SYLLABUS
PSYC461-DL2 Criminal Profiling: What We Can Learn From the Victim’s Perspectives
Instructor:
Rebecca S. Morse, PhD
Class Hours & Location: Online
Office Hours: Online via Skype at dr.morsereb Wednesdays 9AM to 10AM.
Phone: 240-446-1022
Email: rmorse@gmu.edu
REQUIRED TEXT: Wallace, H., & Roberson, C. (2015). Victimology: Legal, Psychological,
and Social Perspectives, 4/E ISBN-10: 0133495523 • ISBN-13: 9780133495522
Publisher: Prentice Hall
*** It is absolutely imperative that you have your textbook for this class to do the homework and the
quizzes, and you will need the 4th edition, as this one has new chapters that are not included in previous
editions. I do supply power points, but those are more of a study guide, and do not contain the details, just
the broader topic areas.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND REQUIREMENTS:
This newly added section of PSYC461 is a unique approach to criminal profiling. Unlike
the other forensic psychology courses offered, this course focuses on the victims of crime, and
what we can learn about crime, and surviving crime, from those who have been victimized. The
overall objective of this course is for the student to become familiar with the field
of Victimology through an introduction to traditional Victimology crime theories, the
measurement of crime, and both civil and criminal processes. Additionally, the student will learn
about responses to victimization, including techniques for empowering victims, and special types
of victims, including but not limited to, homicide, the elderly, the disabled, victims of hate
crimes, bullying, school shootings, workplace violence, and terrorism. Finally, we will briefly
review the civil remedies available to crime victims.
We will explore not only theories, but also practical applications in the field: such as effective
treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; Child Protective Services, FBI victim advocacy,
and even online resources! You will have the opportunity to design a mock intervention to
help victims, compare different types of services for victims, consider the role of the media in
apprehending criminals or covering traumatic events, and even debate whether or not capital
punishment or attending a trial can help, or hurt, the recovery process.
This course is designed to perfectly complement the other forensic psychology and criminology
courses offered at Mason, and the online format will allow students to have the flexibility they
need to succeed during a fast-paced semester!
TECHNOLOGY:
*Students will be expected to access and use Blackboard on a regular basis. Important class
information, such as the syllabus and weekly readings will be posted here.
*In addition, students should check their GMU email account regularly. Be sure to check that
new messages can be received and that you are not over the message limit. You also have the
option for your GMU account to be forwarded to another email address.
ATTENDANCE & PARTICIPATION:
As this course is an online format, your “presence” on the discussion boards is crucial to your
success in this course.
Students are required to read any texts that may be assigned for that week. Class reading
assignments will be posted on the syllabus and/or Blackboard.
QUIZZES:
There will three quizzes for this course and each will be non-cumulative. Each exam will
be worth 10 points, for a total of 30 points. Exams will be posted on Blackboard.
* If you anticipate conflict with an exam date, it is the student’s responsibility to provide
justification, but scheduling an alternate date is at the discretion of the instructor. Similarly,
emergency exceptions are at the discretion of the instructor (in the hospital; car accident =
emergency; alarm clock did not ring; bad hair day = not an emergency).
ARTICLES:
Relevant journal articles to supplement the text may be assigned throughout the course. It
is expected that students will come to class prepared to discuss the articles and have questions
and comments on the topics in the articles. You will be responsible for the material from the
articles and discussion for the exam. Articles will be available on blackboard or the information
will be given for students to find it through the Library website.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS:
(1) Discussion Board Posts/Responses
For each week, I will post discussion questions. You are required to respond in full to all
questions/prompts. Each week is slightly different. Specific directions (what you need to answer,
and if you need to address classmates) will be posted on the Discussion Board with each of my
posts. Any thoughtful answer will receive full credit, for a total of 30 points. These posts are
pass/half-pass/fail.
Answers/posts are due Saturday by Midnight for the end of the week which the chapter(s) are
due.
** Discussion Board and Participation Policy *
Due to the online format of this class, you will not attend any classroom lectures. Class participation, to include
participation in the discussion board, individual class work, and respectful interaction between the instructor and students
are emphasized in this course.
Below is the grading rubric for the discussion board. NOTE: You will only be able to post for the current week. If you forget
to post the previous week, then you lose your opportunity to earn any points for that week. You can post as many times
as you like each week. The more you post, the more you participate, and the higher your grade will be.
Netiquette: You will be communicating with one another via the discussion board. It is likely that you will not always agree
with the opinions of your fellow classmates. Disagreement is fine but you will need to respect others’ views. Thus,
personal attacks and derogatory comments will not be tolerated. If, however, you do disagree with someone, then I
expect you to state your position in an articulate fashion on the discussion board.
Grading Rubric for Topical Weekly Discussion Board Questions/Posts:
0 Points
Half- Points
Full -points
*Does not respond to
most postings. *Does
not make effort to
participate in learning
community as it
develops; seems
indifferent.
*Occasionally makes
meaningful reflection
on group’s efforts;
marginal effort to
become involved with
group.
*Frequently attempts to direct the discussion and
present relevant viewpoints for consideration by
group; interacts freely. Comments or questions
enhanced the quality of discussion (i.e., suggested
new perspectives on an issue, asked questions that
helped stimulate further discussion, etc.)
*Comments or
questions were not
responsive to the
discussion questions.
*Comments or
questions provided
some evidence that the
participant had read
the course material.
*Consistently responds to posting; demonstrates
good self-initiative. Frequently attempts to
motivate the group discussion; presents creative
approaches to topic. Participant posted a
significant response in the form of comments and
or questions to all required conference topics
posted for that week.
WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS CONTINUED:
(2) Outline
You will select one aspect of victimization to study more in-depth per the questions below (child
abuse, incest, hate crimes, gang violence, etc.) in a formal research paper. An outline prior to
submission of the final paper is required to ensure that all students are well organized and
prepared to cover the chosen victim typology. The outline will be graded on the following
(worth 5 points, 1 point per requirement):
 Appropriate topic area selection (e.g., what type of victim/crime are you studying?)
 Clarity of organization
 Ability to demonstrate the research questions I posed below are incorporated
 Brief narration, not just bulleted headings
 Reference section with a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed sources
 APA formatting
(3) Psychological Health, Victims, & The Criminal Profile
Spelling and grammar do count, and citations should be in APA 6th format. Please see
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ for a helpful formatting resource.
Paper Guidelines:



12-15 content pages double spaced
A minimum of 10 peer-reviewed sources must be utilized (other sources, such as victim support
books/websites, are permitted, but do not count toward the 10)
A cover page, abstract, and APA formatted reference section are all required, but do not count
toward the page-length requirement
Research Paper Questions to Answer:







What does the research say about the type of crime/offense perpetrated against the victim?
Are there corresponding forms of victimization for this crime? For example, elders who are
physically abused by family members may also be the victim of financial crime (e.g. taking
money from the elder’s bank accounts or using their social security number to secure credit
cards, etc.)
What does the research say about the criminal who perpetrates that type of crime?
Is there a link between the profile of the criminal, and the profile of the victim?
What are the primary concerns that need to be addressed to assist the victim legally?
What are the primary concerns that need to be addressed to assist the victim
medically/psychologically?
What types of intervention or supports are best suited to help victims of the type of crime you
selected?
GRADES:
15 Discussion Board Posts & Responses to other Students: 30 points
3 Quizzes: 30 points (10 points each)
Outline: 5 points
Research Paper: 35 points
Total Possible Points: 100 points
GRADE CALCULATION:
For simplicity, the points have been assigned such that a student can track their own grade
without any confusing arithmetic acrobatics. If you earn 97 points you will have a class grade of
97%, which according to the below chart, is an A. I round to the second decimal, so a grade of
91.49 is considered a 92 (A-), and a grade of 96.03 is a 96 (A).
Grade Breakdown:
A+ 100+
A 99 – 93
A- 92 – 90
B+ 89 – 87
B 86 – 83
B- 82 – 80
C+ 79 – 77
C 76 – 73
C- 72 – 70
D 69 - 60
F 59 and below
**Late Exams and Assignments will be accepted on a per student/situation basis; however, if the
student does not have supporting documentation, grades are subject to a point-deduction.
Codes of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct
Students are required to uphold the Code of Academic Integrity and the Code of Student
Conduct. Students who violate either of these codes may receive a failing grade in the class.
Regarding assignments and exams, students should always observe the highest standards of
academic honesty and integrity. Your academic work should be the result of your efforts,
thoughts, and ideas. When writing papers or assignments, you should use an appropriate citation
style consistently, indicating exactly where you are quoting, or have been inspired by, the work
of others.
Cheating on any assignment or exam will result in the following disciplinary actions:
Examples of conduct meriting such disciplinary actions include, but are not limited to,
the following: (1) cheating on an exam, either with or without assistance of another
student or students, (2) submitting as your own work a paper that is either wholly or
partially plagiarized, such a purchasing a paper from an internet site or superficially
rewriting the work of others without proper citation, or (3) collaborating with fellow
students on assignments or take-home exams for which you were instructed to work
alone.
DISABILITY HELP:
Should a student need accommodations in the classroom or for assignments/exams due to a
verified, documented learning or physical disability, please inform me of your situation
immediately, so that proper GMU documentation and accommodation procedures are followed.
Schedule of classes *Topics subject to change as needed to ensure that the majority of students
are comfortable with material covered prior to moving to the next topic.
Date
Topic
First day of
class
Aug 31
Introduction to it all:
 What is this class?
 Who is this person?
 Why am I here?
 I have to do what?!
 What can I expect to get out of it?
Introduction and History of Victimology
Week 1
Aug 31- Sept 5
Week 2
Sept 6-12
Week 3
Sept 13-19
Week 4
Sept 20-26
Week 5
Sept 27-Oct 3
Week 6
Oct 4-10
On Overview of the Justice System
Measurement of Crime & Its Effects
The Consequences of Victimization
Victims Advocacy
Homicide Victims
Exam 1 (Online)
Sexual Victimization
Intimate Partner Abuse
Week 7
Oct 11-17
Week 8
Oct 18-24
Child Victims
Elder Victims
Hate Crimes
Exam 2 (Online)
Week 9
Oct 25-31
Week 10
Nov 1-7
Special Victim Populations
Week 11
Nov 8-14
Week 12
Nov 15-21
Week 13
Nov 22-24
Week 14
Nov 29-Dec5
Week 15
Dec 6-12
Constitutional and Civil Rights of Victims
Compensation & Restitution of Victims
Victim Impact Statements
Negligence & Intentional Torts
Outline
Exam 3 (Online)
Because of holiday due 11/24, but will allow until 11/28
International Aspects of Victimology
Research Paper Due December 12
No Extensions.
Readings (Chapters Are from the
Wallace & Roberson Textbook)
/Exams
Your syllabus.
Chapter 1
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 2
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapters 3 & 4
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 5
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 6
Exam 1 (chapters 1-5) Due 10/4
Chapters 7 & 8
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapters 9 &10
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 11
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Exam 2 (chapters 6-10) Due 10/25
Chapter 12
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 13
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Research Paper Outline Due 11/08
Chapters 14 & 15
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Chapter 16
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM
Exam 3 (chapters 11-15) Due
Tuesday 11/24 11:59PM
Chapter 17
Discussion Posts Due Sat. 11:59PM