| Effective Term: | 2026/20 |
| Institute / School : | Institute of Education, Arts & Community |
| Unit Title: | Locating Crime in Urban, Regional and Rural Contexts |
| Unit ID: | CRJUS2472 |
| Credit Points: | 15.00 |
| Prerequisite(s): | (CRJUS1283 and CRJUS1284) OR (CRJUS1285 and CRJUS1287) OR (ATSGC1283 and ATSGC1284) |
| Co-requisite(s): | Nil |
| Exclusion(s): | (CRJUS3472) |
| ASCED: | 099903 |
| Other Change: | |
| Brief description of the Unit |
This unit examines the complex relationship between crime and violence. Students analyse stereotypes and dominant understandings of crime in Australia, with particular attention to regional and rural contexts. The unit challenges the assumption that crime in the modern world is primarily an urban phenomenon. The impacts of crime on local communities—both acquisitive and interpersonal—are explored, alongside the complexity of contemporary crime and the responses it generates from community members and the formal criminal justice system. The role of law-and-order campaigns in managing shifts in crime and violence patterns is examined, as are regional and rural crime prevention programs situated within the growing field of rural criminology. The unit also considers the role of remoteness—geographical, social, and political—in cycles of violence and in shaping criminal justice responses. |
| Grade Scheme: | Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF) |
| Work Experience Indicator: |
| No work experience |
| Placement Component: | |
| Supplementary Assessment:Yes |
| Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment |
| Course Level: |
| Level of Unit in Course | AQF Level(s) of Course | | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | | Introductory | | | | | | | | Intermediate | | | | | | | | Advanced | | | | | | |
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| Learning Outcomes: |
| Knowledge: |
| K1. | Identify and critically examine the dominant stereotypes and understandings of crime in Australia, especially as they relate to regional and rural environments. |
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| K2. | Explain the impact of crime upon regional and rural communities, especially violent crime, and critique the key policy responses to those crimes. |
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| K3. | Evaluate the assumption that crime in the modern world is primarily an urban phenomenon. |
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| Skills: |
| S1. | Critically assess rural crime prevention strategies and programmes. |
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| S2. | Apply diverse theories of crime causation to the phenomenon of crime with a particular emphasis on rural and regional Australia. |
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| S3. | Identify and critically compare law and order campaigns and methods employed to manage crime and violence in urban, rural and regional communities. |
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| Application of knowledge and skills: |
| A1. | Apply critical thinking to key debates concerning criminal behaviours in different geographic settings with a view to critically assess the appropriateness and efficacy of key policy responses arising from those debates. |
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| A2. | Explain the role of remoteness (geographical, social and political) in cycles of violence and the responses of the criminal justice institutions. |
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| A3. | Identify and analyse the responses of criminal justice institutions to rural crime challenges and to identify dominant reasons for differences in urban and rural institutional responses. |
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| A4. | Apply socio-criminological concepts and knowledge to diverse social and geographical contexts with a particular emphasis on rural and regional experiences of crime and violence. |
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| Other outcomes: |
| Unit Content: |
Topics may include: - Crime in urban & rural communities
- History of crime in rural Australia
- Theories of crime and violence
- Rural and remote crime: Farm crime and arson
- Justice and Indigenous communities
- Alcohol abuse and drug crime in rural Australia
- Policing rural and remote Australia
- Crime prevention and responses
- Punishment, courts and alternative justice
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| Graduate Attributes: |
| Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.
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| FED TASK and descriptor | Development and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit | | Level | FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal | Students at this level will demonstrate an advanced ability in a range of contexts to effectively communicate, interact and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display high level skills in-person and/or online in: • Using and demonstrating a high level of verbal and non-verbal communication • Demonstrating a mastery of listening for meaning and influencing via active listening • Demonstrating and showing empathy for others • High order skills in negotiating and conflict resolution skills\\ • Demonstrating mastery of working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 2
Leadership | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery in professional skills and behaviours in leading others. • Creating and sustaining a collegial environment • Demonstrating a high level of self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect and justify decisions • Inspiring and initiating opportunities to lead others • Making informed professional decisions • Demonstrating initiative in new professional situations. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity | Students at this level will demonstrate high level skills in working in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in: • Reflecting critically to generate and consider complex ideas and concepts at an abstract level • Analysing complex and abstract ideas, concepts and information • Communicate alternative perspectives to justify complex ideas • Demonstrate a mastery of challenging conventional thinking to clarify complex concepts • Forming creative solutions in problem solving to new situations for further learning. | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context | FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy | Students at this level will demonstrate the ability to work competently across a wide range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in: • Mastering, exploring, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information professionally • Collating, managing complex data, accessing and using digital data securely • Receiving and responding professionally to messages in a range of professional digital media • Contributing competently and professionally to digital teams and working groups • Participating at a high level in digital learning opportunities. | Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines | FEDTASK 5
sustainable and Ethical Mindset | Students at this level will demonstrate a mastery of considering and assessing the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting professional ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in: • Demonstrate informed judgment making that considers the impact of devising complex solutions in ambiguous global economic environmental and societal contexts • Professionally committing to the promulgation of social responsibility • Demonstrate the ability to evaluate ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses • Communicating lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to the diverse professional others • Generating, leading and implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life | Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context |
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| | Learning Outcomes Assessed | Assessment Tasks | Assessment Type | Weighting | Professional Standards |
| 1. |
K1, K3 |
Analyse crime data pertaining to rural, regional and urban locations |
Report (Data Analysis) |
15-25% |
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| 2. |
K1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3 |
Response to a hypothetical scenario |
Written Piece (Briefing Paper) |
30-40% |
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| 3. |
K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, A1, A2, A3, A4 |
Prepare a report for a specified audience that demonstrates a clear understanding of crime and criminal justice responses in urban, rural, or regional contexts. |
Written Piece (Justice Report) |
40-50% |
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