Violence in America Crim.3270-201

Course Description: The purpose of this course is to provide students with an in-depth analysis of the causes, context, and control of a wide range of violent crimes. Topics covered in this class include: Murder (mass, serial), rape, robbery, assault, violence in the helping professions, violence in the workplace, violence in school, community violence, cult violence, and institutional violence.

Required Reading:

1. Riedel, Marc, and Wayne Welch (2016). Criminal Violence: Patterns,Explanations, and Interventions ( New York: Oxford).
2. Online readings( see schedule link for weekly readings)

Learning Objectives: This course introduces students to a wide spectrum of violent crimes. By the end of the course, students will have a clear understanding of the nature and extent of the violence problem in the United States, and they will be able to provide profiles of both violent offenders and victims. They will also be able to describe the characteristics of the communities where violence is most likely to occur. Finally, students will gain a detailed understanding of the cause, prevention, and control of violent crime.

Grading: Final Course Grades will be determined as follows:

1. Midterm exam: exam covers material in weeks 1-5, see schedule link(30%)
2. Final exam: covers material in weeks 7-14, see schedule link (30%)
3. Term Paper(30%) Detailed term paper description is provided( see week 1 schedule); all papers are to be in APA format, and include a review of available research using major journals in the field. A listing of journals is provided on my UML faculty course web page.
4. Class preparation/participation. Attendance is recorded and students are expected to complete weekly reading assignments prior to class. (10%)