Course Overview
What makes someone commit a crime? Is criminal behaviour learned, inherited, or influenced by the world around us?
Explore the psychology behind criminal behaviour and discover how psychologists help us understand crime, investigate offending, and navigate the justice system.
In this course, you will examine real criminal cases, explore psychological theories, and investigate how factors such as personality, upbringing, brain function and social influences contribute to offending. You will also explore forensic psychology, eyewitness testimony, criminal investigations, and the ethical issues involved in working with offenders.
Criminal Minds combines Psychology and Legal Studies, encouraging you to think critically about crime, justice and human behaviour.
This course is available to Year 12 students and offers 14–17 NCEA Level 2 credits.
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The Teacher
Kate Staniford
0Students 2 Courses
Kate Staniford is the Principal of Collingwood Area School and has taught for 25 years, primarily in Mathematics. Her teaching and leadership experience spans everything from large secondary schools to small rural and isolated schools across New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Kate holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, postgraduate qualifications in Psychology, and degrees in Science and Science Education. She has a particular interest in human behaviour, what makes people tick, and why people sometimes make decisions that seem completely irrational. With a fascination for true crime, criminal psychology and the complexities of the human mind, Kate brings curiosity, critical thinking and a healthy dose of scepticism to the Criminal Minds course. She enjoys challenging assumptions, exploring different perspectives and encouraging students to look beyond the obvious to understand why people do what they do.
Course Details
| Standard No * | Standard title | credit value | Internal/External | Completion |
| AS91844 v1 | Examine different psychological approaches used to explain a behaviour | 6 | Internal | Mid Term 2 |
| US8545 v7 | Describe factors contributing to, and consequences of, crime | 3 | Internal | Mid Term 2 |
| AS91847 v1 | Examine how theory is used in fields of psychological practice | 5 | Internal | Mid Term 3 |
| AS91848 v1 | Examine ethical issues in psychological practice | 3 | Internal | Mid term 4 |
Learning Exchange
1.00 placement
OR Cost
$1976.00
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