Department Head:
Prof. Anat Yaron-Antar, PhD
anaty@yvc.ac.il
Introduction
Criminology as a profession and a research field aims to understand the various biological, psychological and social factors which cause individuals or groups to engage in delinquent or deviant behavior. Criminology also examines ways to deal with criminal and delinquent behavior, with respect to prevention, enforcement, punishment, and treatment.
Program Description
The B.A. program in the Criminology Department aims, among other things, to provide knowledge in understanding the individual and the society in which they function, as well as the continuum between normative and deviant behavior. Therefore, B.A. studies in Criminology are diverse and include adjacent fields, including: Psychology, Sociology, Law, and Gender Studies. The academic program creates a unique framework that combines the theoretical fields of Criminology – which is a behavioral science – with law studies and applied studies in law enforcement. Students also learn how to work with individuals on the social margins, deal with issues of social exclusion and engage with law enforcement authorities. In addition to required courses, studies include a wide range of electives, research seminars, and excursions to punishment, law enforcement and rehabilitation facilities, as well as conferences, guest lectures and practical field experience, enabling students to pursue in-depth study in the fields of their choice. There are two specializations, each with its own electives and related practicum: “Children and Adolescents at Risk” and “Addictions.” Owing to the diverse subjects covered in the program, the department faculty is multi-disciplinary.
Studies in the department are conducted in the framework of a double major, intended for all those who work, or plan to work, in criminology-related fields and wish to combine Criminology studies with studies in an additional discipline. The second major can be taken in Psychology, Education, Sociology and Anthropology, Political Science, or Interdisciplinary Social Sciences.
Research
The department’s faculty conducts research in various fields related to criminology and victimology. This includes rehabilitation of offenders, convict therapy, juvenile delinquency, intimate violence, femicide, criminal law, alternative methods for settling criminal disputes, restorative justice, sexual offences, youth at-risk and distress, poverty-awareness practices, gender-sensitive and trauma-informed work, terrorist crimes, cybercrime, positive criminology, spiritual criminology, forensic psychiatry, addiction, clinical criminology, murder and murderers, violence among the mentally ill, violence risk assessments, victims of crime, traumatic events and post-traumatic stress disorder, and other relevant areas.
Faculty
Department Contact Information
Ms. Raaya Yosef
raaya@yvc.ac.il
For additional information in Hebrew see >>