Rationale
This module builds on the central concepts, theories, current issues and research evidence introduced in the level 4 module exploring the main approaches in psychology and their application to criminology.
The study of crime and criminal behaviour is an important one within academic and social debate and is a hot topic in the media and society as a whole. Over recent years, the role of psychology in seeking to explain criminal behaviour has become increasingly important within criminological studies and the contribution of psychological research and evidence, an important area of study for criminology students.
This module seeks to highlight a number of areas in which psychology has made a contribution to an understanding of why people commit crime and ways of dealing with offenders. It examines key areas in which psychological theory has been applied. To this end, this module explores the nature and application of psychological theory to an understanding of crime, through criminological debate and a review of the history, development and application of forensic psychology.