Teaching Courses on Violence: Balancing Critical Thinking, Academic Discourse, and a Safe Learning Environment

• In Event: Academic Discourse on Violence, Student Experiences, and the Secondary Trauma of Faculty, Staff, and Administrators

Abstract

The subject matter in many criminology/criminal justice courses involves sensitive, politicized, and controversial topics. While many professors find themselves shying away from these topics to avoid potentially triggering students or inviting discord into the classroom, doing so does a disservice to our students and the field. This presentation provides guidance for balancing the goals of critical thinking and academic discourse with the need to provide students a positive and safe learning environment. Covered are strategies to build an inclusive classroom community to facilitate participation, techniques to deescalate conflict if it arises, and measures to take after class to debrief students and follow up with those who may be especially impacted by the material.

Author

• Ráchael A. Powers, University of South Florida