“Emotions, in my experience, aren’t covered by single words. I don’t believe in “sadness,” “joy,” or “regret.” Maybe the best proof that language is patriarchal is that it oversimplifies feeling. I’d like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic train-car constructions like, say, “the happiness that attends disaster.” Or: “the disappointment of sleeping with one’s fantasy.” I’d like to show how “intimations of mortality brought on by aging family members” connects with “the hatred of mirrors that begins in middle age.” I’d like to have a word for “the sadness inspired by failing restaurants” as well as for “the excitement of getting a room with a minibar.” I’ve never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I’ve entered my story, I need them more than ever.”
― Jeffrey Eugenides, “Middlesex”

Course Description: This course examines the role of gender, sex, and sexuality in different forensic contexts. Students will explore the differential impacts of gender, sex, and sexuality on crime victimization and perpetration. For example, the course will examine issues related to family violence, sex trafficking, and hate crime, among other crimes, and the impacts of gender, sex, and sexuality in these areas. Additionally, the response of the legal and law enforcement systems to different gender and sexual identities will be examined. The implications of gender, sex, and sexuality on crime victimization and perpetration, and law enforcement involvement will be examined with a particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ issues. The course emphasizes the responsibility of mental health clinicians, researchers, and others working with gender and sexual minorities in forensic arenas to properly assess issues through a lens that addresses queer issues.

Course Objectives:

1. Identify and discuss the differences in criminal and forensic psychology areas as they relate to gender, sex, and sexuality.
2. Be able to identify and critically evaluate the ways law enforcement and forensic mental health professionals interact with gender and sexual minority victims and perpetrators of crime.
3. Be able to identify and discuss understandings and definitions of gender, sex, and sexuality as defined by forensic and criminal psychology.
4. Be able to find appropriate and authoritative sources on the differential evaluation and assessment of gender and sexual minorities in forensic and criminal psychology.
5. Identify the positive and negative impact of law enforcement and the forensic mental health professions in their interactions with gender and sexual minorities.
6. Develop the capacity to be aware of, anticipate and evaluate new developments in issues of sex, sexuality, and gender as they relate to criminal and forensic psychology.
7. Demonstrate the ability to formulate policy options for appointed and elected officials in response to issues of gender, sex, and sexuality in criminal psychology.

Attendance and Participation: Each student is expected to attend class and to be actively involved in the class discussion each week. Even when a student is not leading the class discussion, they are expected to actively participate in the discussion. Attendance will be taken during each class. Any lack of attendance will be reflected in your course participation grade. Since this class meets only once per week, it is recommended that you not miss more than one class session throughout the semester. If you have a legitimate excuse for missing a class, please notify me as early as you can before class that week (preferably 48 hours or more) in advance.

Please note: If you are not feeling well, do not come to class. Please use class time instead to get tested for COVID-19.

Learning Environment: Participation and open discussion are essential components of this course. When meeting in person, I ask that students refrain from side-talking or text-messaging/emailing/web-surfing during the class. 3 general principles we can adopt to help aid classroom atmosphere include: 1) “polyphony” (the acknowledgment that multiple perspectives are needed, and we benefit from the voices of all these perspectives), 2) “step up/step back” (pay attention to whether you haven’t been speaking enough and need to “step up,” or if you have been speaking too often and need to “step back”) and 3) “owl eyes” (pay attention to others in the classroom and make note if they appear to be upset or having difficultly for some reason, and try to be supportive in whatever way seems appropriate).

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Creating an atmosphere that is supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion of people from a range of typically marginalized groups is essential for this course. These groups include, but are not limited to, people from racial and ethnic groups that have been historically oppressed within the US, sexual and gender minorities that have been historically marginalized and oppressed, and members of religious groups that have been historically marginalized and oppressed.

In order to create an atmosphere that is supportive and inclusive, we will be mindful of the range of typically marginalized groups under consideration. Further, we will not engage in any behavior that meets the criteria for discrimination or harassment (see a range of documents on the topic if you have questions about what meets the criteria for discrimination or harassment: https://www.jjay.cuny.edu/harassment-discrimination-policies ). This behavior is always unacceptable.  In cases where harassment occurs, please report it to me and/or directly to the college Title IX officer, Gabriela Leal ([email protected]).

Further, we will refrain from engaging in indirect or subtle communications that can also be harmful. Indirect or subtle ways of harming someone from a marginalized group are typically called “microaggressions.” Sometimes it can be difficult to refrain from engaging in microaggressions because of strongly ingrained habits, ignorance, or unconscious bias. We should adopt an “oops/ouch” approach where class members who experience microaggressions are given the opportunity to say “ouch” to express that they have been hurt by something that another class member said, or those who engage in microaggressions are given the opportunity to say “oops” and to apologize and learn from their misstatement.

However, it is possible that students may not feel comfortable with directly noting that they have experienced a microaggression. In this case, students are encouraged to directly speak to me and I will do my best to address the issue. In instances where students are not comfortable with speaking with me, it is also possible to contact the Forensic Mental Health Counseling program director, Dr. Chitra Raghavan ([email protected]).  

Academic Honesty: The John Jay College of Criminal Justice is committed to the highest standards of academic honesty. Acts of academic dishonesty include—but are not limited to—plagiarism, (in drafts, outlines, and examinations, as well as final papers), cheating, bribery, academic fraud, sabotage of research materials, the sale of academic papers, and the falsification of records. An individual who engages in these or related activities or who knowingly aids another who engages in them is acting in an academically dishonest manner and will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the bylaws and procedures of The John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the Board of Trustees of The City University of New York.  

Every member of the academic community is expected to give full, fair, and formal credit to any and all sources that have contributed to the formulation of ideas, methods, interpretations, and findings. The term “sources” includes, but is not limited to, published or unpublished materials, lectures and lecture notes, computer programs, mathematical and other symbolic formulations, course papers, examinations, theses, dissertations, and comments offered in class or informal discussions, and includes electronic media. If the actual words of a source are used, they must appear within quotation marks. In cases that are unclear, the writer must take due care to avoid plagiarism.

The source should be cited whenever:

(a) a text is quoted verbatim

(b) data gathered by another are presented in diagrams or tables

(c) the results of a study done by another are used

(d) the work or intellectual effort of another is paraphrased by the writer

It is the student’s responsibility to recognize the difference between statements that are common knowledge (which do not require documentation) and restatements of the ideas of others. Paraphrase, summary, and direct quotation are acceptable forms of restatement, as long as the source is cited.

If you are unsure how and when to provide documentation, please consult with me, I am more than happy to help with APA citation and documentation. The Library has free guides designed to help students with problems of documentation.

 

Accommodations: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all students, with or without disabilities, are entitled to equal access to the programs and activities at John Jay College. If you believe that you have a disabling condition that may interfere with your ability to participate in activities, coursework, or assessment in this course, you may be entitled to accommodations. To request accommodations, please contact the John Jay College of Accessibility Services, room L. 66.00, Phone 212.237.8031.). After initial arrangements with these offices, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can be aware of necessary accommodations.

Mental health and Counseling center: Material discussed in this course can be difficult and emotionally burdensome. I ask that you all take good care of yourselves as we proceed throughout the course. Many of us may have direct or indirect experience and knowledge of materials presented in this course. If course discussions become too difficult, please feel free to excuse yourself from the classroom, take as much time as you need, and return when you are ready. If you anticipate a certain week to be particularly challenging or difficult, feel free to reach out to me. Again, if you are not comfortable discussing with me, please let me know that you would like to speak with someone else, I will work with you to help find you someone with whom you can discuss. Further, I recognize that you are all graduate students who are wearing multiple hats both inside and outside of the university system, and we are all living through a pandemic still. If you are seeking extra support, I highly encourage you all to reach out to the John Jay Student Counseling Center: [email protected], for a one-time consultation session please email [email protected] . When reaching out to the John Jay Student Counseling center, please mention that you are taking a class with me (Alexander Legg), as I am currently an extern there. This will ensure confidentiality and I won’t know that you sought services. Other services to be aware of for crises/emergencies include NYC Well (1-888-692-9355, or text “WELL” to 65173).