Women & Crime | Williams, LaVerne McQuiller

Course Description

This course deals with women as criminal offenders and as victims of crime. Focus will be placed on theories about women in crime, the types of crimes committed, patterns of criminality, and the treatment of women offenders. This course will also examine the role of women as law enforcement officers, judges, lawyers, and correctional officers. Specifically, this course will analyze special issues related to women in the criminal justice system including, sexual harassment and policewomen, the criminalization of pregnancy, domestic violence and the female serial killer.

Course Objective

>>To provide a historical perspective of women as offenders,
victims, and criminal justice professionals.

>>To investigate the relationship between the changing role of women in society
and the changing role of women in the criminal justice system.

>>To discuss and analyze the types and patterns of crime engaged in by women.

>>To discuss and analyze the problems facing women as victims of crime.

>>To discuss and evaluate the role of women as criminal justice professionals.

Course Evaluation

This course will be conducted in a lecture/seminar style and active class participation is an essential component. Students are responsible for all assigned readings, handouts, and materials discussed in class. Students will be evaluated by two examinations, active participation in class, and the preparation of a professional research paper on a subject of interest covered in class. The student is also required to complete a 5-7 minute class presentation based on their paper.

Students missing two out of the ten class sessions without a legitimate excuse will have their final mark dropped one letter grade; students missing three class sessions will receive a failing grade for the course.

Caveat

If their is a lack of class discussion, mandatory quizzes will be substituted for class participation and will be added into the final grade.

Grading

Midterm 25%; Final 30%; Paper 25%; Participation 10%; Presentation 10%.