Trauma and Offending
Duration
- One Semester
Contact hours
- 36 Hours
On-campus unit delivery combines face-to-face and digital learning. For Online unit delivery, learning is conducted exclusively online.
Aims and objectives
This unit provides students with a broad understanding of how various forms of trauma impact on functioning and contribute to maladaptive behaviour. The unit will enable students to recognise the role that trauma presentations can play with clients in the forensic context, to critically evaluate the contribution of trauma to offending behaviour in individual cases, and to adapt therapeutic and correctional interventions where necessary to take account of the impact of trauma on clients.
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
1. Critically discuss what constitutes a traumatic response and why
2. Appraise the main theories linking trauma to offending
3. Analyse the vulnerabilities that different theories attribute to trauma which have been linked to offending
4. Debate how the judicial and correctional systems should respond to trauma in offenders
Courses with unit
GD-FBS Graduate Diploma of Forensic Behavioural Science.GC-FBS Graduate Certificate in Forensic Behavioural Science,
MA-FBS Master of Forensic Behavioural Science,
GD-FMHN Graduate Diploma of Forensic Mental Health Nursing.
Unit information in detail
- Teaching methods, assessment, general skills outcomes and content.
Teaching methods
This unit will involve up to 150 hours of work including:
| Type | Hours per week | Number of Weeks | Total |
| Face to Face Contact Optional Workshop |
12 (1.5 days in week 5) |
1 |
12 |
| Online Contact | N/A |
|
|
| Specified Learning Activities Discussion boards, Readings |
4 |
12 |
48 |
| Unspecified Learning Activities Independent study, Assessment preparation, |
7 |
12 |
84 |
| TOTAL |
|
| 144 hours/12.5cp |
Assessment
| Types | Individual or Group task | Weighting | Assesses attainment of these ULOs |
| Literature review | Individual | 30% | 1, 4 |
| Case review | Individual | 40% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| Essay | Individual | 30% | 1, 2, 4 |
General skills outcomes
During this unit students will receive feedback on the following key generic skills:
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
• Analysis Skills
• Problem Solving Skills
• Communication Skills
• Ability to tackle unfamiliar problems
• Ability to work independently
Content
• Defining trauma
• The impact of different types of traumatic experiences on physical, social and emotional well being
• Critiquing evidence-based approaches to trauma treatment
• Trauma and the forensic system
• Evaluation of the most influential theories linking trauma to offending
• An overview of the limitations of research into the nature of the relationship between trauma and offending
• Critiquing evidence-based approaches to trauma treatment
• Trauma and the forensic system
• Evaluation of the most influential theories linking trauma to offending
• An overview of the limitations of research into the nature of the relationship between trauma and offending
Study resources
- Reading materials.
Reading materials
A list of reading materials will be made available in the Unit Outline.