Terrorist attacks
Serial Rapists
Serial Killers
Killing Sprees (Hungerford, Dunblane, Raol Moat etc.)
MAPPA
High Risk nominals and procedures
National Security threats and Spy investigations
Security Services and recent case studies
Police responses to extreme offenders, Investigating extreme offenders
Offender typologies
Radicalisation
Victim and community trauma
Media narratives
Political pressure

1. Case study presentation You will produce a verbal presentation evaluating a case study of extreme offending. The presentation will consider relevant explanatory theory and impacts of offending, as well as the associated investigation, on others. The presentation will be presented live and last for 10 minutes with 5 minutes of questions. You can choose whether you wish to produce supporting presentation material such as slides, online scenario builders, or other tools. You will choose a single case from a range of case studies.

2. Policy briefing paper You will produce a professional policy briefing paper advising on improvements to policing and/or criminal justice practice in relation to extreme offending. It will consider the use of intelligence, the effectiveness of investigative strategies, police powers, and/or public protection measures. The briefing paper should be written as though prepared for senior policing stakeholders and consider academic literature.

The module will be taught through lectures, assessment support tutorials and practical sessions which will vary in length. Sessions will be interactive and encourage student participation and engagement to enhance learning. During sessions, we will take different case studies and analyse using different formats to support and prepare you for your own case study critique. Likewise, you will have the opportunity to explore and create policy briefings as part of the module, in advance of your summative assessment. Assignment support sessions are building to the module structure to provide guidance and assistance in completing your assessment.

1. Critically analyse the characteristics and motivations of extreme offenders, including serial, terrorist and spree offenders, using relevant criminological and behavioural theory.

Knowledge & understanding

2. Evaluate national policing, intelligence and security structures for managing high-harm and national security threats, including multi-agency coordination and surveillance arrangements.

Digital literacy

3. Assess and advise senior policing stakeholders on the effectiveness of investigative strategies, policing powers, and public protection measures in cases involving extreme offenders.

Application & problem-solving

4. Critically evaluate the impact of extreme offender events on victims, communities, public trust and policing legitimacy, including lessons learned from public inquiries and case studies.

Critical reasoning & collaboration

Bennett, K. and Roach, J., (2024). Why some homicide investigations go cold: a study exploring the experiences of the investigative review process by UK detectives. Journal of Criminal Psychology, 14(4), pp.520-533.

Flynn, S., Ibrahim, S., Tham, S.G., Turnbull, P., Kapur, N., Appleby, L. and Shaw, J., (2024). Multiple homicide: a descriptive study of serial homicide and mass murder in England and Wales. The Journal of Forensic Psychiatry & Psychology, 35(5), pp.727-743.

Kebbell, M.R. and Porter, L., (2012). An intelligence assessment framework for identifying individuals at risk of committing acts of violent extremism against the West. Security Journal, 25(3), pp.212-228.

Lakhani, S., (2020). Extreme criminals: Reconstructing ideas of criminality through extremist narratives. Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 43(3), pp.208-223.

Have you got an interest in understanding extreme offending? This module examines the characteristics and motivations of serial, spree and terrorist offenders using criminological theory. Alongside this, you will explore professional practice related to national security, policing, and intelligence structures that manage such threats. You will also assess the impact of extreme offending on victims and communities, as well as how we receive information in the public about extreme offending.