CRJ201 – Addictions, Psychopathology, and Crime Page 1 of 16 Cedar Crest College 100 College Drive Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104 COURSE TITLE: Addictions, Psychopathology, and Crime COURSE NUMBER: CRJ 201-98 INSTRUCTOR NAME: Michael Pittaro, MPA Executive Director Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CADA) 1031 W. Linden Street, Suite 202 Allentown, PA 18102 Criminal Justice Adjunct Professor Department of Social Sciences Email: [email protected] Office Hours – By Appointment DATE: September 12 - 14, 2008 & September 26 – 28, 2008. CREDIT HOURS: 3.0 Credits COURSE LENGTH: 14 weeks (Condensed into a two-weekend course) COURSE SCHEDULE: Friday (6 pm – 9 pm), Saturday (9 am – 5 pm), & Sunday (9 am – 5 pm) COURSE DESCRIPTION: The primary objective of this course is to focus on the linkages between substance addiction, the psychopathology of addictive behaviors, and its impact on crime. Specific content areas will highlight current trends in substance abuse; the influence substance use/abuse has had on behavior, on the criminal justice system and on trends in law enforcement.CRJ201 – Addictions, Psychopathology, and Crime Page 2 of 16 PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES: Through this course, the intent is to assist the student to develop and use critical thinking /. Problem solving skills to: 1. Gain a more in depth understanding of how substance abuse affects behavior. 2. Understand the key elements of addiction itself and what factors are critical in the accurate measurement, treatment, and prevention of use/abuse/dependency. 3. Develop an understanding of how the body itself deals with substance use and how it contributes to the cycle of addiction. 4. Develop an understating of the different categories of drugs, how their use impacts the human body; how their use influences behavior; how their use of the drug affects crime; and what specific affects any given category or drug has on the individual, the family, and the community. 5. Better understand the most commonly recognized biological, psychological, and sociological theories of addictions. 6. Better understand the most commonly recognized treatment, prevention, and intervention strategies relative to substance abuse and crime. 7. Identify the current trends in substance use/abuse among the various demographic groups. 8. Evaluate whether the war on drugs has had a positive or negative impact on society and if there is any correlation between enforcement and crime rates. OUTCOMES & ASSESSMENTS Students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements of substance abuse and how those elements contribute to an individual‟s behavior. Assessment: Students will read selected chapters from your text and other books or journals as they are assigned, participate in ALL class discussions and excel in written assignments Students will be able to identify the specific factors researches attempt to measure when trying to understand and explain substance abuse and dependency. Assessment: Students will read selected chapters from your text and other books or journals as they are assigned, participate in ALL class discussions and excel inCRJ201 – Addictions, Psychopathology, and Crime Page 3 of 16 written assignments Students will be able to identify the main categories of drugs of abuse; identify what the affects are on the body; what the effects are on behavior; and what the impact of the individual drug has on the individual, the family, the community, and the criminal justice system. Assessment: Students will read selected chapters from your text and other books or journals as they are assigned, participate in ALL class discussions and excel in written assignments The student will be able to identify the major biological, psychological, and sociological theories of substance abuse and of the relationship between substance use/abuse/dependency have on crime and society‟s response to those who violate the law. Assessment: Students will read selected chapters from your text and other books or journals as they are assigned, participate in ALL class discussions and excel in written assignments Texts and Readings REQUIRED TEXT Goldberg, R. (2008). Taking sides: Clashing views in drugs and society. (8th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill publishing. Additional Readings will be introduced, but are NOT required for this course Faupel, C. E., Horowitz, A. M., & Weaver, G. S. (2004). The Sociology of American Drug Use. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.CRJ201 – Addictions, Psychopathology, and Crime Page 4 of 16 Pittaro, M. (January 2008). Police Occupational Stress. Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences -Police Forum. http://www.sulross.edu/policeforum/docs%5Carchives%5CVolume_17_Number_1.pdf Pittaro, M. (2007). Criminal Justice Quick Study Academic Reference Guide. Palm Beach, FL: Barcharts, Inc. So, Why do we need an Addictions Course??? The goal of this particular course is to stimulate students‟ interest and awareness in the dynamic and constantly changing field of Addictions. This course will emphasize the importance of critical thinking & problem solving, and is intended to foster a considerable amount of dialogue between students and the instructor. The instructor will teach this course by relying on non-traditional pedagogical means in which learning is “student centered” as opposed to the traditional “instructor centered” approach to learning. My goal is to create a learning centered environment that encourages students to embrace the concept of life-long learning, especially since I‟m also a student (pursuing my PhD in Criminal Justice), so I know first-hand what it is like to juggle work, school, family, and friends. Before one can fully understand the profound influences of “Drug and Alcohol Addiction” as a sub-discipline within criminal justice, one must learn to appreciate and understand the complexities of addiction and its proven association to deviance,