This module guides learners in understanding the social context of crime with consideration to social inequalities and poverty that can lead to shifts in cultural norms and deviant sub-cultures. Topics covered on this module include:

- Social Context of Crime
- Links between social inequalities, poverty, and crime; Cultural shifts and emergence of deviant subcultures.
- Structural and Societal Drivers- Impact of social policy, globalisation, war, national disasters, and economic challenges; High unemployment and its relationship to crime as survival or protest.
- Homelessness and Crime - Over-representation of homeless individuals in prisons; Policing homelessness and societal prejudices; Crime prevention measures and public intolerance (e.g., hostile architecture).
- Multiple Disadvantage and Vulnerability - Intersection of homelessness, poverty, mental health issues, and addiction; Increased vulnerability to victimisation and exploitation by criminal gangs.
- Post-Incarceration Challenges - Lack of housing upon release and its impact on desistance; Health and well-being implications for ex-offenders.
- Victims Portrayed as Offenders - Asylum seekers, border control, and bail reporting requirements;
- Criminalisation of vulnerable groups.
- Gendered Dimensions of Crime - Women facing choices between survival and legality (e.g., feeding children vs. paying fines); Consequences: incarceration and family separation.
- Economic Pressures and Criminalisation - Impact of unemployment on individuals and families; Financial penalties in civic and criminal justice systems exacerbating crime; Barriers to employment for those with criminal records and its role in desistance.
- Compassionate Criminology- Understanding structural issues that push people toward crime; Policy and practice reforms to reduce crime drivers; Promoting compassionate policy-making and social justice.

Individual presentation: The presentation will be based on justification for a policy change with recommendations for future policy and professional practice to reduce crime victimisation and/or crime perpetration.

The essay will be based on highlighting a social inequality connected to crime perpetration and/or victimisation. A series of essay questions will be provided to students, and they will select one to answer.

All sessions are taught in person with students attending time-tabled sessions delivered via lecture, workshop and tutorials. Students are required to undertake preparation for each session in the format of reading and watching relevant TV programmes and documentaries. Classroom time will be used for mini-lectures, lived experience contributions, followed by interactive discussions linked to media stories and case-studies with facilitated academic guidance. This approach maximizes face-to-face time for deeper application and analysis. Students will be given opportunities for formative assessment on the module ahead of their summative assessment, examples of this include mini-presentations within tutorials, and submitting a small extract of the essay for feedback.

1. Explain how social inequalities impact vulnerability to victimisation and crime perpetration.

Knowledge and Understanding

2. Apply social policy and professional practices to produce recommendations for changes to reduce crime, victimisation and crime perpetration.

Application and Problem Solving

3. Communicate with compassion the social injustices experienced by people with multi-disadvantage and the associated challenges and discrimination encountered within the criminal justice system.

Communication

4. Reflect on the implications of policies from multiple agencies on victimisation and crime perpetration.

Critical reasoning and collaboration; Reflection

Starke, P., Elbek, L.L. and Wenzelburger, G. (2025) Unequal Security: Welfare, Crime and Social Inequality. Oxford: Taylor & Francis. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003462132.

Levell, J. (2022) Boys, Childhood Domestic Abuse, and Gang Involvement: Violence at Home, Violence On-Road. 1st edn. Bristol, UK: Bristol University Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.46692/9781529219821.

Nettle, D. (2015) Tyneside Neighbourhoods: Deprivation, Social Life and Social Behaviour in One British City. 1st edn. Cambridge, UK: Open Book Publishers. Available at: https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0084.

Page, S. et al. (2023) Action on Poverty in the UK. 1st ed. 2023. Edited by K. Goldstraw et al. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-37182-0.

Farrall, S. and McVie, S. (2025) Handbook on Crime and Inequality. Elgar Handbooks on Inequality ISBN: 978 1 80088 359 8

How does poverty increase vulnerability to crime victimisation and criminal behaviour? How does social policy and society respond to crime as a response to need, not greed?

In this module you will engage in group discussions and case study examples to consider how social inequalities and poverty can be a driver to criminality and increased vulnerability to crime victimisation. You will engage in compassionate criminology and begin to critically consider how policy and structural issues can exacerbate crime and deviance. You will explore how compassionate alterations to policy could positively impact crime desistance and reduce victimisation. You will think about people experiencing multi-disadvantage including homelessness, poor mental health and addictions navigate their situation and end up over-represented in prison populations. You will think about unemployment and financial penalties within the civic and criminal justice systems and how this can exacerbate criminal involvement. Likewise, you will learn how organised crime groups target the vulnerable and poor and the impact that this has.