CRJU 465

CRJU 465: Gender and Crime

Prerequisites: CRJU 100 or SOCY 110 or PSYC 121; declared major or minor in Criminal Justice or enrollment in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program, or permission of the instructor.

Pre- or Corequisites: CRJU 365

Credit Hours: (3)

This course is designed to focus on the gendered experiences of crime, victimization, and criminal justice. The course covers a variety of topics, including: the foundations of feminist criminology, gendered violence and victimization, gender and offending, and the gendered experiences of professionals in the field. This course may be used to meet requirements for the minor in Women’s and Gender Studies. 

 

Detailed Description of Content of Course

The course addresses an important and well-established area of criminological scholarship by examining how gender shapes patterns of crime, victimization, and criminal justice system responses. Gender is a critical organizing dimension of crime and justice, and this course pushes students to engage deeply with feminist criminology, gendered pathways theories, and empirical research examining individuals’ experiences as victims, offenders, and criminal justice professionals.

The course explores topics such as gender-based violence, gendered patterns of offending, criminal justice processing of women, and gender dynamics within policing, courts, and corrections. Through applied learning activities and optional service-learning opportunities with local victim advocacy organizations, students are able to connect theoretical concepts to real-world criminal justice practices and community-based responses to victimization. 

This course may be offered as part of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program.

 

Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Credit Hours & Delivery: (3)

• In-person (full-semester) lecture
• In-person alternate learning location

 

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Define and describe key concepts and terminology related to gender, victimization, and offending.
2. Explain major theoretical perspectives in feminist criminology, including how these frameworks account for patterns of victimization and offending among women and gender-diverse populations.
3. Summarize and interpret empirical research on gender differences in crime, victimization, and criminal justice processing.
4. Analyze how gender shapes experiences within different stages of the criminal justice system, including policing, courts, corrections, and community supervision.
5. Evaluate institutional responses, including criminal justice policies, victim services, and community-based interventions.
6. Apply criminological theories and research to real-world cases involving gender-based victimization, offending, and system responses.
7. Critically assess the role of social structures, gender norms, and inequality in shaping patterns of crime, victimization, and justice system outcomes.
8. Develop and present a research-informed analysis of a gender and crime issue using criminological theory and empirical evidence.

 

Assessment Measures

Types of assessment activities that may be used: A primary component of an active learning classroom is creating an environment that fosters active engagement with course material through individual and group activities. Assessments may include but are not limited to: weekly individual engagement activities, weekly group work activities, service-learning journals (if applicable), and a final research project.

• Service Learning: Service-learning is a form of experiential education that enhances the curriculum learned in the classroom by extending learning, allowing students to apply what they’ve learned to real-world experience. Students can choose this option in leu of individual engagement activities for the weeks that you sign up to volunteer. During those weeks, students are required to complete a journal entry regarding their service work.

 

Other Course Information

Required Text: Women, Gender, and Crime: Core Concepts. Second edition. Stacy L. Mallicoat. 2023. Publisher: SAGE

Additional weekly peer-reviewed articles from the field. 

 

Review and Approval

April 26, 2026