Module Information

Module Identifier
CRM1920
Module Title
Crimes Against the Environment
Academic Year
2025/2026
Co-ordinator
Semester
Semester 1

Course Delivery

 

Assessment

Assessment Type Assessment length / details Proportion
Semester Assessment Essay  4000 Words  50%
Semester Assessment Podcast  20 Minutes  50%
Supplementary Assessment Essay  4000 Words  50%
Supplementary Assessment Podcast  20 Minutes  50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

Critically assess connections between global and local transnational criminality and the ways this endangers the environment.

Critically evaluate the capacity of criminological theory and research to explain contemporary developments in the field.

Recognise and critique the limits of criminological knowledge in explaining particular transnational/international crimes, and how they relate to the environment.

Critically assess facets of victimisation relating to crimes against the environment.

Critically assess the effectiveness of responses to crimes against the environment, broadly defined.

Brief description

This module introduces students to emerging and competing perspectives regarding the neglected topic of crimes and harms the environment. This includes the natural environment (flora and fauna on land and in the oceans) as well as the build environment including heritage and cultural property crimes.
This module enables students to comprehensively evaluate crime and harm in this context, examining the interplay between green and traditional crimes. Students will understand the intricate relationships among offences against the latter, while critically analysing responses to these offences.

Aims

This module aims to enable students to comprehensively evaluate crime and harm concerning human and non-human entities in a global environment and to understand the intricate relationships between these alongside responses to crime and harm in this context.

Content

The exact content of the module will alter year on year as this is a fast developing area of study. However, content will always focus on the broad topics of human and non-human abuse and harm in a variety of contexts relating to the environment, broadly defined. The latter may include areas such as wildlife crime, pollution, deforestation, marine habitat destruction, cultural property destruction, heritage crime, illegal fishing, dumping of toxic waste, and many other areas that pertain to harms in this context. Responses to these problems and the effectiveness of these responses will also be analysed and assessed.

Module Skills

Skills Type Skills details
Critical and analytical thinking Students must demonstrate this skill in terms of researching and constructing both their essay and podcast.
Digital capability Students must demonstrate this skill in terms of using online journals and other reputable sources for research and in terms of the construction and recording of their podcast.
Real world sense Students will develop this skill through consideration of harm and crime in a real world contemporary context.
Subject Specific Skills Students will develop these skills through applying criminological theory to the concepts discussed and critiquing the latter..

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7