Unit rationale, description and aim

There are many types of violence. These are pervasive and ubiquitous phenomena that characterise a lot of criminal behaviour. Students' knowledge and conceptual understanding of them is therefore important within employment contexts that interface with criminal behaviours.

In this unit students will begin by charting the historical development of violence as phenomena, and as a concept. To do this, the unit helps students to identify what violence is, to describe it, and then to consider it more analytically and theoretically in its many adjectival forms. Based on this foundation, students will then consider violence through the lenses of gendered violence, family violence, criminal violence, and hate speech.

The aim of the unit is to arm students with a wider and deeper appreciation of the many different forms that violence can take through history and within contemporary society. 

2025 10

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  • Semester 1Multi-mode

Prerequisites

Nil

Incompatible

LCRM104 Juvenile Justice

Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Recognise and describe the many different varietie...

Learning Outcome 01

Recognise and describe the many different varieties of violence
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1, GC7

Explain how law and policy seeks to allow, disallo...

Learning Outcome 02

Explain how law and policy seeks to allow, disallow and regulate violence
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC1

Apply knowledge and understanding of family violen...

Learning Outcome 03

Apply knowledge and understanding of family violence regulation
Relevant Graduate Capabilities: GC2

Content

Topics will include:

  • What is violence?
  • Why do people behave violently? Biological and psychological explanations
  • Why do people behave violently? Criminological and sociological explanations
  • Collective violence
  • Young people and violence
  • Gender and violence
  • Intimate partner & family violence
  • Responses to family violence
  • Technology-assisted violence
  • Hate crime
  • Violence prevention

Assessment strategy and rationale

The assessment in this unit comprises three assessment tasks that are designed to scaffold learning, as well as to determine the achievement of learning outcomes.

The first task aligns with the first learning outcome. It aims to determine students’ knowledge of the prevalence and varieties of violence in Australia. The second assessment task aligns primarily with the second learning outcome. It supports students' development of understanding of the relationship between law, policy and violence. The proposed task involves the preparation of an 'issue summary' having regard to a problem statement provided with respect to media representations of violence. To do this requires critical evaluation of the regulation of that violence, therefore involving development and use of an understanding of fundamental concepts and theories of violence. In the final task, students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of family violence regulation in their jurisdiction. It is proposed that this be done by asking them to write an essay that, among other things, details the legal and regulatory processes governing family violence in their jurisdiction. 

Strategies aligned with transition pedagogies will be utilised to facilitate successful completion of the unit assessment tasks. For each assessment, there will be the incorporation of developmentally staged tasks with a focus on a progressive approach to learning. This will be achieved through activities, including regular feedback, particularly early in the unit of study to support their learning; strategies to develop and understand discipline-specific concepts and terminology; in-class practice tasks with integrated feedback; and greater peer-to-peer collaboration. 

Overview of assessments

Assessment 1: Multiple choice quiz Students ar...

Assessment 1: Multiple choice quiz

Students are required to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and ideas.

Weighting

20%

Learning Outcomes LO1
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7

Assessment 2: Issue summary Students are require...

Assessment 2: Issue summary

Students are required to prepare a 1200 word response to a given issue. This question is designed to allow students to demonstrate their developing skills in locating, referencing, and analysing research materials.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC7

Assessment 3: Essay Students are required to pre...

Assessment 3: Essay

Students are required to prepare a 1500 word paper on a designated topic covering a specific type of violence.

Weighting

40%

Learning Outcomes LO1, LO2, LO3
Graduate Capabilities GC1, GC2, GC7

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit will be delivered using a combination of lectures and workshops. Other study components might include on-line webinars, podcasts, readings, discussion forums etc. The balance of the hours is comprised of self-directed study.

The strategy is to encourage students to actively engage with unit content and their peers; to provide a clear link between lecture content and workshop practicum to develop an authentic understanding (of principles and theory) that (in combination with learning from other units) bridges the gap between theory and practice. Thus, the learning and teaching strategy extends from within this unit, to integrate with other units in the course. Within an integrated learning framework, lectures will provide core content relating to the topics identified above and begin a process of active, engaged, exploration, which will be deepened by detailed explanation and further investigation in workshops. Through direct interaction between students and teachers, students active, engaged exploration of the foundational knowledge they acquire supports its assimilation in the form of comprehension of concepts and theory. Students are then encouraged to test that evolving understanding by applying it to factual situations, to produce solutions supported by legal authorities and arguments; and to reflect on their learning. Each component is intended to build on knowledge, understanding and skills to progressively scaffold student learning.

The online learning platform used in this unit provides multiple preparatory and practice opportunities to guide in-class and out-of-class study. Online learning assistance in the form of learning resources, notices, assessment information (including online submission, marking and return of results/feedback), is student focused, affording greater accessibility and flexibility to the learning experience. 

Further to this, to ensure students are ready to transition from the Diploma and articulate into the second year of undergraduate study, transition pedagogies will be incorporated into the unit as the key point of differentiation from the standard unit. This focuses on an active and engaging approach to learning and teaching practices, and a scaffolded approach to the delivery of curriculum to enhance student learning in a supportive environment. This will ensure that students develop foundation level discipline-based knowledge, skills and attributes, and simultaneously the academic competencies required of students to succeed in this unit.

Representative texts and references

Representative texts and references

Alexander, R. (2018). Family violence in Australia: the legal response. Federation Press.

Ellis, A. (2016). Men, masculinities and violence: an ethnographic study. Routledge.

Ferracuti, F. & Wolfgang, M. E. (Eds.). (2003). The subculture of violence: towards an integrated theory in criminology. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=1542743

Howe, A. (2008). Sex, violence, and crime: Foucault and the ‘man’ question. Routledge-Cavendish.

Meyer, S. & Frost, A. (2019). Domestic and family violence: a critical introduction to knowledge and practice. Routledge.

Raine, A. (2014). The anatomy of violence: the biological roots of crime. Penguin Books.

Ray, L. J. (2018). Violence & society (2nd ed.). SAGE.

Teasdale, B. & Bradley, M. S. (Eds.). (2016). Preventing crime and violence. Springer International Publishing AG. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=4751453

Van, H. V. B. & Bourke, M. L. (Eds.). (2018). Handbook of behavioral criminology. Springer International Publishing AG. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=5287936 

Zahn, M. A., Brownstein, H. H. & Jackson, S. L. (2016). Violence: from theory to research. Taylor & Francis Group. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/acu/detail.action?docID=1798340 

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