Criminal Psychology

School of Psychology -Criminal and deviant illegal behaviour course from the directory of psychology, criminal behavior and counselling courses at ACS Distance Education, for online or home study.

Course Code: BPS309
Fee Code: S3
Duration (approx) Duration (approx) 100 hours
Qualification Statement of Attainment
Get started!

Why do people commit crimes?

 
There are many different theories and approaches to understanding the origins of criminal behaviour. These range from social learning theories to labelling theory and individual differences. It is important to understand different theories in order to nurture a broad understanding of how crime is conceptualised. Once this is in place you can better understand the thoughts and behaviours of criminals and people who cross the boundary of what is considered acceptable in society.  
 
Study this course to develop your understanding of criminal psychology and how psychology is used in law enforcement and crime prevention. 
  • Learn criminal psychology in this unique course
  • Understand your clients with issues with crime and behaviour
  • Understand aggression
  • Build your understanding of people
  • Save money and time, study at home

Who should study this?

  • Welfare officers
  • Youth workers
  • Counsellors
  • Psychologists
  • Support workers
  • Advocates
  • Legal employees

Gain strong understanding of areas in criminal psychology such including
mental disorders and crime, aggression, gender, youth and crime prevention.

 

Lesson Structure

There are 10 lessons in this course:

  1. Introduction to Criminal Psychology
    • Definitions of Crime
    • Consensus View of what Crime is
    • Conflict View of Crime
    • Interactionist View of Crime
    • Scope of Criminal Psychology
    • What Criminal Psychologists do
    • Case Study
    • Profiling
    • Courts
    • Correctional System
  2. Psychological approaches to understanding crime
    • Biological explanations of Crime
    • Phrenology
    • Eugenics
    • XYY Chromosome Model
    • Genetics
    • Twin Studies
    • Adoption Studies
    • Nature, Nurture
    • Environmental Explanations of Crime
    • Family Influence
    • Agency Explanations
    • Rational Choice Theory
  3. Psychology and understanding serious crimes
    • Aggression
    • Types of Aggression
    • Terminology
    • Drive Theories
    • Freudian Theories
    • Social Learning Theories
    • Biological and Evolutionary Theories
    • Types of Aggression
    • Aggression an against Outsiders
    • Aggression in Species
    • Aggression in Humans
    • Environmental Influences on Human Aggression
    • Imitation or Modelling
    • Familiarity
    • Reinforcement
    • Aggression and Culture
    • Other Factors in Aggression: Alcohol, Pain, Frustration
    • Murder
    • Sexual Assault
    • Stalking
    • Pursuit Behaviour
    • False Stalking Syndrome
  4. Mental disorder and crime 1 ...Learning disabilities and crime
    • Meaning of Learning Disabilities
    • IQ Testing
    • Crime and Intelligence
    • Modern Intelligence Testing
    • Learning Disabilities and Crime
    • Sex Offences and People with Learning Disabilities
    • Courts
  5. Mental Disorder and Crime 2 (Psychopathy)
    • Scope and Nature of Psychopathology
    • Personality Disorder
    • Psychopath
    • Heartlessness
    • Emotionless
    • How do People become Psychopaths
    • Treatment
  6. Gender and Crime
    • Scope and Nature of Gender and Crime studies
    • Rates of Crime
    • Murder and Violence
    • Prostitution
    • Case Study ... Women Offenders
    • Victims
    • Murder
    • Domestic Violence
    • Sexual Abuse
  7. Youth and Crime
    • Age of Criminal Responsibility
    • Risk Factors
    • Mental Health Risk
    • Conduct Disorders
    • ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)
    • Cumulative Affect of Risk Factors
    • Prevalence and Offending
    • Case Studies
    • Young People as Victims
  8. Psychology and the Police
    • Social Construction of Reported Crime
    • Eyewitness Testimony
    • Early Research
    • Schemas and EWT
    • Police Line Ups
    • Every day Uses of Psychology by Police
  9. Psychology in the Courtroom
    • Social Cognition
    • Behaviour
    • Appearance
    • Expectations
    • The Primacy Effect
    • Attribution
    • Schemas and Social Perception
    • Central Traits
    • Stereotypes
    • Social Inference and Decision Making
    • Psychology and the Law
    • Guilt Bias
    • Media Effect
    • Defendant Attributes
    • Attorney Attributes
  10. Psychology and Crime Prevention
    • Punishment
    • Types of Punishment
    • History of Punishment
    • Reasons for Punishment
    • Deterrents
    • Punishment and Impartiality

Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.

Aims

  • Define crime and criminal psychology.
  • Discuss psychological theories and approaches to understanding crime.
  • Define serious crimes and explain the involvement of psychology.
  • Discuss the relationship between a person having a learning disability and committing crime.
  • Define psychopathy and discuss psychological theories relating to psychopathy.
  • Discuss gender differences associated with crime.
  • Discuss the psychological theories relating to youth and crime.
  • Discuss how psychology is used by the police.
  • Discuss how psychology is used in the court room.
  • Discuss the use of psychology in crime prevention.

How Do You Perceive Crime?

In psychology, there are three theories that are the most widespread approaches to defining crime. There are other approaches, but as these are the most widely accepted, we will consider those here.

The Consensus View

This view stems from the sociological theories of J Shepherd (1981). This school of thought holds that society functions as an integrated structure, the stability of which is dependent on consensus or agreement by its members, so that the rules, values and norms are respected by all. Therefore, the legal system of the society is a reflection of what is considered tolerable and intolerable behaviour within that particular society i.e. intolerable behaviour is disapproved of by the majority.

Before a crime can be said to have occurred, it has to be committed. So without an action, there can be no crime.

The Conflict View

The Conflict View is the direct opposite of the Consensus View.

The Interactionist View

The Interactionist View falls between the Consensus and Conflict View. It began as a field of thought within sociology called symbolic interactionism.

Learn more about these theories and a lot more through this course!


Tutor Quote:

"Why do psychopaths exist?  Why do people commit crimes?  How do we know what “crime” is when it changes over time and from society to society.  This course provides a fascinating insight into the mind of the criminal and the work of anyone working with criminals"
   Tracey Jones, B.Sc. (Hons) (Psychology), M.Soc.Sc (social work), DipSW (social work), PGCE (Education), PGD (Learning Disability Studies), ACS Tutor


WHY STUDY CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY?
Understanding the criminal mind can be important in many different types of jobs, including:

  • Security Professions
  • Law enforcement
  • Crime Prevention
  • Social Workers, Rehabilitation Officers
  • Prison Guards
  • Legal professions

Working with criminals or with the affects of crime, may or may not require formal studies in criminal psychology; but will almost certainly be more effective and easier when you have studied this course or something similar.

 
 
ACS is an Organisational Member of the Association for Coaching (UK).
ACS is an Organisational Member of the Association for Coaching (UK).
ACS is a Member of the Complementary Medicine Association.
ACS is a Member of the Complementary Medicine Association.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
Member of Study Gold Coast Education Network.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
ACS Global Partner - Affiliated with colleges in seven countries around the world.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.
Since 1999 ACS has been a recognised member of IARC (International Approval and Registration Centre). A non-profit quality management organisation servicing education.

How can I start this course?

You can enrol at anytime and start the course when you are ready. Enrolments are accepted all year - students can commence study at any time. All study is self paced and ACS does not set assignment deadlines.

Please note that if a student is being assisted by someone else (e.g. an employer or government subsidy), the body offering the assistance may set deadlines. Students in such situations are advised to check with their sponsor prior to enrolling. The nominal duration of a course is approximately how long a course takes to complete. A course with a nominal duration of 100 hours is expected to take roughly 100 hours of study time to complete. However, this will vary from student to student. Short courses (eg. 100 hrs duration) should be completed within 12 months of enrolment. Certificates, Advanced Certificates and Awards (eg. over 500 hours duration) would normally be completed within 3 -5 years of enrolment. Additional fees may apply if a student requires an extended period to complete.
If a student cannot submit their assignments for 6 months to ACS, they should advise the school to avoid cancellation of their student
registration. Recommencement fees may apply.

Simply click on the ENROL OPTIONS button at the top of this screen and follow the prompts.

You can see the course price at the top of this page. Click 'enrolment options' to see any payment options available.

You can pay by Credit Card, PayPal, Afterpay or bank transfer.

Yes! We have payment plans for most courses. Click 'enrolment options' to see the available payment plans.
We also have Afterpay that will allow you to pay for your course or payment plans in four instalments (if you are in Australia).


What do I need to know before I enrol?

There are no entry requirements that you need to meet to enrol in our courses, our courses are for everyone.
If you are under 18, we need written permission from your parent/ guardian for your enrolment to continue, we can arrange that after you have enrolled.

You don’t need to purchase any additional resources to complete our courses.

We aim to teach you the essentials without you having to purchase any specific computer program.
We recommend that you have access to a word processing program, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, so that you can easily complete and submit your assignments.

You sure can. We are here to help you learn whatever your abilities.

Yes, if you are enrolling in a Certificate or Advanced Certificate, you might be eligible for credits if you have evidence of your previous studies or relevant experience. More information is here.

We recommend that you are able to browse websites, send emails and conduct online research. You will need to be able to type and submit your assignments.
If you have limited computer skills, we can make special arrangements for you.

This is possible, it depends on the institution. We recommend that if you would like to use our courses that you contact the institution first. Our Course Handbook is a good resource for this.

Our courses are written in English and we only have English speaking academic staff. If you can read and complete your assignments in English, our courses are ideal for you.

Our courses are designed to build knowledge, hands on skills and industry connections to help prepare you to work in the area, running your own business, professional development or as a base for further study.

This course has been designed to cover the fundamentals of the topic. It will take around 100 hours to complete, which includes your course reading, assignment work, research, practical tasks, watching videos and anything else that is contained in the course. Our short courses are a great way to do some professional development or to learn a new skill.

It’s up to you. The study hours listed in the course are a rough guide, however if you were to study a short course (100 hours) at 10 hours per week, you could finish the course in 10 weeks (just an example). Our courses are self-paced, so you can work through the courses in your own time. We recommend that you wait for your tutor to mark and return your assignment before your start your next one, so you get the benefits of their feedback.

The course consists of course notes, videos, set tasks for your practical work, online quizzes, an assignment for each lesson (that you receive feedback from your tutor from) and ends in an exam (which is optional, if would like to receive the formal award at the end), using our custom built Learning Management System - Login.Training.

Our courses are designed for adults to gain professional development and skills to further their careers and start businesses.

Our custom online learning portal allows you to conduct your learning online. There may be practical tasks that you can do offline. You have the option of downloading your course notes or print them to read later.

There is also the option to pay an additional fee for printed course notes and or USB (availability limited to location and deliverability).

Yes, if you don’t have access to the internet, you can receive the course as paper notes or on a USB stick for an additional fee. We can also make alternative arrangements for you to send your assignments to us.

We offer printed notes for an additional fee. Also, you can request your course notes on a USB stick for an additional fee.

Yes, your tutor is here to help you. Simply post any questions you have in your login.training portal or contact the office and we can pass on a message to your tutor.

We are more learning focussed, rather than assessment focussed. You have online quizzes to test your learning, written assignments and can complete an exam at the end of the course (if you want to receive your certificate). You will not receive a pass/ fail on your course work. If you need to add more details on your assignment, we will ask you to resubmit and direct you where you need to focus. If you need help, you can ask your tutor for advice in the student room.

Each module (short course) is completed with one exam.

Exams are optional, however you must sit an exam if you would like to receive a formal award. You will need to find someone who can supervise that you are sitting the exams under exams conditions. There is an additional cost of $60 incl. GST for each exam.
More information is here

There are practical components built into the course that have been designed to be achieved by anyone, anywhere. If you are unable to complete a task for any reason, you can ask your tutor for an alternative.

When you complete the course work and the exam and you will be able receive your course certificate- a Statement of Attainment. Otherwise, you can receive a Letter of Completion.

You can bundle the short courses to create your own customised learning bundle, Certificates or Advanced Certificates. More information is on this page.

Yes, our courses are built to be applicable for people living anywhere in any situation. We provide the fundamentals, and each student can apply their own unique flair for their own interests, region and circumstances with the one-on-one guidance of a tutor. There is also a bit of student directed research involved.

Employers value candidates with industry skills, knowledge, practical skills and formal learning. Our courses arm you with all of these things to help prepare you for a job or start your own business. The longer you study the more you will learn.

ACS has an arrangement with OAMPS (formerly AMP) who can arrange Professional Indemnity from Australian and New Zealand graduates across all disciplines. Ph: 1800 222 012 or email acs@oamps.com.au.


Who are ACS Distance Education?

ACS Distance Education have been educating people for over 40 years.

We are established and safe- we have been in education for over 40 years.
We are focused on developing innovative courses that are relevant to you now and what you will need to know in the future.
We are focused on helping you learn and make the most of your experience.
You can enrol at any time, you can work on your course when it suits you and at your own pace.
We are connected to many industry bodies and our staff participate in continuous improvement and learning activities to ensure that we are ahead of what learning is needed for the future.

Our courses are not accredited by the Australian Government. However many of our courses are recognised and held in high regard by many industry bodies.

Our courses are written by our staff, who all have many years experience and have qualifications in their speciality area. We have lots of academic staff who write and update our courses regularly.


How do I enrol my staff/ sponsored students?

Yes, you can do a request for a bulk enrolment and request an invoice on our Invoice Request Form

We can prepare an invoice, quote or proforma invoice. Simply complete your details on our Invoice Request form

We can arrange bulk discounts for your course enrolment, please get in touch with us to discuss your needs.

Yes, we have many students who are in locked facilities, such as prisons or hospitals. We can cater by also offering paper notes at an additional cost.


What if I have any more questions or need more information?

We can assist you to find the right course for your needs. Get in touch with us via email (admin@acs.edu.au) call on +61 7 5562 1088 or complete our course advice form.


What if I change my mind?

Please get in touch with studentservices@acs.edu.au if you would like to be removed from our mail list.

If you would like ACS Distance Education to delete your information at any time (whether you are a customer or a prospective customer), please contact our privacy officer and we will process this ( admin@acs.edu.au ).




Course Contributors

The following academics were involved in the development and/or updating of this course.

Kate Gibson

Kate has 12 years experience as a marketing advisor and experience as a project manager. Kate has traveled and worked in a variety of locations including London, New Zealand and Australia. Kate has a B.Soc.Sc, Post-Grad. Dip. Org Behaviour (HR).

Christine Todd

University lecturer, businesswoman, photographer, consultant and sustainability expert; with over 40 years industry experience
B.A., M.Plan.Prac., M.A.(Social).
An expert in planning, with years of practical experience in permaculture.

Jacinda Cole (Psychologist)

Psychologist, Educator, Author, Psychotherapist.
B.Sc., Psych.Cert., M. Psych. Cert.Garden Design, MACA
Jacinda has over 25 years of experience in psychology, in both Australia and England. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and a Masters in Psychology (Clinical) and also trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the London Centre for Psychotherapy. She has co-authored several psychology text books and many courses including diploma and degree level courses in psychology and counselling. Jacinda has worked for ACS for over 10 years.

Need Help?

Take advantage of our personalised, expert course counselling service to ensure you're making the best course choices for your situation.


I agree for ACS Distance Education to contact me and store my information until I revoke my approval. For more info, view our privacy policy.