LW7126 - Youth Justice

The module will run across twelve (12) weeks with you learning through lectures and workshops, with tutor-guided and student-independent learning. The tutors will use case-law, legislation and academic writing to give context to core principles. You will then be learning through a series of different delivery styles which will include traditional taught lectures to cover theoretical / procedural aspects of the curriculum, supplemented with workshop sessions where you will be a more active learner, putting concepts into context by making connections between theory and practice of youth justice. Additional learning strategies utilised throughout the module include practical and online exercises. There will be directed independent learning to go beyond the lecture content. The module eLearning Portal (eLP) site contains a module handbook outlining the content of the module. Lecture slides, digital lecture recordings and workshop exercises will also be made available on the eLP site. Formative feedback will be provided on knowledge and understanding of module content as well as a number of opportunities to engage with the method of assessment used in the module.

You will be supported through active participation and discussion during classroom sessions. All lecture and workshop material will be available on the eLP, supplemented with guidance on further reading relevant to the subjects. Assessment feedback will also be provided to allow you to understand how you performed and how you can build on this performance in subsequent assessments within the programme. Your tutors will also be very happy to answer any questions that you may have on any aspect of the module. The University is well-placed to support you in learning and research with an excellent library and teaching facilities, access to on-line legal databases and resources, a range of materials designed to support the development of you’ study skills, and software including bibliographic software such as Endnote.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge & Understanding:
By the end of the module you should be able to:
• Critique different approaches to youth justice in England and Wales and other jurisdictions;
• Conceptualise and evaluate how sentencing relates to theories of punishment in the context of youth justice.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:
By the end of the module you should be able to:
• Communicate your judgments and appraisals of the principles, theory and practice of youth justice.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

By the end of the module you should have developed the ability to:
• Critique the different approaches to sentencing both in a national and global context

• Evaluate and provide critical judgments in respect of the key principles of youth justice in a global and cultural context.

Formative assessment
There will be practical exercises during workshops, covering different skills in the module, giving you opportunity to practice ahead of the final presentation and essay.

Summative assessment
The module will be assessed by way of 3000 words essay on theories of punishment.

Assessment Criteria and Grade-Related Criteria will be made available to you to support you in completing assessments. Grade-Related Descriptors are descriptions of the level of skills, knowledge and/or attributes that you need to demonstrate in order achieve a certain grade or mark in an assessment, providing a mechanism by which the quality of an assessment can be measured and placed within the overall set of marks.

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Youth crime and justice is an area which continuously attracts political, legal and media attention with the ‘youth problem’ dominating headlines in recent years. However, youth crime is not a new phenomenon. This module explores the nature and extent of youth crime within England and Wales as well as introducing you to approaches to youth crime on an international level. The module will examine youth justice in its historical context and how the youth justice system has adapted over time as well as providing an overview of children and young people’s rights in the context of crime and criminal justice. The youth justice system will be outlined in the context of analysing approaches to youth justice policy, where you will look at current legislation and the roles and responsibilities that statutory partners have with young offenders in the youth justice system. The sentencing systems for young offenders, and the role of the youth court, will also be considered, as well as exploring the law and practice of diversion. The module will also provide you with an insight into the relevance of restorative justice as a response to youth offending as well as exploring current concerns surrounding gender, race and disproportionality that effect some young offenders.