Courses / Module

• * Explain the phenomenon of youth crime from a social constructionist perspective.
• * Critically analyse the development and operation of the youth justice system in Britain and the Republic of Ireland.
• * Identify and critically analyse a range of theoretical and empirical approaches to youth offending.
• * Locate the policy and practice of youth justice in Ireland in a theoretical and comparative context.
• * Evaluate the impact of youth justice policies and practices on young people who come into contact with the criminal justice system.
• * Demonstrate written skills of argument.

• * The history of the juvenile justice system: the emergence of young people as a problematic social category; ‘moral panics’ over youth crime and deviance; the ‘punitive turn’. * Models of youth justice: welfare, ‘just deserts’, minimum intervention/diversionary; managerialist/risk; restorative; neo-correctionalist. * The Children Act and the Youth Justice System in Ireland: the Children Act 2001 as a watershed?; the UNCRC and ‘children first’; implications for practice; assessing the Irish system in comparative perspective. * Policing and young people: young people’s perceptions of the police and police legitimacy; policing strategies; the impact of police decision-making on youth crime; the antisocial behaviour agenda. * Interventions with young offenders: debating diversion; ‘what works?’; restorative justice; * Custodial sentences under the Children Act 2001; places of detention; legal duties owed to children and young people in custody; use of force; deaths in custody.

• Module Graded (numeric value) or Ungraded (Pass/Not Passed): Graded

• Pass standard: 40%
• Could the result of this module be capped? No
• Penalties: Standard Maynooth University Department of Law penalties apply in instances of ethical violation, plagiarism, late submission of any coursework, and failure to attend class satisfactorily.

• Are supplemental/resit registrations permitted? Yes
• University scheduled written examination (Autumn): 120 minutes
• Is Supplemental Continuous Assessment registration permitted? Yes
• Is Supplemental Continuous Assessment capped? No

* Cavadino, J., and Dignan, J. (2008) Penal Systems: A Comparative Approach. London: Sage Publications. Chapters 12-15.

* Goldson, B. and Muncie, J. (2015) Youth Crime and Justice. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publications. Chapters 1, 5, 7, 8 and 12.

* Goldson, B. and Muncie, J. (eds) (2009) Youth Crime and Juvenile Justice Volume 1: The ‘Youth Problem’. London: Sage. Chapters 10, 16 and selected excerpts.

* Goldson, B. and Muncie, J. (eds) (2009) Youth Crime and Juvenile Justice Volume 2: Youth Corrections. London: Sage. Chapters 22, 28, 32 and 33.

* Kilkelly, U. (2006) Tough Lives, Rough Justice: Youth Justice. Irish Academic Press. Chapters 1-4 and 6.

* Kilkelly, U. (2008) Children’s Rights in Ireland: Law, Policy and Practice. Haywards Heath: Tottel Publishing. Chapters 1,2 and 13.

* Students will be provided with supplementary materials on moodle (Maynooth University’s Virtual Learning Environment).

For a full timetable search, go to NUIM Timetable. Venue locations can be found here.