ACR202 - Explaining Crime
Unit details
| Year | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)* |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| Previously coded as: | ASL209, ASL309 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Unit Chair: | Trimester 2: Mark Wood |
| Prerequisite: | Students must complete 4 credit points at any level including ACR101 and ACR102 |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ASL209, ASL309 |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| Typical study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site. |
Note:*Community Based Delivery (CBD): only for students of the National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute (located at the Waurn Ponds campus) | |
Content
Why do people steal, vandalise property, and inflict violence on others? This unit explores different explanations for these and other criminalised behaviours, from classic accounts that centre free will, to contemporary explanations emphasising social environments, individual psychology, structural inequalities, and intergenerational trauma. You will learn how these theories have shaped criminal justice policies, and how they help (or fail) to explain and prevent different types of criminalised behaviour. Through real-world case studies and critical analysis, the unit equips you with the tools to think deeply about crime, its causes, and what effective prevention and intervention might look like in today’s world.
Learning outcomes
| ULO | These are the Unit Learning Outcomes (ULOs) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: | Alignment to Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs) |
|---|---|---|
| ULO1 | Critically engage with your own ideas about the theoretical approaches to crime and criminality, and demonstrate an ability to evaluate your ideas against set criteria | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO2 | Summarise and critically analyse key theories in criminology, and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these theoretical approaches | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO3 | Critically analyse the relationship between criminological theory and the criminal justice system, in light of various contemporary institutional and political factors | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities |
| ULO4 | Analyse the implications of criminal justice policies informed by crime causation theories for diverse communities, including socio-economically disadvantaged individuals, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and First Nations peoples, considering the broader impact on their well-being | GLO2: Communication |
Assessment
| Assessment Description | Student output | Grading and weighting (% total mark for unit) | Indicative due week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment 1: Policy Position Paper | 1200 words or equivalent | 30% | Week 6 |
| Assessment 2: Simulation Participation Grade | 800 words or equivalent | 20% | Ongoing |
| Assessment 3: Essay Exam | 2000 words or equivalent | 50% | Exam Week |
The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.
Hurdle requirement
| Brief summary of assessment tasks and hurdle requirement | Rationale | Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes |
| Assessment 3: | Provides a secure milestone assessment aligned with a key threshold learning for the criminology discipline (Milestone 2: Applied Critical Thinking and Theoretical Engagement). Ensures core capabilities are demonstrated under supervision. Supports assurance of learning for course-level outcomes | GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities GLO2: Communication GLO4: Critical thinking GLO5: Problem solving GLO6: Self-management |
Learning resource
The texts and reading list for ACR202 can be found via the University Library.
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.
Unit Fee Information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.