Overview

This unit provides students with an understanding of the complex relationship between different types of mental disorder and offending behaviour. The unit will enhance students’ decision-making about many aspects of forensic work, including risk assessment, treatment, and management of mentally disordered offenders.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-August-2026
01-November-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-August-2026
Census date
01-September-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
22-September-2026
Results released date
08-December-2026

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Critically discuss the possible pathways by which mental disorder is linked to offending
  • Demonstrate advanced knowledge of how specific types of disorders and their associated symptoms influence different types of offending
  • Apply a taught conceptual framework to link research on mental disorder and offending with the development of appropriate treatment and management plans for mentally disordered offenders

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Face to Face Contact (Phasing out)
Workshop		1.00 12 weeks 12
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		4.00 12 weeks 48
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Individual Study		7.50 12 weeks 90
TOTAL150

Hawthorn Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Specified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Various		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Learning Activities (Phasing out)
Independent Learning		9.50 12 weeks 114
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssessmentIndividual 35% 1,2 
EssayIndividual 40% 1 
PresentationIndividual 25% 1,3 

Content

  • What is mental disorder
  • Common themes linking mental disorder and offending behaviour 
  • Schizophrenia spectrum (and other psychotic disorders) 
  • Mood disorders 
  • Cognitive impairment 
  • Treatment and management of mentally disordered offenders

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.