Course CJS 3325, Victimology

Instructor Jonathan Caudill

Term Fall 2007
Meetings W 2:30-5:15PM / CN 1.304

Professor’s Contact Information

Office Phone 972 883 4915
Other Phone 936 661 4766
Office Location GR 2.510
Email Address jwc067000@utdallas.edu
Office Hours Wednesday 8am-10am and Thursday 1pm-3pm, or by appointment.
All e-mail communication must be via your UTD e-mail account or WebCT. Electronic
communication will not be accepted nor responded to from any other source. The office
Other Information number listed above is a community line, therefore, if you need to contact me by phone,
please use the alternate number. Unless it is an emergency, I rather you contact me via e-
mail.

General Course Information

Pre-requisites, Co-
requisites, & other N/A
restrictions
In this course, students will analyze the major perspectives on victimization. The
emphasis is on patterns of victimization, the role of victims in the generation of crime,
and the experience of victims in the criminal justice system. Special attention will be
devoted to: sources of data – particularly the National Crime Victimization Survey,
trends, variations by demography and offense type and ways in which those variations
may affect how criminal justice officials respond to particular types of offenses.

This course will focus on the causes and consequences of criminal victimization. We will
Course Description
begin with a discussion of the major theories of criminal victimization and look at the
relationship between victimization and offending and between direct victimization and
indirect victimization. We will also consider how victims cope with victimization –
attitudinally, cognitively, and behaviorally. We will also examine the role of victims in
the criminal justice system, including reporting to the police, testifying in court, seeking
compensation, and giving victim impact statements at sentencing and parole hearings.
Finally, we will be discussing the policy implications of research findings on several
different topics.
1. Students will able to describe and examine the role of victims in the criminal
justice system, including reporting to the police, testifying in court, seeking
compensation, and giving victim impact statements at sentencing and parole
hearings; including discussions of the role of policy implications.
2. Students will be able to describe and identify the important theoretical
Learning Outcomes
components of criminal victimization.
3. Students will be able to critically examine the relationship between
victimization and offending and between direct victimization and indirect
victimization, as well as will examine and compare how victims cope with
victimization – attitudinally, cognitively, and behaviorally.
There is one required text for this course.
Victims of Crime (2nd Ed.), Davis, R. C., Lurigio, A. J., & Skogan, W.G.
Required Texts &
There will be other required readings and additional readings posted on WebCT for
Materials
students to utilize.
Students are required to collect current, subject related, examples of victimization and be
prepared to discuss them at the beginning of class each week.
Although there is only one required text, students should be aware that several texts will
Suggested Texts,
be used to create the in-class lectures and several additional readings may be assigned
Readings, &
throughout the semester. These readings will originate from various sources and may
Materials
require the students to access the world-wide web.
Assignments & Academic Calendar
[Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates]
Dates, topics, and exams are listed below. Please be cognizant that
although we will attempt to maintain this schedule, these dates,
08/22/2007 Orientation topics, readings, and lectures are tentative. This being stated,
students will be informed of any schedule changes in a timely
manner via class, WebCT, and/or e-mail.
Readings: Laub, J. H. (1997). Patterns of Criminal Victimization in the
United States. In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan
08/29/2007 Introduction (Eds.), Victims of Crime (2nd ed., pp. 9-26). Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
Lecture: The Scope of Victimology
Readings: Maxfield, M. G. (1999). The National Incident-Based
Reporting System: Research and Policy Applications. Journal
Measuring
09/05/2007 of Quantitative Criminology Journal of Quantitative
Victimization
Criminology, 15(2), 119-149.
Lecture: Gauging the Extent of Criminal Victimization
Readings: Norris, F. H., Kaniasty, K., & Thompson, M. P. (1997). The
Psychological Consequences of Crime. In R.C. Davis, A.J.
Impact of
09/12/2007 Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.), Victims of Crime (2nd ed.,
Victimization
pp. 146-166). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lecture: The Costs of Being a Victim
09/19/2007 Exam Exam #1
Readings: Zechmeister, J. S. & Romero, C. (2002). Victim and
Offender Accounts of Interpersonal Conflict:
Autobiographical Narratives of Forgiveness and
Unforgiveness. Journal of Personality and Social
Restitution, Psychology, 82, 4, 675-686.
09/26/2007 Compensation, and
Restorative Justice Herman, S. (2004). Is Restorative Justice Possible Without A
Parallel System for Victims? In H. Zehr & R. Toews (Eds.),
Critical Issues in Restorative Justice. (pp. 75-94). Monsey,
New York: Criminal Justice Press.
Lecture: Remedying the Plight of Victims / Restorative Justice
Readings: Resick, P. A. & Nishith, P. (1997). Sexual Assault. In R.C.
Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.), Victims of
10/03/2007 Sexual Assault
Crime (2nd ed., pp. 27-52). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lecture: Sexual Assault
Readings: Garner, J. & Fagan, J. (1997). Victims of Domestic
Violence. In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan
10/10/2007 Spousal Abuse (Eds.), Victims of Crime (2nd ed., pp. 53-85). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lecture: Spousal Abuse
10/17/2007 Exam Exam #2
Readings: Finkelhor, D. (1997). The Victimization of Children and
Youth. In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.),
10/24/2007 Child Maltreatment Victims of Crime (2nd ed., pp. 86-107). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.
Lecture: Child Maltreatment
Readings: Payne, B. K. & Fletcher, L. B. (2005). Elder Abuse in
Nursing Homes: Prevention and Resolution Strategies and
10/31/2007 Elder Abuse
Barriers. Journal of Criminal Justice, 33, 119-125.
Lecture: Elder Abuse
 Readings: Garofalo, J. (1997). Hate Crime Victimization in the United
States. In R.C. Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.),
Hate Crimes /
11/07/2007 Victims of Crime (2nd ed., pp. 134-145). Thousand Oaks,
Homicide
CA: Sage.
Lecture: Homicide / Hate Crime Statutes

Readings: Freidman, L. N. & Tucker, S. B. (1997). Violence

Prevention Through Victim Assistance. In R.C. Davis, A.J.
Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.), Victims of Crime (2nd ed.,
pp. 183-193). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
11/14/2007 Victims’ Rights
Young, M. A. (1997). Victim Rights and Services. In R.C.
Davis, A.J. Lurigio, & W.G. Skogan (Eds.), Victims of
Crime (2nd ed., pp. 194-210). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Lecture: Victim Rights
11/21/2007 Exam Exam #3

Course Policies
Final grades will be awarded according to the following total point scale: A+: 490-500,
A: 470-489, A-: 450-469, B+: 435-449, B: 435-449, B-: 400-419, C+: 385-399, C: 370-
384, C-: 350-369, D+: 335-349, D: 320-334, D-: 300-319, F: 0-219. These scores are the
compiled totals of the grades received on the three class exams, the final exam, and in-
class participation.

Grades will be compiled in the following manner:

Exam I 100 Points

Exam II 100
Exam III 100
Final Exam 150
In-Class 50
Participation

Total 500 *

Class Exams: There will be three class exams that will cover the material in the readings,
class lectures, and discussions resulting from the readings and class lectures. All class
Grading (credit) exams will be multiple choice answers and have an extra credit question at the end. It is
Criteria the sole responsibility of the individual student to be prepared for the exam with an 883-
ES scantron and an appropriate pencil.

Final Exam: The final exam will be comprehensive and will be a multiple choice answer
exam. There will be no extra credit on the final exam and, as with the class exams, the
student is responsible for being prepared to take the final exam.

In-Class Participation: Students are expected to be present for every class meeting.
Along with being in class, students are expected to be academically prepared to discuss
the assigned readings, present current events related to the topics, and participate in class
discussions.

Extra Credit: There will be extra credit short essays at the end of each class exams (this
excludes the final exam). The maximum points earned for the extra credit questions will
be 5-points each and there will only be one extra credit question per class exam. There
will be no other opportunity for extra credit during this course.

Review of Grades: All exam grades will be posted on WebCT after all students’ exams
have been graded. In class participation grades will be posted on WebCT along with the
Exam grades. Please be aware that if you wish to contest a grade, you must follow the
 outlined procedure dictated by the university, which you can find at:
http://www.utdallas.edu/dept/ugraddean/appeals.html.
* It is possible to have a total score of more than 500 due to Extra Credit.
Exams are scheduled so that you can make arrangements well in advance of the exam
date. If you are unable to be present during an exam, you must contact the instructor
prior to the exam date to discuss possible options, such as a make-up exam. This policy
does not indicate that students are guaranteed the right to a make-up exam, thus you
should do your very best to be in class for all exams.

Make-up exams, if granted, will not be in the same format as the in class exam. If a
make-up exam is allowed, it is expected that this exam will be completed within two
weeks of the originally scheduled in class exam date.
Policies on Exams
Once the first person taking an exam leaves the classroom, late arrivals will not be
admitted to complete the exam.

Please bring a picture I.D. for all exams. If you are asked for your picture I.D. and you
do not have it with you, you will be asked to leave the class and you will forfeit your
opportunity to complete the exam.

Exams will consist of information provided to the student in the readings, in class
lectures, and discussions from the readings and class lectures. The more you read and
take notes in class, the better you will perform on the exams.
The only assignments for this class are in class assignments, thus I will not accept late
Late Work
work. Please do not ask as this policy is non-negotiable.
In Class Assignments will consist of students bringing current newspaper articles related
to the readings or the lecture for that day. Due to the size of the class, we will not always
Special Assignments
be able to discuss everyone’s article, however all students will receive credit for their
submission. Students will not be required to bring in class assignments on exam days.
Students are expected to be in class for every meeting. We only meet once a week, thus a
significant amount of material will be covered in every class. Students are expected to be
in class on time and habitual tardiness will be addressed by the instructor.

Class Attendance In class assignments will be utilized as the attendance record. If you have an emergency
and will not be able to attend class, I suggest you befriend a classmate so you can
retrieve the class notes, as the course readings and the class notes are not the same.
Please be aware that I will not provide any student with a copy of my notes for the class
due to absence, regardless of the reason.
Electronic Devices can be used in the classroom FOR CLASS RELATED ACTIVITIES.
Surfing the web, participation in an on-line chat, accessing personal web page host sites,
Instant Messaging (IM), e-mail, text messaging, etc. are inappropriate behaviors in a
classroom setting. If it is determined that you are engaging in these activities while class
is being conducted, you will be asked to turn off your Electronic Device and will not be
allowed to return to class with it. Please do not take advantage of being allowed to use
technology to your benefit.

Cell phones are to be turned off or be put in silent mode while class is being conducted.
Classroom
If you have a SERIOUS EMERGENCY, which may require you to interrupt the class, it
Citizenship
is your responsibility to inform the instructor prior to class and sit close to an exit.

We will discuss many sensitive topics during the semester. I expect everyone to
participate in the discussions in an appropriate manner. Maintaining a different
viewpoint does not require negative behavior or disrespectful comments. If a student is
disrespectful in their behaviors or language, it is the instructor’s responsibility to address
this issue in a timely and concise manner. If a student’s negative behavior and / or
language is addressed and it continues, the student will be asked to leave the class and
will suffer a deduction in their grade.
Due to the sensitive nature of the material addressed in this course, students may have a
Special Note about
desire to share their personal experiences of victimization. Student should know that this
the Materials in this
is a perfectly normal and reasonable response given the subject matter. Unlike many
Class
courses, where personal experiences bring the material full circle, this course is not the
 appropriate locale for personal victimization experiences.

Although class discussions are not the proper place to discuss personal victimization
experiences, the material may illicit memories or a need to discuss these experiences
with someone. There are several resources available to students at UTD:

The Galerstein Women’s Center http://www.utdallas.edu/student/womensctr/

The Student Counseling Center http://www.utdallas.edu/counseling/index.html
The Student Health Center http://www.utdallas.edu/healthcenter/

During the semester, we may watch videos pertaining to the material. If you wish to
complete an alternative assignment, please contact the instructor prior to the designated
class that the video will be shown and make arrangements.

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and
regulations for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility
of each student and each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and
regulations which govern student conduct and activities. General information on student
conduct and discipline is contained in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is
provided to all registered students each academic year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the
Student Conduct and Rules and Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1,
Discipline Chapter VI, Section 3, and in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the
university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations
are available to students in the Office of the Dean of Students, where staff members are
available to assist students in interpreting the rules and regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-
6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of
citizenship. He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the
Regents’ Rules, university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to
discipline for violating the standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or
off campus, or whether civil or criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty.
Because the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work
done by the student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high
standard of individual honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related
to applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s
Academic Integrity own work or material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty
involves one of the following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying
academic records. Students suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary
proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from
any other source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on
plagiarism (see general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of
turnitin.com, which searches the web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication
between faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises
some issues concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange.
Email Use The university encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a
student’s U.T. Dallas email address and that faculty and staff consider email from
students official only if it originates from a UTD student account. This allows the
university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the identity of all individual
corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD furnishes each
 student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with university
personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

As the University’s policy is designed to protect all students’ privacy, I do not discuss
grades with students via e-mail (or telephone).

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-
level courses. These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog.
Withdrawal from
Administration procedures must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle
Class
withdrawal requirements from any class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any
student. You must do the proper paperwork to ensure that you will not receive a final
grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the class once you are enrolled.

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and
Activities, of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other

fulfillments of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a
serious effort to resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or
committee with whom the grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”).
Individual faculty members retain primary responsibility for assigning grades and
evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at that level, the grievance must be
Student Grievance
submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the respondent’s School Dean. If
Procedures
the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the respondent, the student
may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not resolved by the
School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of Graduate
or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the
academic appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean
of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules
and regulations.
As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably
missed at the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed.
An incomplete grade must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the
Incomplete Grades
subsequent long semester. If the required work to complete the course and to remove the
incomplete grade is not submitted by the specified deadline, the incomplete grade is
changed automatically to a grade of F.

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational

opportunities equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in
room 1.610 in the Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to
6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Disability Services Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable
adjustments necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For
example, it may be necessary to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or
animals (in the case of dog guides) for students who are blind. Occasionally an
assignment requirement may be substituted (for example, a research paper versus an oral
presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes enrolled students with
mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities. The college or
university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
 mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty
members to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations.
Individuals requiring special accommodation should contact the professor after class or
during office hours.
The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required
activities for the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose
places of worship are exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas
Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible
regarding the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused,
will be allowed to take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time
after the absence: a period equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one
week. A student who notifies the instructor and completes any missed exam or
assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A student who fails to complete the
Religious Holy Days
exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a failing grade for that
exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the
purpose of observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about
whether the student has been given a reasonable time to complete any missed
assignments or examinations, either the student or the instructor may request a ruling
from the chief executive officer of the institution, or his or her designee. The chief
executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative intent of TEC
51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief executive
officer or designee.
Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law
Off-Campus and University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities.
Instruction and Information regarding these rules and regulations may be found at
Course Activities http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional
information is available from the office of the school dean.

These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.