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Graduate Course Proposal Form Submission Detail - CCJ6624
Tracking Number - 2739

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Current Status: Approved by SCNS - 2014-04-01
Campus: Tampa
Submission Type: New
Course Change Information (for course changes only):
Comments: For Criminology MA Changes. Approved 3/28/14. to Sys 4/23/14. to SCNS 5/1/14. Approved eff 4/1/14


Detail Information

  1. Date & Time Submitted: 2012-02-07
  2. Department: Criminology
  3. College: BC
  4. Budget Account Number: 122100000
  5. Contact Person: Kathleen Heide
  6. Phone: 8139749543
  7. Email: kheide@usf.edu
  8. Prefix: CCJ
  9. Number: 6624
  10. Full Title: Seminar in Violence
  11. Credit Hours: 3
  12. Section Type: D - Discussion (Primarily)
  13. Is the course title variable?: N
  14. Is a permit required for registration?: N
  15. Are the credit hours variable?: N
  16. Is this course repeatable?: Y
  17. If repeatable, how many times?: 3
  18. Abbreviated Title (30 characters maximum): Seminar in Violence
  19. Course Online?: C - Face-to-face (0% online)
  20. Percentage Online: 100
  21. Grading Option: R - Regular
  22. Prerequisites: None
  23. Corequisites: None
  24. Course Description: This course utilizes psychological, sociological, and biological perspectives to help students to understand different types of violent offenders and various intervention strategies.

  25. Please briefly explain why it is necessary and/or desirable to add this course: Replacing Selected Topics with Permanent number; already listed in program
  26. What is the need or demand for this course? (Indicate if this course is part of a required sequence in the major.) What other programs would this course service? This course is being added in the context of a complete revision of the Department of Criminology graduate curriculum. The purposes of the revision are to ensure that the curriculum (a) is updated to reflect current themes/emphases in the discipline, (b) provides students with a well-rounded graduate education, (c) reflects the identity of the USF Department of Criminology and thereby the strengths/expertise of the faculty, and (d) improves outcomes on doctorate comprehensive exams. Adding this course will help us achieve these objectives. This course will provide graduate students with a more in depth education on violent crime.
  27. Has this course been offered as Selected Topics/Experimental Topics course? If yes, how many times? Yes, 2 times
  28. What qualifications for training and/or experience are necessary to teach this course? (List minimum qualifications for the instructor.) Earned doctorate/terminal degree in Criminology or a related discipline.
  29. Objectives: This course is designed to give students the tools and assistance:

    • To investigate patterns of juvenile offending, with a special focus on juveniles who commit violent crime, particularly homicide

    • To apply sociological, psychological, and biological theories of criminality to juvenile homicide offenders

    • To review the literature on different groups of juvenile offenders with particular emphasis on serious, chronic, and violent juvenile offenders

    • To understand the fundamental issues involved in the evaluation of offenders, including the assessment of child abuse and neglect histories

    • To learn stages of personality development and their relevance to understanding motivations for crime and charting appropriate intervention strategies

    • To acquire experience in the techniques of clinical interviewing

    • To increase knowledge and understanding of the diagnoses most commonly made among juvenile offenders

    • To explore legal trends and issues in the processing of juvenile offenders and their effects on juvenile offenders

    • To evaluate the treatment literature in terms of its effectiveness in reducing juvenile recidivism and helping juveniles make a successful re-entry into society

    • To critique the literature on the prevention of juvenile crime and discuss steps that society could take to decrease violent and serious crime by juveniles

  30. Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to discuss the incidence of violence, particularly homicide, and its victim, offender, and case correlates

    • Students will be able to explain the relevance of offender age to offender accountability

    • Students will be able to describe the different types of parricide offenders and the criteria essential for categorization of each type of parricide offender

    • Students will be able to discuss diagnostic issues and to identify criteria associated with different personality levels and personality types of offenders

    • Students will be able to determine appropriate legal charges and to identify available defense strategies in specific parricide cases and in homicide cases generally

    • Students will be able to critically evaluate evidence pertaining to treating homicide and parricide offenders and preventing lethal acts of violence

    • Students will be able to apply concepts learned with respect to mental health issues, personality development, assessment of child abuse and neglect, motivational dynamics, and social history to a specific homicide case

    • Students will be able to apply and evaluate psychological, sociological, and biological theories to understanding the factors that contributed to a specific offender committing homicide

    • Students will be able to identify risk factors and to assess the prognosis in a specific parricide or homicide case and to defend dispositional alternatives they recommend

    • Students will learn the fundamentals of clinical interviewing and will acquire practice in clinical interviewing techniques

  31. Major Topics: •Juvenile Homicide

    •Theories and Causes

    •Classification

    •Assessment

    •Personality assessment

    •Abused kids who kill parents

    •Dangerously antisocial kids who kill parents

    •The legal response

    •Low maturity delinquent youth

    High maturity delinquent youth

    •Ethics in Criminal Justice System

    Violent Boys and Violent Girls

    •Treating kids who kill

    Preventing children without a conscience

  32. Textbooks: 1. Garbarino, James. (1999). Lost Boys. New York: Anchor Books.

    2. Heide, Kathleen M. (1999). Young Killers: The Challenge of Juvenile Homicide. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.

    3. Heide, Kathleen M. (1995).Why Kids Kill Parents. Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.

    4. Hubner, J. (2005). Last Chance in Texas: The Redemption of Criminal Youth. NY: Random House, 2005.

    5. Prothrow-Stith, Deborah & Spivak, Howard R. (2005). Sugar & Spice and No Longer Nice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

    6. Sullivan, Irene. (2011). Raised by the Courts. New York: K

  33. Course Readings, Online Resources, and Other Purchases:
  34. Student Expectations/Requirements and Grading Policy: The course has eight general requirements. They are summarized here and explained in the section below.

    A. Reading of assigned material by due date

    B. Rapid-fire quizzes each week on assigned material (20% of grade)

    C. Class attendance and participation (10% of grade)

    D. Attendance in juvenile court and a reaction paper (10% of grade)

    E. Case evaluation of a juvenile homicide offender (30% of grade)

    F. Presentation of your case evaluation in class (10% of grade)

    G. Conducting an interview and written report (20% of grade)

    Grading

    Letter GPA Final grade Number of Points

    A 4.0 90-100 90-100

    A- 3.7 88-89.9 88-89.9

    B+ 3.3 85-87.9 85-87.9

    B 3.0 80-84.9 80-84.9

    B- 2.7 78-79.9 78-79.9

    C+ 2.3 75-77.9 75-77.9

    C 2.0 70-74.9 70-74.9

    C- 1.7 68-69.9 68-69.9

    D+ 1.3 65-67.9 65-67.9

    D 1.0 60-64.9 60-64.9

    F -- below 60 below 60

  35. Assignments, Exams and Tests: A. Reading of assigned material by due date

    The success of this course is to a large extent dependent on the students' reading of the assigned material prior to the date it is due and their being prepared to discuss it in class.

    B. Rapid-fire quizzes on assigned material (20% of grade; 20 points maximum)

    Rapid-fire quizzes will be given each week on assigned reading. The quizzes will be given at the beginning of class. Students who miss the quiz due to lateness will not be given make-up quizzes. I will drop the student’s lowest grade in calculating the percentage grade for this assignment.

    C. Class attendance and participation (10% of grade; 10 points maximum)

    Class attendance and participation is expected. Roll call is taken at the beginning of class. Students are expected to be on time and to stay the entire class period. If this requirement is not respected, students can expect the classroom door to be locked promptly at 6:00 P.M., restricting entrance to late comers until the break.

    Participation in field trips is required. Absence from a scheduled field trip results in a loss of one letter grade from the student’s final grade. If a student cannot make daytime field trips under any circumstances, I will arrange a research paper to accommodate this student’s situation, provided the student lets me know by the second class meeting.

    I use a four point scale to measure class participation: contributes very much, contributes each class, contributes occasionally, and rarely contributes. Class attendance enters into my overall assessment. Student who miss three or more classes, or combinations thereof, will receive a final grade of F in the course.

    D. Attendance in juvenile court and a reaction paper (10% of grade; 10 points maximum).

    Students are required to attend at least two hours in juvenile court observing juvenile delinquency proceedings.

    Juvenile court meets during the day (typically 9 to 12 a.m. and sometimes during the afternoon from 1 to 4 p.m.) in one of several courtrooms in the Courthouse Annex Building located at 801 East Twiggs St. The courthouse and courthouse annex are located downtown and are across the street from one another. The best place to park is the parking garage on Twiggs Street located one block East of the Courthouse Annex. (To get into the courthouse annex, you must enter through the new building, which is called the George Edgecomb Building, at 800 East Twiggs Street. Go up to the second floor and walk across the bridge to the 801 East Twiggs building. )

    If class elects to do so, we can arrange to go together, possibly on a Monday or Wednesday morning or afternoon. If we go together as a class, I can make arrangements for us to speak with the juvenile court judge and attorneys from the State Attorneys and Public Defender Offices . Otherwise, you will need to arrange the date and time. If you go on your own, it is best that you call before you go to juvenile court to ensure that the court is in session on that particular day. Friday is typically not a good day to observe in juvenile court.

    1. Papers should be approximately 6 pages with a range of 4 to 8 pages acceptable. They should be typed in double-space format with font set in a standard size (10 or 12 pt.).

    2. Indicate the date(s) and time(s) you observed and the names of the judge(s). If you have the opportunity to talk to the judge after the hearings, take it and incorporate the judge's comments into your reaction paper.

    3. Arrange your reaction paper into parts A and B and label them A and B.

    4. In Part A, detail the nature of the proceedings without using the actual names of the juveniles. Comment on the juveniles' appearance and demeanor, the presence or absence of parents or guardians, and the roles played by the judge, prosecutor, defense attorney, parents, department of juvenile justice, or other parties. Explain why the youth was in court and what happened during the proceedings.

    5. In Part B, discuss your observations in terms of the material covered in class and in assigned readings regarding juveniles, types of offenses, offense history, legal strategies, their families, type of disposition given, dispositional history, effective treatment, abuse or neglect issues if indicated or suggested, etc.

    6. Failure to attend to format required will result in loss of points.

    7. Inattention to spelling, paragraph and sentence structure, or grammar may result in the lowering of the grade given.

    8. The paper must be submitted to me on March 27, 2012. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

    E. Case Evaluation of a Juvenile Homicide Offender (30% of grade; 30 points maximum).

    Students will be provided with one of Dr. Heide's taped and transcribed clinical interviews with a juvenile homicide offender. The identity of this offender will not be available. However, background materials relevant to a specific offender will be provided. Each student will be expected to prepare a case report on this offender. CHAPTER 4 AND THE CLINICAL PORTRAITS (CHAPTERS 5-11) IN DR. HEIDE'S BOOK , YOUNG KILLERS, SHOULD BE USED AS A GUIDE.

    1. Write a report discussing each of the 13 topics identified by subheadings:

    a. Brief description of the criminal event

    b. Personality development (I-level and subtype; use data from interview to justify diagnosis)

    c. Behavioral observations (to the extent possible, e.g., voice quality, tone, laughter, mood)

    d. Social history per category (use Dr. Heide's categories)

    e. Motivational dynamics behind the offense (compare/contrast/discuss the offender's statements in relation to the police report version)

    f. Issues of responsibility, mitigating and aggravating factors

    g. Diagnosis, prognosis and treatment that might be helpful

    h. Address the relevance of each of the following 11 psychological theories or explanations of behavior (psychoanalytic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic, existential, Fromm’s theory of malignant aggression, attachment theory, mental illness, psychopathy, mental deficiency, life course theory, rational choice) (Does the theory or explanation help us to understand the youth you are evaluating?)

    i. Address any evidence relevant to biological explanations for the youth's criminal behavior

    j. Address any evidence relevant to sociological explanations (strain, social control, subcultural, labeling, radical criminology, routine activities)

    k. What theories or explanations provide the best fit for the offender you are evaluating? You may combine several theories from different perspectives if you wish.

    l. Dr. Heide provides 15 ingredients for murder (table 2.1, p. 37). Which factors are present in the case you are evaluating?

    m. Legal outcome in this case and your reflections about it. Do you see this youth as a risk to society? Why or why not?

    2. Papers should be approximately 20 pages with a range of 15 to 25 pages acceptable. They should be typed in double-space format with the font set in a standard size (10 or 12 pt.).

    3. The paper must be submitted to me on April 10, 2012. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

    4. The report and all of Dr. Heide's materials must be turned in when the student presents his or her case in class. FAILURE TO RETURN DR. HEIDE'S MATERIALS WILL RESULT IN AN F IN THE COURSE.

    5. Use the subdivisions (a-m) highlighted above. Failure to attend to format required will result in loss of points. Inattention to spelling, paragraph and sentence structure, or grammar may result in the lowering of the grade given.

    6. Grading is based on the extent to which the assignment is followed and the effort and insight demonstrated by the student in profiling the offender. If the student does not have "the answer," the raising of the question and discussing it would be appropriate.

    F. Presentation of Your Case Evaluation (10% of grade; 10 points maximum)

    Students are required to present their case to the class. Powerpoints should be loaded onto Dr. Heide’s computer before class starts. Each student will have likely have 20 minutes to present their case to us. You may play an excerpt from the tape or read a portion of the transcript of Dr. Heide’s interview with the offender during this time. At the conclusion of your case presentation, your fellow students and I will have 10 minutes available to ask you questions and share our reflections on the case.

    1. Powerpoint is required. Arrange your presentation to include the following subdivisions in this order:

    a. Briefly summarize information pertinent to criminal event and offender’s social history

    b. Discuss your behavioral observations and personality assessment

    c. Explain the motivational dynamics behind the crime

    d. Address issues of responsibility, aggravating and mitigating circumstances in this case

    e. To the extent you can, discuss possible diagnoses and prognosis for your offender

    f. Address at length the theories or explanations that best explain your offender’s violent behavior

    g. Discuss briefly which of Dr. Heide’s 15 ingredients for murder were evident in your case

    h. Share your reflections on the legal outcome in this case as it pertains to the offender and the safety of society.

    2. Grading is based on the extent to which the assignment is followed, including staying within the time allotted, and the effort and insight demonstrated by the student in profiling the offender and responding to questions. If the student does not have "the answer," once again, the raising of the question and discussing it would be appropriate.

    G. Conducting An Interview and Written Report (20% of grade).

    Students are required to conduct an in-depth interview with a friend or family member. Do not use a student from our class or your spouse or significant other. The interview should be tape-recorded and cover the content areas relevant to his or her social history including topics such as family relationships, school, work, friends, girlfriends/boyfriends, drug and alcohol involvement, activities, movies/music, religion, physical and mental health history, handling problems and feelings, and future orientation. You may cover juvenile delinquent and adult criminal history if you deem it is appropriate for you to discuss with your interviwee. Use chapter 4 in Dr. Heide's book, Young Killers as a guide. Keep the identity of the subject confidential. The interview should be at least one hour in length. At the conclusion of the interview, ask the interviewee what the interview was like for him/her:

    1. Write a report discussing the following:

    a. Behavioral observations

    b. Personality development

    c. Social history per category

    d. What the experience was like for the interviewee

    e. What the experience was like for you

    2. Papers should be approximately 12 pages with a range of 9 to 15 pages acceptable. They should be typed in double-space format with the font set in a standard size (10 or 12 pt.).

    3. The report and the tape must be turned in on April 24, 2012. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

    4. Use the subdivisions (a-e) highlighted above. Failure to attend to format

    required will result in loss of points. Inattention to spelling, paragraph

    and sentence structure, or grammar may result in the lowering of the grade given.

    5. Grading is based on the extent to which the assignment is followed, the quality of the analysis, the extent to which the report reflects mastery of course content, and the depth of the discussion.

  36. Attendance Policy: Course Attendance at First Class Meeting –

    Students are responsible for dropping undesired courses iby the 5th day of classes to avoid fee liability and academic penalty. (See USF Regulation – Registration - 4.0101,

    http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/ogc%20web/currentreg.htm)

    Attendance Policy for the Observance of Religious Days by Students: In accordance with Sections 1006.53 and 1001.74(10)(g) Florida Statutes and Board of Governors Regulation 6C-6.0115, the University of South Florida (University/USF) has established the following policy regarding religious observances: (http://usfweb2.usf.edu/usfgc/gc_pp/acadaf/gc10-045.htm)

    In accordance with university policy, students who need to miss class due to the observance of religious holydays must notify Dr. Heide by the second class meeting so that arrangements to fulfill class assignments can be made.

    In the event of an emergency, it may be necessary for USF to suspend normal operations. During this time, USF may opt to continue delivery of instruction through methods that include but are not limited to: Blackboard, Elluminate, Skype, and email messaging and/or an alternate schedule. It’s the responsibility of the student to monitor Blackboard site for each class for course specific communication, and the main USF, College, and department websites, emails, and MoBull messages for important general information.

  37. Policy on Make-up Work: The importance of class attendance to mastery of the material presented in the course cannot be over-stressed. Students are required to attend class. Missing three or more classes will result in the student being assigned an F in this seminar.

    Absences may be excused by the instructor under special circumstances such as documented illness, death in the family, jury duty, military service, and required attendance at out-of-town USF related sport or other school event. Students who seek to be excused from class must e-mail the instructor prior to the missed class and provide written documentation to the instructor as soon as practical under the circumstances (e.g., doctor’s note, funeral notice, jury call and letter documenting attendance, military orders, official documentation of required attendance at USF out-of-town event). Students whose absences are excused will be permitted to make up missed assignments. If students who may qualify for an excused absence do not follow these guidelines, they will not be excused and will not be permitted to make up missed assignments.

  38. Program This Course Supports: Criminology
  39. Course Concurrence Information: None


- if you have questions about any of these fields, please contact chinescobb@grad.usf.edu or joe@grad.usf.edu.