Unit information: Children and Young People in the Law A in 2022/23

Unit name	Children and Young People in the Law A
Unit code	SPOL30057
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12)
Unit director	Dr. Jo Staines
Open unit status	Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)	None
Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)	None
Units you may not take alongside this one
School/department	School for Policy Studies
Faculty	Faculty of Social Sciences and Law

Unit Information

This a third year optional unit that tackles some of the key challenges and tensions within the English legal system for children and young people. Within an overall framework of children’s rights, this unit explores children and young people’s status within the English legal system and questions how - and why - children may be viewed as dependent or autonomous, vulnerable or unruly, and how these conceptualisations may conflict within the law. A wide range of topics are used to analyse the tensions inherent within children’s participation in legal situations, including children and young people as witnesses and defendants in criminal proceedings; as subjects of medical intervention; as refugees and asylum seekers; as parties to parental divorce and separation; or involved in adoption, fostering and child protection proceedings. Discussions will focus on the potential discrepancies between enabling children’s autonomy and ensuring their best interests are paramount in legal decisions, and how these competing, and sometimes contradictory, aims can be reconciled. The law is ‘alive’ and ever-changing; students are encouraged to research current cases, as reported in the media and in law reports, which are then discussed in seminars. The formative assessment is a written essay, designed to ensure you have a firm knowledge-base and thorough understanding of the law in preparation for the summative assessment.

The objectives of the unit are to develop students’ awareness and knowledge of:

• how children and young people are perceived and treated by current civil and criminal legislation in England and Wales;
• the needs and rights of children and young people involved in legal proceedings;
• the needs and rights of children as victims, perpetrators and witnesses of crimes and antisocial behaviour;
• the tensions inherent within legislation that aims both to protect children and enable their active participation in legal decisions
• Students who successfully complete this unit will have:
• Gained a sound grasp of the needs and rights of children and young people involved in legal proceedings;
• Gained an understanding of how these important considerations apply when children and young people’s circumstances and experiences cause them to be subject to processes of law or legislation;
• Gained an understanding of the differences and similarities in perceptions of children within different legal systems.

Your learning on this unit

Students who successfully complete this unit will have:

1. Gained an understanding of how social constructions of childhood are perpetuated by systems of law, and how the law is underpinned by different constructions of childhood
2. Gained a sound grasp of the needs and rights of children involved in civil and criminal hearings;
3. Gained an understanding of how these important considerations apply when children’s circumstances and experiences cause them to be subject to processes of law or legislation;
4. Gained an understanding of some cross-national differences and similarities in perceptions of treatment of children within civil or criminal legal systems

How you will learn

Teaching will be delivered through blended learning involving a combination of synchronous and asynchronous sessions across the teaching block, including weekly lectures/narrated presentations, self-directed exercises and group activities. Weekly synchronous sessions will be scheduled to enable discussion, debate and the sharing of learning. Feedback will be provided for formal assessments, preparation for which will be supported through online activities, study group sessions and in the weekly synchronous sessions.

How you will be assessed

Part 1: Annotated bibliography (c1000 words) (25%)

This assessment meets ILOs 1,2, 3 and 4.

Part 2: Essay (2000 words) (75%)

This assessment meets ILOs 1, 2 and 3.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. SPOL30057).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the Faculty workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. If you have self-certificated your absence from an assessment, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (this is usually in the next assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any extenuating circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.