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2020/2021

Data Sources in Criminology

Code: 100455 ECTS Credits: 6
Degree Type Year Semester
2500257 Criminology FB 1 1
The proposed teaching and assessment methodology that appear in the guide may be subject to changes as a result of the restrictions to face-to-face class attendance imposed by the health authorities.

Contact

Name:
Albert Pedrosa Bou
Email:
Albert.Pedrosa@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
catalan (cat)
Some groups entirely in English:
No
Some groups entirely in Catalan:
No
Some groups entirely in Spanish:
No

Other comments on languages

Lectures will be in Catalan. In case of the presence of international students the teaching will be in Spanish. Students may attend seminars in Spanish or in Catalan

Teachers

Helena Mulero Alcaraz
Sandra Sanchez Castro

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The general objective of this course is set out as follows: "The students of the Degree in Criminology will be able to use the methods and techniques of criminological research to analyze the data and experiences of conflict, crime and control in a given social context. Also, students will be able to evaluate, in a thoughtful and critical way, possible responses, and to expose, with academic rigor, the results of their work."
 
In this context, the course of Data Sources in Criminology has the following concrete objectives:
 
1. To enable students to use databases on delinquency.
2. To be able to evaluate, and reflect critically about different data on crime.
3. To reach competentence in academic writing.

Competences

  • Ability to analyse and summarise.
  • Accessing and interpreting sources of crime data.
  • Drawing up an academic text.
  • Using research methods in social sciences in order to diagnose criminality problems.
  • Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
  • Working autonomously.
  • Working in teams and networking.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Ability to analyse and summarise.
  2. Drawing up an academic text.
  3. Properly applying the research methods in order to analyse crime related figures.
  4. Using the databases about delinquency in criminological researches.
  5. Verbally transmitting ideas to an audience.
  6. Working autonomously.
  7. Working in teams and networking.

Content

The first part of the course provides students with methodological tools which are appropriate to learn and research in the field of criminology. The second part aims to familiarize students with the main indicators of crime.

 1. METHODOLOGICAL TOOLS

Data in criminological research. How to obtain data and how to do a bibliographic research. Bibliographic databases. APA Rules. Basic concepts of Excel.

 2. INTRODUCTION TO DATA SOURCES

 Research and sources of data in criminology. Data on crime and on criminal justice system. Incidence and prevalence of crime. Validity and reliability of different data.

3. OFFICIAL DATA SOURCES

Concept and utility of different sources. National and international sources. Types of official sources: a) Police data; b) Court data, c) Prison data. Critical assessment of different sources.

4. VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS

 Concept and origin of victimization surveys. National and international victimization surveys. Victimization rates in relation to specific crimes. Advantages and disadvantages of victimization surveys.

5. SELF-REPORTED CRIME SURVEYS

 Concept and origin of victimization surveys. Examples of self-reported surveys. Interpretation, validity and problems.

6. INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVE

7. USE OF DATA AND POLICY IMPLICATIONS

Methodology

Statement:

 1. Teaching will be mixed: lectures will be online and seminars face-to-face.

Activities:

In order to reach an adequate learning of the contents of the course, students need to do two types of activities.

Directed activities: which will be done in the classroom, consisting of:

- Lectures given by the teacher, in which the theoretical contents of the course will be examined.

- Seminars and workshops, in which practical activities will be discussed in group.

 Autonomus activities. As a complement to the directed activities, students will work individually or in group:

- Group essay. 

- Individual work. Students will read texts and make essays to prepare the seminars and exams

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Evaluation 5 0.2
Lectures 19.5 0.78 1, 6, 7, 4
Workshops 19.5 0.78 1, 5, 6, 7, 4
Type: Autonomous      
Group and individual work 106 4.24 2, 1, 6, 7, 4

Assessment

Evaluation.
 The course follows a continous method of evaluation. Therefore, the regular attendance to the classes (80%) and the accomplishment of all the activities detailed below is required.

Conditions to be evaluated and pass the course.

Attendance to the whole course is mandatory. In order to pass the course, students need to attend to a minimum of 80% of the classes, and to participate and deliver all the individual and group avaluable activities planned.

Students need  to obtain a minimum grade of 4 in each of the proposed evaluable activities, and a final mean grade of 5 in order to pass the course.

Evaluable activities.

Individual activities (65%):

- 4 individual essays (20%)

- Practical exercises of the methodological part (Excel, search and citation of  bibliography) 10% and 5%

- Theoretical exam (30%)

Group activities  (35%)

- A group academic work using criminological data sources and their PwP presentation (30%). A meeting must be held with the tutor and the draft must be sent before the final version.

- Debate (5%)

The participation in class that demonstrates that contents of the subject have been reached will serve to round the final grade up to 0,5 points.

Resit

If a student don't reach the minimum mark required, professors willoffer the possibility to repeat those activities that do not reach the minimum. To do this, a resit period will be opened and, if necessary, the professor will suggest a way to improve the tasks.

The chance to repeat activities exist only when students have presented the essays in due time, except if the no presentatition is due to a major force cause, with the proper justification. If students don’t submit an assesment, they will receive a mark of zero except in justified cases.

Fraudulent conducts

Students who are found cheating or attempting to cheat during the exams will receive a mark of 0, loosing the right of reassessment.

Plagiarism in essays  will be graded as 0 with no reassessment of that particular essay or activity.

Punctuality

Lectures and seminars start on time. Late arrival will not be admitted.

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Debate 5% 0 0 3, 5, 6
Evaluation: Working with data 10% 0 0 3, 1, 6, 4
Group essay 30% 0 0 3, 2, 5, 7, 4
Individual essays (Methodological exercises) 20% 0 0 3, 1, 6, 4
Test theoretical part 30% 0 0 1, 6

Bibliography

1.Handbooks and lectures for consultation

Aebi, M. (2008). Temas de criminología. Madrid: Dykinson.

Aebi, M. & Chopin, J. (2017). Annual Penal Statistics of the Council Of Europe. SPACEI & SPACE II. Retrieved from: http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/standardsetting/prisons/space_i_en.asp 

Aebi, M.F. & Linde, A. (2010). El misterioso caso de la desaparición de las estadísticas policiales españolas. Revista electrónica de ciencia penal y criminologia, 12, 1-30. Retrieved from: http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=3671632

Dijk, J. V., Kesteren, J. V. & Smit, P. (2007). Criminal victimisation in international perspective: Key findings from the 2004-2005 ICVS and EU ICS. Den Haag: Boom Juridische Uitgevers. Retrieved from: http://english.wodc.nl/onderzoeksdatabase/ob257a-victimizacion-en-la-perspectiva-internacional.aspx

Pérez-Cepeda, A. I. &  Benito-Sánchez, D. (2013). Estudio de los instrumentos existentes para medir la delincuencia. Revista electrónica de ciencia penal y Criminología, 15, 1-34.. Retrieved from: http://criminet.ugr.es/recpc/15/recpc15-08.pdf

2. Mandatory readings

Fernández-Molina, E., & Bartolomé , R. (2020). Juvenile crime drop: What is happening with youth in Spain and why?. European Journal of Criminology, 17(3), 306-331. Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1477370818792383

García-España, E., Díez-Ripollés, J. L., Pérez -iménez, F., Benítez-Jiménez, M. J., & Cerezo Domínguez, A. I. (2010). Evolución de la delincuenciaen España: análisis longitudinal con encuestas de victimización. Revista Española de Investigación Criminológica, 8, 1-27. Retrieved from: https://reic.criminologia.net/index.php/journal/article/view/52

Pedrosa, A. (2018). ¿Discrimina el código penal español a las mujeres?. Revista Española de Investigación Criminológica, 16, 1-22. Retrieved from: https://reic.criminologia.net/index.php/journal/article/view/150

Rodríguez-Yagüe, C. (2018). Un análisis de las estrategias contra la sobrepoblación penitenciaria en España a la luz de los estándares europeos. Revista Electrónica de Ciencia Penal y Criminología, 20, 1-68 . Retrieved from: http://criminet.ugr.es/recpc/20/recpc20-05.pdf

3.Webs

Asociación catalana de criminólogos - http://www.criminologos.org/

Boletín Criminológico - http://www.uma.es/criminologia/boletin.html

Bureau of justice statistics - http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/

Consejo General del Poder Judicial - http://www.poderjudicial.es/eversuite

Encuesta Social Europea. http://www.upf.edu/ess/

Estadísticas penitenciarias catalanas. http://www.gencat.cat/justicia/estadistiques_serveis_penitenciaris/

European sourcebook - http://www.europeansourcebook.org/

Eurostat. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/home?

Indescat. Web estadística oficial de Catalunya - http://www.idescat.cat/

Instituto Nacional de Estadística - http://www.ine.es/

Memorias Fiscalia General del Estado - http://www.fiscal.es/Documentos.html?cid=1240559967610&pagename=PFiscal%2FPage%2FFGE_sinContenido

Ministerio del interior (español). Instituciones penitenciarias - http://www.mir.es/INSTPEN/

Revista electrónica de ciencia penal y criminología - http://criminet.ugr.es/recpc/

Sociedad Española de investigación criminológica (SEIC)- http://www.criminologia.net/reic.html 

*Addittional readings will be provided to students through moodle resource