76290 - Criminology.

Learning outcomes

The acquisition of socio-criminological basic skills.

Course contents

The course aims to explore key emerging issues in criminology and victimology from a sociological perspective, providing students with critical and practical tools to understand and address crime and victimisation in a rapidly changing society marked by complex and evolving challenges.

Classes will be held in the second semester(from February to May 2026).

Readings/Bibliography

Compulsory readings:

• Balloni A., Bisi R., Sette R., Criminology and Forensic Psychopathology, Wolters Kluwer, Milan, 2019 (selected chapters).
• Marotta G., Cornacchia L., Criminology. History, Theories, Methods, Wolters Kluwer, 2021 (only paragraph 4 “Official Statistics in Italy” from Chapter II, pp. 61–92, provided).
• Tuzza S., Pop Criminology. Media, Imaginaries, and (True) Crime Narratives, Mondadori (forthcoming).

For students attending the course, the required readings for exam preparation will be indicated by the instructor during the lessons.

The course is based on the integrated digital teaching model (DDI) and for this reason all students (regular attendees, not regular attendess, international) should benefit from all the documents published on the platform virtuale.unibo.it

Teaching methods

Lessons are helded in classroom.

Lectures, videos, case studies, class discussions and class group / individual presentation.

Despite the fact that it is not compulsory, course attendance is highly recommended.

Assessment methods

The exam aims to verify the achievement of the following learning objectives:

• Knowledge of the main socio-criminological theories covered during the course;

• Ability to apply these theories to the analysis of crime, victimization processes, and criminalization dynamics.

To take the exam, students must register via AlmaEsami, strictly adhering to the published deadlines.
Students who are unable to register before the deadline must promptly notify (and in any case before the registration list closes) the student administration office. It will be at the instructor’s discretion to admit them to the exam.
Students who are unable to attend and cannot remove their name from the registration list must inform the course instructor via email no later than 24 hours before the scheduled exam.

For students who attend the course regularly, a written pre-exam will be administered toward the end of the semester. It will consist of 6 open-ended questions, each worth 5 points, to be completed within 70 minutes.
Students who pass the pre-exam will take the final exam orally, based only on the book Criminologia Pop, during the official exam sessions.
Students who complete the (optional) group project will be awarded up to 2 additional points to their final grade.
Students who do not pass or do not take the pre-exam may sit for one of the official exam sessions, which will be exclusively oral and will cover the entire course syllabus, regardless of attendance.

For non-attending students, the exam will consist of an oral test, aimed at assessing the acquisition of the expected knowledge and skills.

Students participating in international mobility programs must contact the instructor at the beginning of the semester. In general, they may choose one of the following three languages for the exam: Italian, French, or English.

Evaluation of the open-ended questions (in the pre-exam) will be based on the combination of the following three criteria:

• Relevance of the answer to the question asked;

• Accuracy of argumentation and use of terminology;

• Quality of explanation and, where applicable, inclusion of appropriate examples.

Particular credit will be given to students who demonstrate the ability to navigate course sources and reading materials to identify relevant information supporting the attainment of the learning objectives outlined above.

• A comprehensive understanding of the course topics, combined with critical use of knowledge, strong expressive skills, and appropriate disciplinary language, will be awarded very good to excellent grades (27–30/30).

• Mostly mechanical or rote knowledge, limited analysis and synthesis skills, and inconsistent language use will result in fair grades (22–26/30).

• Basic but partial knowledge and inappropriate language, though within a context of essential understanding, will be assessed around the pass mark (18–21/30).

• Significant gaps in preparation, inappropriate language, and lack of orientation within course materials will lead to failing grades (below 18/30).

During written exams, the use of support materials such as textbooks, notes, or digital devices is not permitted.
Leaving the exam room during the test is generally not allowed.

Students may review their graded work and request clarification during office hours.
Grades are officially recorded only after being accepted by the student.

Graduating students who pass the exam and need the grade to be recorded by a specific date are advised to inform the instructor during the exam session.

Students with specific learning disorders (SLD) or temporary/permanent disabilities are advised to contact the university’s dedicated office in advance (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/it ).
This office will provide the necessary accommodations, which must be submitted at least 15 days in advance for the instructor’s approval. The instructor will assess the appropriateness of the accommodations in relation to the course's learning objectives.

Teaching tools

PC and videoprojector. Web resources.

During lectures, the professor will use Power Point presentations and other material that will be published on Virtuale platform.

These documents do not substitute the compulsory reading materials, but they are supplementary and constitute a study guide to help gain a better understanding of the course contents.

 

Policy on the Use of Technology in the Classroom. Technology is useful, only when aimed to improve performance in the classroom. Therefore all hand held devices (cell phones, cameras, etc.) should be turned off and packed away during class sessions. Computers/tablets in the classroom are a tool for work and should be used for note-taking only. If cell phones/computers/tablets are used for texting, e-mail, or Internet connection (without the explicit permission of the professor), the professor may stop the use of these devices in that class. Students who would like to use voice recorders for class lectures are kindly invited to ask for the explicit permission of the professor in order to do so.

Office hours

See the website of Simone Tuzza

See the website of Raffaella Sette