Domestic Violence
SOC 454
Monday & Wednesday 1:20 to 2:40 pm
Instructor: Michelle Meloy,
Ph.D.
Office: 405-407 Cooper Street; suite 205
Phone: (856) 225-2724
Office Hrs: Monday and Wednesday 9:00 am to 10:00 am and by appointment
E-mail: mlmeloy@rutgers.edu
Teaching Assistant: Tammy Jones
Office: 405-407 Cooper Street; suite 215
Phone: (856) 225-2720
Office Hrs: Wednesday from 2:50pm-3:50 pm
E-mail: tvpjones@camden.rutgers.edu
Teaching Assistant: Sylvia Wyche
Office: 405-407 Cooper Street; suite 215
Phone: (856) 225-2720
Office Hrs: Monday during the free-period
E-mail: swyche@camden.rutgers.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS
Family Violence Across the Lifespan by Barnett, Miller-Perrin and PerrinBlack and Blue (novel) by
Quindlen
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Although domestic
violence is most commonly associated with
"wife beating" it can be used to describe a broad
range
of violent acts that occur in the home or between intimate
partners or family members. For instance, arguments between
siblings,
the
abuse of an elderly relative by a family member, verbal assaults by a
boyfriend or girlfriend, forced
sex of a wife by her husband, physical abuse of a child, and violence
among
same-sex partners can all meet the legal criteria of domestic
violence.
The realization that this violence comes in many forms, in and
out
of heterosexual marriage, makes it difficult for scholars and
criminal
justice practitioners to come to an agreement regarding what
constitutes "domestic violence." This course offers a
comprehensive
overview of the different types of family abuse, the risk factors
associated with offending and victimization, the consequences and harms
of domestic violence, and an in-depth discussion on how the
criminal
justice system responds to these crimes that transpire in our
homes, within
our families, and between intimates and ex-intimates. We pay
particular attention to the social constructs of race, gender,
socioeconomic class, and sexuality in our analysis of domestic violence
and the criminal justice processing of these crimes.
EXAMINATIONS AND REACTION PAPERS
There will be three examinations in this course designed to test your understanding of the discussions, readings, and supplemental material. Exams may consist of multiple choice, true & false questions and/or essay questions. The final exam will NOT be cumulative. No make up examinations will be permitted except for emergency situations. Situations that qualify as an emergency are dictated by university standards and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. The format of make up exams may vary at the discretion of the instructor and may include but are not limited to essay and oral examination. Exam grades will be computed as follows: 90-100% = A; 89-85% = B+; 84-80=B; 79-75% = C+; 74-70%= C; 60-69% = D 59% and lower, is failing.
GRADING
Each exam is worth 25% of your cumulative points for a total of 75% of your final course grade. In addition to examinations you will be required to write two reaction papers. Each reaction paper is worth 10% of your cumulative points for a total of 20% of your final course grade. The reaction paper topics will be related to course material, assigned readings or current events that pertain to the class in some way. Reaction papers ask you to incorporate your views on an issue with relevant research and class reading material. Reaction papers provide me with a forum to assess your grasp of key concepts and material. There will be no make up reaction papers and late reaction papers will not be accepted. Your participation/attendance grade will be calculated based upon your in class presence and your engagement with course material within the classroom setting.
Exam I = 25%
Mid-Term Exam = 25%
Final Exam = 25%
Reaction Papers = 20%
Attendance/Participation = 5%
ACADEMIC DISHONESTY
Under
no circumstances will academic dishonesty be tolerated.
Academic
dishonesty
includes cheating on exams, helping another cheat in any way or taking
someone else's work and representing it as your own original
work. Plagiarism
(stealing someone else's work and representing
it as your own) is a common form of academic dishonesty and comes in
many forms. For instance, purchasing
or using a term paper that someone else wrote and representing it
as your own work or 'clipping and
pasting'
information from another source without using proper citations and/or
quotations constitutes plagiarism. Recently,
plagiarism
from the Internet has become an increasing problem. Every
semester students are in violation of the academic dishonesty
standards set
forth in the Rutgers University handbook, and reiterated on the
sociology
home page http://sociology.camden.rutgers.edu.
All violations of academic dishonesty will immediately be referred to
Rutgers
University officials. Sanctions range from failing the course to
expulsion.
APPROPRIATE
CLASSROOM CONDUCT
COURSE OUTLINE AND ASSIGNED READINGS
This is a general outline and is
subject to change based on the discretion
of the instructor. You are responsible for mastering the material
contained in the assigned readings whether or not they are explicitly
discussed
in class. This is an upper-level undergraduate course and I
trust you will act accordingly. In other words, you are expected
to do the assigned readings prior to each class session
and
be prepared to engage in classroom discussion.
Week 1 : Introduction to the
course
click here
for
notes on historical background of domestic violence
Week 2:
Methodology, Assessment & Theory
Ch. 2
Week 3: Child Physical Abuse
& Neglect
Chs. 3 & 5
click here for reaction paper
assignment # 1
Week 5: Dating Violence,
Stalking & Sexual Assault
Ch. 8
Click
here for notes on the CDC's information on physical abuse among
high-school students
Click
here for notes on the National Violence Against Women Resource Center's
& CDC's information on teen dating violence
Click here
for notes on the DOJ's Community-oriented Policing Center's information
on stalking
Click here for notes on
dating violence and stalking
Week 7: Intimate
Partner Violence in Adult Relationships
Ch. 9
click here for notes on risk markers for intimate partner violence
click
here for
notes on same-sex IPV
Chs. 12 & 13
Week 12:
Elder and Disabled population abuse (cont) & holiday break
Thanksgiving holiday break: No
class on Wednesday
Group discussions/exercises on
book
click here for questions
on Black & Blue
Week
14: Official Responses
to Intimate Partner (& and other family) Violence
Week 16 *Final exam Thursday, December 20 @ 9:00 am*
You MUST be in the
assigned
room and seated by 9:00 am on December 20th or you will not be
permitted to take the final exam!