ACR202 - Explaining Crime
| 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 |
| Prerequisite: | Students must complete 4 credit points at any level including ACR101 and ACR102 |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | ASL209, ASL309 |
| Study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
| Scheduled learning activities - campus: | 1 x 1-hour on-campus lecture per week 1 x 1-hour on-campus seminar per week |
| Scheduled learning activities - online: | 1 x 1-hour online lecture per week (recordings provided) 1 x 1-hour online seminar per week |
| 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.
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.
Hurdle requirements
| 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 |