Course Number: CJ3316
Course Title: Victimology
CRN: 35043
Instructor: Dr. J. Ahmad
Office Hours: TBA
Phone: 713 - 221 - 8492
email: ahmadj@uhd.edu
Technical Assistance with Vista: 713-221-8540, option 4

Course Description

Examines the role of the victim in the criminal process. Emphasis is given to victims' rights and responsibilities.

PREREQUISITE: Junior standing

1. Explain the historical development of victimology.
2. Describe the theories of victimology.
3. Explain the research and current trends relating to crime victims.
4. Describe the measurements used to estimate victimization, victimization trends, and fear of crime.
5. Understand the development and current status of victim rights and compensation programs.
6. Explain the impact of victimization on the individual and the response of criminal justice agencies.
7. Describe the theory and affects of specific types of criminal victimization.

There are two books for this class. The Karmen textbook is required and each student is expected to have a copy. Each student will then choose one of the two other (Kinder or Weiss) books listed to read during the course.

The following textbook is required and may be purchased at the normal textbook outlets.

Karmen, Andrew. (2007). Crime victims: An introduction to victimology (6 th ed.). Belmont , CA : Thomson Wadsworth . ISBN: 0-495-00603-3.

You will also be required to read one of the following books:

Kinder, G. (1982/1999). Victim: The other side of murder . New York : Atlantic Monthly Press. ISBN: 0871137356. This book can often be found at Half Priced Book Stores and second-hand book dealers.

Weiss, E. (2004). Surviving domestic violence: Voices of women who broke free . Volcano, CA: Volcano Press. ISBN-10: 1884244270; ISBN-13: 978-1884244278

Policies

COURSE POLICIES

• Read books and posted material as assigned
• Complete assignments (such as projects, tests, essays, quizzes, etc.) on time and as assigned
• No plagiarism
• Grading will be based on several projects:
  •  Quizzes
  •  Essays
  •  Web Assignments
  •  Discussion Questions
  •  Tests

STATEMENT OF REASONABLE ACCOMODATION:
"UHD adheres to all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities. Students with disabilities should register with Disabled Student Services and contact their instructor(s) in a timely manner to arrange for appropriate accommodations. "

UNIVERSITY POLICIES:
All students are subject to UH-Downtown’s Academic Honesty Policy and to all other university-wide policies and procedures as they are set forth in the UH-Downtown University Catalog and Student Handbook.

ACADEMIC HONESTY POLICY:
The University Academic Honesty Policy will be strictly enforced. A good source of information to help you understand what constitutes plagerism can be found on the UHD Library website. In brief, PLAGIARISM (copying ideas, writings, etc. of another and passing them off as your own) is cheating. Any student suspected of violating this policy will be treated in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Honesty Policy found in the UHD Student Handbook. Please read the Academic Honesty Policy carefully. Any violation of this policy may result in an “F” for the course.

The system you will use to access this online course is Blackboard Vista. Students are expected to have computer access on a daily basis to successfully complete this course. Note: If you plan to access the course from work, try connecting early in the course. Some businesses have very rigid settings on their firewalls that do not allow participation in activities such as chat, or the interactivity necessary to take a quiz online.
Internet Service Provider - this course is done via connection through the internet. If you are going to work on your class from home, you must have DSL or cable modem line to guarantee solid high-speed access and optimal performance of the course program.

Blackboard Vista help is available, students should call 713-221-8540 and select option 4.