Study-unit PSYCHOLOGY OF RISK BEHAVIOR
| Course name | Investigation and security sciences |
|---|---|
| Study-unit Code | GP004300 |
| Curriculum | Comune a tutti i curricula |
| Lecturer | Monia Vagni |
| Lecturers |
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| Hours |
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| CFU | 6 |
| Course Regulation | Coorte 2023 |
| Supplied | 2025/26 |
| Supplied other course regulation | |
| Learning activities | Caratterizzante |
| Area | Discipline antropologiche, storico-geografiche e psico-pedagogiche |
| Sector | M-PSI/01 |
| Type of study-unit | Obbligatorio (Required) |
| Type of learning activities | Attività formativa monodisciplinare |
| Language of instruction | Italian |
| Contents | The course explores the main theories of criminology and psychology on deviance, which are useful for understanding and explaining risky behaviors that can be considered manifestations of deviance (i.e., abnormal behavior) and/or criminal conduct. This will be done by outlining risk and protective factors, both internal and external, i.e., those related to the psychological and social environment. Therefore, both personality-based and social and cultural factors of criminal and deviant behavior will be examined. The course also aims to provide students with an understanding of the various forms of crime and deviance and the most effective responses from society, focusing on the main goals of psycho-criminological intervention in terms of safety and treatment and the reduction of recidivism. The main objective of the course is the advanced acquisition of some basic concepts of social and clinical psychology, applied in a legal and judicial context. The program aims to illustrate an integrated assessment and intervention approach, to understand the complexity of phenomena related to marginalization and deviance. |
| Reference texts | 1) Merzagora I. (2023) introduzione alla criminologia. RaffaelloCortina 2) Zara G. (2016) Valutare il rischio in ambito criminologico. Il Mulino |
| Educational objectives | An overview of the main social and criminological theories, including more recent ones that adopt an interdisciplinary approach. The specificities of different types of crime and deviance. A distinction will be made between occasional deviance and a full-fledged criminal career, with an analysis of personal factors, personality traits, contextual factors, and forms of subcultural affiliation. The various forms of deviance will be addressed: individual, group, organized, female, and juvenile. Possible responses that society offers in terms of prevention and control will also be analyzed, from social interventions to legal and regulatory measures. Particular emphasis will also be placed on the role of psychologists and criminologists in assessing the offender and the factors of social danger, both internal and external. Various forms of crime will be covered, such as stalking, pedophilia, the treatment of sex offenders, detention, victims of sexual abuse and their testimony, gender violence, and suggestibility, outlining the factors of forensic psychopathology and criminodynamics. The following topics will be addressed: Introduction to psychological deviance Juvenile deviance The assessment of sexual abuse Testimony and social influence factors Suggestibility Imputability A brief overview of forensic psychopathology The treatment of sex offenders Gender violence The effects of detention Stalking Expert assessments |
| Prerequisites | basic knowledge of criminology |
| Teaching methods | Classes will be held face-to-face and online for authorized students. Case studies will be illustrated and documents examined to help understand the true extent of the phenomenon. |
| Learning verification modality | The exam will consist of a written test with 31 multiple-choice questions. The time limit for completion is 25 minutes. Each question will be worth 1 point. No points will be deducted for errors. |
| Extended program | The program will begin with a discussion of deviance, to understand the social and psychological factors that can lead to occasional crime and its stabilization. Specific topics will be addressed, including homicide and the evaluation of its perpetrator; social dangerousness factors, femicide, gender-based violence, and violence in romantic relationships; social factors that can lead perpetrators and witnesses to false confessions; and the key aspects of psychological and criminological treatment of offenders and the reduction of recidivism. |
| Obiettivi Agenda 2030 per lo sviluppo sostenibile | 3 |