VICTIMOLOGY
340 & 540
Spring 2008
Thursday 3:00 to
5:50
January
is National Stalking Awareness Month
http://www.ncvc.org/src/NSAM/index.html
Instructor:
Michelle Meloy,
Ph.D.
Office:
405-407 Cooper Street, suite 205
Phone:
(856) 225-2724
Office
Hrs: Tuesday/Thursday 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm and by
appointment
E-mail:
mlmeloy@rutgers.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS
Crime
victims by Karmen, 6th edition
Kindness of Strangers by Kittle
Victims as Offenders by Miller
Violence of Hate by Levin
Course
Description
Until the last two
decades
crime victims were virtually ignored by criminal justice officials,
academic
researchers, and social policy makers. As a
result, the
study of victims and the science of victimology, as a distinctive area
of
independent scholarship, is relatively new. However, much has
changed
in the last 20-30 years. Criminal
justice protocol now permits victims to have a voice in how their
victimizations are resolved. Researchers have discovered the importance
of
victim activity and victim offender relationships in understanding,
predicting,
and deterring crime, and politicians and activists have embraced
victims, even
if only symbolically.
In
this course we trace the historical and legal developments that were
instrumental in changing the status of crime victims within the justice
system. We cover the theoretical tenets of victimology and empirical
evidence on victims and victims' issues. We also critically
evaluate
the impact of the victim's rights era and discuss who is included and
excluded
in these reforms. One theme that resonates throughout our
discussions,
week in and week out, is the notion of victim prominence
and social
capital. A victim's race, ethnicity, socioeconomic
status, gender, or sexuality impact how the
system views and responds to their victimization, as well as their
experience with, and perceptions of, the criminal justice
system. This course highlights victimizations that are
disproportionately committed against women and children.
Course Requirements
Mid-Term Exam 25%
Final
Exam
25%
Research paper
25%
Research presentation 05%
You are required to write a research paper
(15-25
pages in length) on an approved topic of relevance to the
course. Research
papers are empirical and/or theoretical explorations on something,
guided by a clearly defined research question(s). Given the
nature of the assignment, only certain data,
sources, and search engines are
appropriate. We cover the specifics of this assignment - and the
'how to' portion in greater detail during class meetings. You
should seek my guidance on the formation of your research
question(s). Reach out to your classmates and the library staff
at the reference desk for additional assistance on conducting academic
research via Rutgers' electronic journals, academic search engines,
hard copy journals and scholarly books, and ordering supporting
materials via inter-library loans. Because this is a graduate
course and conducting literature reviews and writing seminar papers are
important tasks you must learn in graduate school, students
who fail to turn in an acceptable research paper will not receive
a passing grade for the course.
This course is
designed as a graduate level seminar with the expectation that each
student will come to class prepared to discuss the subject matter of
the week. For this to be effective, you must commit to completing
the readings as scheduled. In addition, every student
will have the opportunity to be a "discussion leader" on a specific
topic. Student leaders should augment their discussion with
specific cases or additional scientific findings,
Power-points, movie clips, education videos or some other
learning
tool(s).
Course Outline and Reading Assignments: This is a general outline and is subject to change based on the discretion of the instructor. Readings may be added or deleted per instructor's discretion.
Week
1 Class Introductions
Karmen: The Rediscovery of Crime Victims, The Rise of Victimology, Ch. 1-2
click here for notes
Week
2 Study of victimiology as a science & victim-oriented theories
Karmen: Chs. 3,4 and
5
click here for notes
Karmen:
Chs. 6,7 and pgs. 179-190
Week
4 Child Victims
Students should
locate at least 2 journal articles on child physical or child sexual
abuse. Summarize the findings.
Week
5 Sexual Victimization
Karmen: Ch.10
click here for list of readings on reserve at the library
click here for notes
Week 6 Domestic Violence,Stalking & the Law:
Introduction
& background
Karmen:
pgs. 212-226; 233-238 & pgs. 288-290
click here for notes
click here for even more
notes
click here for the
mid-term review
Students must locate at least 2 journal articles or relevant book on
domestic violence, intimate partner violence, stalking to bring to
class. Summarize the findings or main points of this research.
Week
7 Mid-term (in-class) examination
Miller: Victims as Offenders
Karmen: pgs. 226-233
Students must locate at least 2 journal articles or relevant book on women as offenders. Summarize the findings for the class.
click here for notes
Week
9 Spring Break
Week 10 Hate crimes
Karmen: pgs
295-299
Levin: In the Name of Hate
Students
must locate a relevant case and a journal article (or book) relating to
the
topic - bring to class. Summarize the findings or main points.
click here for
notes
Week
11 Media and Victims
Meyers: News Coverage of Violence
Against Women
Karmen: pgs. 263-264
Students must locate a relevant
case and a journal article (or book) highlighting findings on the
medias' coverage or presentation of crime victims. Summarize the
findigs or main points.
Week 12
Victim support,politics of victimization & victim backlash
Karmen:
Ch. 12
Readings on reserve
(Click here for a list of
the reserve readings for this week)
Students
must locate a relevant story and/or journal article on victim
resilience, summarive and bring to class
Week
13 Alternative approaches to victimization & victim advocacy
Karmen:
Ch. 13
Students must locate a relevant story and/or a journal article on alternative dispute resolution tactics from a victim's perspective or highlighting victim's issues. Summarize the major findings.
Week 14
Student presentations
Week 15 Student
presentations
Click here for a
review of the final exam
Final papers
are due Thursday May 1st by 5:00 pm.
Week 16:
Final exam will occur per the university schedule