This module introduces the many ways criminologists seek to explain crime, victims of crime and the role of criminal justice. Through engaging topics, each study week begins with examples of crimes or criminal justice problems that you may recognise from the news, other media outlets and popular culture. It gently introduces different criminological concepts and theories, and you'll actively engage and explore these through the use of virtual learning environment activities and written assessments. You'll gain the skills to understand theories and concepts about crime, and will advance your understanding of everyday social issues that may influence crime and victims.
What you will study
The module is organised around three strands: causes of crime, responses to crime, and thinking beyond crime and criminal justice. You'll be introduced to questions such as:
What is crime? What defines 'crime', and why are some harmful behaviours labelled 'crimes' while others are not?
Who is a victim? What is criminal justice?
Why do certain behaviours come to be defined as ‘criminal’?
What are the limitations of criminology for explaining things that are unjust or harmful, and what other ways are there of thinking about crime, criminal justice and the things that cause us harm?
Block 1 gives you a brief overview of how these questions shape criminology. Through films about sex workers and self-inflicted deaths in prison, you'll begin to explore what different responses to these questions reveal about relationships between individuals and society, and power and inequality. You'll be introduced to the ways in which criminologists use theories and concepts alongside observations to build an understanding of the issues that interest them.
Block 2 begins by exploring different understandings of the causes of crime and some of the criminal justice responses that come from them. You'll be introduced to biological, psychological and sociological explanations of crime causation and explore the main ways in which different criminal justice policies are understood to address the problem of crime.
Block 3 starts with the question of why some harmful actions and behaviours are considered to be criminal while others are not. You'll look at who defines crime, how such definitions are enforced and how some, but not all, lawbreakers come to be labelled as "criminals". You'll consider the role of the victim in criminal justice systems and explore the key issues surrounding their inclusion and exclusion. You'll also learn about aspects of criminal justice such as community justice and policing, and ask questions about how effectively criminal justice policies achieve their stated goals.
Block 4 considers the limitations of criminology and criminal justice when thinking about other harmful actions that fall outside the gaze of crime policy and practice. You'll be introduced to the concepts of 'invisible crimes' and ‘invisible victims', and explore the idea that the physical harm and injury caused by some social structures, institutions and social and economic policies can be understood as a form of violence. The module concludes by examining the implications of a social harm perspective for policy and practice, and inviting you to reflect on your theoretical positions.
This module will build on the knowledge and skills you have gained at OU level 1 study and will further develop your skills of critical analysis, argumentation, academic writing and reflection on your learning.
It reflects The Open University’s commitment to developing modules that span and integrate a range of learning outcomes across the areas of knowledge and understanding, cognitive (analytical) skills, key skills of communication and information literacy and lifelong learning, and practical and professional skills. The development of these skills is embedded within every stage of the module, and you will be supported in progressively developing them.
Entry requirements
This is an OU level 2 module, and you need to have a good knowledge of the subject area, obtained either through OU level 1 study or equivalent study at another university. Our key introductory OU level 1 module, Introduction to criminology (DD105), gives an excellent grounding for this module.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser.
Preparatory work
There is no requirement for you to undertake any specific preparatory work prior to starting this module. However, you could read Criminology by Tim Newburn, which sets out the different ways of understanding crime, victims of crime and criminal justice or watch the film Bowling for Columbine by Michael Moore (2002), which explores the causes of a high school massacre and gun violence and Monster by Patty Jenkins (2003) which tells the story of a woman who was executed in Florida, in 2002, for killing six men.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You’ll get help and support from an assigned tutor throughout your module.
They’ll help by:
marking your assignments and offering detailed feedback to help you improve
providing individual guidance, whether that’s for general study skills or specific module content
guiding you to additional learning resources
facilitating online discussions between your fellow students in the dedicated forums.
Online tutorials run throughout the module. While they’re not compulsory, we strongly encourage you to participate. Where possible, we’ll make recordings available.
Assessment
Course work includes:
4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs)
1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA)
End-of-module assessment
What's included
You’ll be provided with two module textbooks and a module website, which includes:
a week-by-week study planner
module materials
audio and video content
assignment details and submission section
online tutorial access.
Computing requirements
Primary device – A desktop or laptop computer with at least 8 GB of RAM and a quad-core processor (2.4 GHz minimum speed). It’s possible to access some materials on a mobile phone, tablet or Chromebook; however, they will not be suitable as your primary device.
Peripheral device – Headphones/earphones with a built-in microphone for online tutorials.
Operating systems – Windows 11 or the latest supported macOS.
Internet access – Broadband or mobile connection.
Browser – Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are recommended; Mozilla Firefox and Safari may be suitable.
Our OU Study app operates on supported versions of Android and iOS.
Software – Any additional software will be provided or is generally available for free.
If you have a disability
The OU strives to make all aspects of study accessible to everyone, and this Accessibility Statement outlines what studying DD212 involves. You should use this information to inform your study preparations and any discussions with us about how we can meet your needs.
To find out more about what kind of support and adjustments might be available, contact us or visit our Disability support website.
Future availability
Understanding criminology starts twice a year – in February and October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026 and February 2027.
We expect it to start for the last time in February 2030.