SEMESTER COURSES

4 credits
60 hours

Introduction to Victimology

Vipin Vijay Nair

Victimology as a separate social science developed in Europe and North America from the second half of the 20th century. Its roots guide to the early history of dealing with victimizations. The course gives an overview over the central topics in victimology. It selects parts of victimology that seem especially relevant for students who have no previous knowledge in social sciences. This course deals with “Theoretical Victimology”. It tries to give a logical structure or a theoretical framework of organization of thoughts in the field. The course does not deal with victim assistance, even if it is unavoidable to cover parts of this broad field of helping victims. The course deals with the fascinating interplay between ideology, knowledge, sociopolitical preferences, social engagement and social activism. Progressive developments are balanced by conservative powers. In the course the students are supposed to learn a balanced approach which tries to analyze the different interest of various “players” in the field, including the criminal justice system and its champions.

4 credits
60 hours

Sexual Violence in Rape: Psychosocial and Physical Impact

Garima Jain

This course will provide an experiential and insightful understanding of the theoretical approaches to sexual violence with focus on rape and victimization. It includes a contextual understanding of concepts such as personality, perception, cognition, and their role in the formation of behaviours as well as social psychological concepts such as group conformity, aggression, social judgements and bystander behaviours. The course provides an insight into the issue of ‘What is secondary victimization?’ “What are Rape myths? It is imperative to focus on the biases in blaming the victim and the different experiences, perspectives and psychological reactions experienced by rape victims including the lasting effects of rape and victimization process and the need for sensitivity training among professionals, family members and other support systems.

4 Credits
60 Hours

Family and Domestic Violence

Dr. Mohammad Hadi Ghasemi Nejad

Domestic violence (verbal, physical, and psychological) or abuse, has become widespread in societies and does not affect only one group or gender but all demographics. To eliminate the abuse, we must not only protect the victims, but also find the root/s of the issue and what prompts the perpetrator to act violently so we as a society can protect the future generations. This course offers the architecture and salient, yet fundamental, knowledge and competency to familiarize students with proper approach and course of actions to assist those victimized by domestic violence. It also equips students with the knowledge as how to campaign for the victims and raise public involvement and awareness. This introductory course which will provide an overview of appropriate methods of counselling and promotes sets of skills to assist the victims of domestic abuse. It will also empower students to methodically investigate victims’ issues and present all possibilities through a secure and compassionate setting so the clients pursue proper resolutions.

3 credits
45 hours

Penology and its Victimology Discourse

Vipin Vijay Nair

This course will provide an experiential and insightful understanding of the theoretical approaches to juvenile and victim behaviours. The course provides a contextual understanding of concepts such as personality, motivation, attachment and their role in the formation of behaviours. Students will gather knowledge about moral reasoning, developmental milestones, and risk factors associated with behaviour: – self-victimization, prosocial, violence, aggression, criminal and bystander behaviours. The student will gather knowledge about factors associated with development such as context, familial support, emotional, social background, personality, individual and behavioural attributes and their lasting emotional, societal and interactional effects on the individual and their surroundings.

4 Credits
60 Hours

Juvenile Delinquency & Victim Psychology

Dr. Manjushree Palit

This course will provide an experiential and insightful understanding of the theoretical approaches to juvenile and victim behaviours. The course provides a contextual understanding of concepts such as personality, motivation, attachment and their role in the formation of behaviours. Students will gather knowledge about moral reasoning, developmental milestones, and risk factors associated with behaviour: – self-victimization, prosocial, violence, aggression, criminal and bystander behaviours. The student will gather knowledge about factors associated with development such as context, familial support, emotional, social background, personality, individual and behavioural attributes and their lasting emotional, societal and interactional effects on the individual and their surroundings.

4 credits
60 hours

Victimology and Psychological Studies

Dr. Sanjeev P. Sahni & Dr. Vibha Hetu

Victimology and Psychological Studies is an important aspect of understanding victim, the process of victimization, victim offender interaction and the victim’s interaction with criminal justice system. It concerns itself with the complicated patterns of victimizer and victimization of its victims. This course provides students with an opportunity to develop a way of thinking about situational, environmental, personal as well as complex social factors such as capitalism, globalization, modernization, consumerism, groups considered as expendable etc. that influence the processing of ‘Criming’ or ‘No Criming’ which in turn affects criminal justice perspective. This course will also allow students the opportunity to understand and learn how the victims in distress behave which in turn will broaden the understanding of the victim and learn the skills to deal with them in a professional manner.