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Juvenile Justice - LAWS3005
Basser Steps

 
Faculty: Faculty of Law
 
 
School:  Faculty of Law
 
 
Course Outline: See below
 
 
Campus: Kensington Campus
 
 
Career: Postgraduate
 
 
Units of Credit: 8
 
 
EFTSL: 0.16667 (more info)
 
 
Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 2
 
 
Enrolment Requirements:
 
 
Prerequisite: Academic Program must be either 9200, 9210, 5740 or 9230
 
 
Fee Band: 3 (more info)
 
 
Further Information: See Class Timetable
 
 

Description

Allegations that juvenile crime is out of control are frequently made - in the media, in private conversations and in statements made by politicians. The primary aim of this course is to explore the accuracy of these claims. What is the true nature and extent of juvenile offending? How do perceptions of juvenile crime influence the government of young offenders? Is juvenile crime prevention appropriate or effective? Can it be?


LLM Specialisation

Criminal Justice and Criminology.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

  • Provide a broad overview of the functioning of the juvenile justice system and its relationship to juvenile offending
  • Provide an understanding of the historical development of juvenile justice as a subset of the criminal justice system
  • Provide an understanding of specific aspects of juvenile justice including policing, community-based corrections and detention centres
  • Examine the broader political determinants surrounding the operation of the juvenile justice system and moral panics in relation to juvenile offending
  • Develop a critical understanding of the link between theory and juvenile justice policy, and to develop an appreciation of the multi-disciplinary nature of criminological explanation

Main Topics

  • Myths, perceptions and realities about the extent and nature of juvenile crime
  • Theories of juvenile offending
  • Juvenile crime prevention
  • NSW juvenile justice laws, policies and practices
  • Issues of gender, race and class
  • Juvenile justice and children's rights
  • The players: children and young people, police, lawyers, magistrates and the Department of Juvenile Justice
  • The future of juvenile justice

Assessment

Written assignment - Either one essay of 5,000 words, or two essays of 2,5000 words each
Note:  Additional forms of assessment (for example videos, plays, poems etc) are negotiable.
 

Course Texts

Prescribed
None

Recommended
Chris Cunneen and Rob White, Juvenile Justice: an Australian perspective, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 1995.

Resources

Law School material will be available to purchase.

URL for this page:

© The University of New South Wales (CRICOS Provider No.: 00098G), 2004-2011. The information contained in this Handbook is indicative only. While every effort is made to keep this information up-to-date, the University reserves the right to discontinue or vary arrangements, programs and courses at any time without notice and at its discretion. While the University will try to avoid or minimise any inconvenience, changes may also be made to programs, courses and staff after enrolment. The University may also set limits on the number of students in a course.