behavior | historical biological | ||
| and contemporary | |||
| biosocial theories of | |||
| crime?What are the | |||
| basicprinciples of | |||
| biological theories of | |||
| crime? | |||
4 | Biosocial and Other | Chapter5 | Whatrole do genetics |
| Contemporary | Course outcome #1 & 3 met | and heritability play in | |
| Perspectives | contemporary | ||
| explanations for | |||
| crime? How does brain | |||
| dysfunction relate to |
| criminality? How do body chemistry theories – including those involving diet, blood sugar levels, environmental contaminants, and hormones – explain crime? What are biosocial theories, and what role does the gender ratio problem play in contemporary criminology? | |||
5 | Coversmaterial in chapters1-5 | ||
6 | Psychological and Psychiatric Foundations of Criminal Behavior | Chapter6 Course outcome #1 & 4 met | What are the major principles of psychological and psychiatric perspectives of criminal behavior? What two major ideas characterized early psychological theories, and what was the difference between them? How do personality disturbances explain criminality? What are cognitive theories, and what two types of cognitive theories does this chapter discuss? |
7 | Social Structure Theories | Chapter7 Course outcome #1, 3 & 4 met | What is the nature of sociological theorizing, and what are the assumptions upon which sociological perspectives on crime causation rest? What do sociologists mean by the term social structure, and how might the organization |
| and structure of a society contribute to criminality? What are the three types of social structure theories of crime that are discussed in this chapter, and whatare the characteristics of each? | |||
8 | Theories of Social Process and Social Development | Chapter8 Course outcome #1, 3, 4, & 5 met | How does the perspective of social interaction contribute to understandings of criminal behavior? What are the various social process approaches discussed in this chapter? What kinds of social policy initiatives might be based on social process theories of crime causation? |
9 | Social Conflict Theories | Chapter9 Course outcome #1, 3, 4, & 5 met | What three analytical perspectives on law and social order are described in this chapter? What are the central tenants of radical criminology? What eight emerging conflict theories discussed in this chapter purport to explain crime and criminality? What are the crime-control implications of social andemergent conflict theories? |
10 | Coversmaterial in chapters6-9 | ||
11 | Criminal Victimization | Chapter10 Course outcome #4 &5 met | What is victimology, and what are the |
various types of victims? What do official statistics tell us about crime trends in the United States? Explain demographics. What kind of demographic features correlate withcriminal victimization? What are the personal impacts of criminal victimization? What theories of victimization does this chapter discuss? Describe the development of victims’ rights in the United States, and explain how such rights are recognized. Describe restorative justice, and what it means to “make a victim whole again.” Explain victim compensation and victim restitution. | |||
| 12 | Crimes against Persons | Chapter11 Course outcome #4 & 5 met | What is criminal homicide, and whatare the key issues involved in explaining patterns of homicide? How is the crime of rape defined, and what are the key issues involved in explaining the crime of rape? What does the term child sexual abuse encompass? What are the various types of child sexual abusers? How is the crime of robbery defined, and what are the different kinds of |
robbery? How is the crime of assault defined, and what are the various kinds of assault? | |||
13 | Crimes against | Chapter12 | Whatare the major |
| Property | forms of property | ||
| Course outcome # 4 & 5 met | crime discussed in this | ||
| chapter? What | |||
| constitutes the crime | |||
| of burglary? What are | |||
| some of its | |||
| characteristics? What | |||
| constitutes the crime | |||
| of larceny-theft? What | |||
| forms doesit take? | |||
| What is motor vehicle | |||
| theft?How prevalent is | |||
| it? What constitutes | |||
| the crime of arson? | |||
14 | White-Collar and | Chapters 13-14 | Whatis the historyof |
| Organized Crime/Drug | Course outcome #4 & 5 met | white-collar crime in | |
| and Sex Crimes | this country? | ||
| What is white-collar | |||
| crime?What are the | |||
| various kindsof white | |||
| collarcrimes? What is | |||
| corporate crime? | |||
| Political corruption? | |||
| How do they differ | |||
| from more traditional | |||
| formsof white-collar | |||
| crime?What are the | |||
| causes of white-collar | |||
| crime? Howdo the | |||
| motivations of white- | |||
| collarcriminal differ | |||
| from thoseof other | |||
| criminals? How can | |||
| white-collar and | |||
| corporate crime be | |||
| controlled? What is | |||
| organized crime and | |||
| how does it differ from | |||
| white-collar crime? |
Identify some international criminal organizations. What is the history of white-collar crime in this country? What is white-collar crime? What are the various kinds of white collar crimes? What is corporate crime? Political corruption? How do they differ from more traditional forms of white-collar crime? What are the causes of white-collar crime? How do the motivations of white- collar criminal differ from those of other criminals? How can white-collar and corporate crime be controlled? What is organized crime and how does it differfrom white-collar crime? Identify some international criminal organizations. | |||
| 15 | Technology and Crime/Globalization and Terrorism | Chapters 15-16 Course outcome #4 & 5 met | How does advancing technology produce new forms of crime? How does high technology provide new criminal opportunities? What is the extent of cybercrime today? How does advancing technology produce new forms of crime? How does high technology provide new criminal opportunities? What is |
| the extent of cybercrime today? | |||
| 16 | Cover material in chapters 10-16 |
College Policies, Resources and Supports
For information related to the Student Code of Conduct Policy, Withdrawal Policy, Email Policy, and Non- Attendance/Non-Participation Policy, please review the college’s Code of Campus Affairs and Regulations webpage, which can be found at catalog.kcc.edu under the Academic Regulations & Conduct Guide.
KCC offers various academic and personal resources for all students. Many services are offered virtually, as well as in person. Please visit Student Resources - Kankakee Community College to access student resources services such as:
- Clubs and organizations
- Counseling and referral services
- Office of disability services
- Student complaint policy
- Transfer services
- Tutoring services, etc.
The materials on this course are only for the use of students enrolled in this course for purposes associated with this course. Further information regarding KCC's copyright policy is available at https://kcc.libguides.com/copyright.
|Course syllabus/calendar is subject to change.