Cursos / 1º Ciclo / Faculty of Law :: Criminology

COMPORTAMENTO DESVIANTE - 2025/2026

1º curricular year
Semestralidade: 1st semester
ECTS: 6

Teachers

Leading Teacher: Prof. Doutora Fátima Rodrigues
Assistant Professor: Prof. Doutora Fátima Rodrigues

Class type and School hours

Orientação Tutorial : 1 Horas
Teórico-prática : 2 Horas

Teaching Language

Portuguese

Main Aims/Objectives

Reflect on deviant conceptions developed within the deviant behavior sciences and on their relations with normal, pathological, and crime.
Examine recent theoretical and empirical contributions of biological and psychological sciences to the criminological domain, namely for the criminological description and explanation of deviant (DC) and criminal behavior.

Specific Aims/Objectives

To identify the main episteme-theoretical coordinates of scientific knowledge of the CD and criminal today;
To know the main theoretical and conceptual contributions of psychological and biological sciences in the context of scientific knowledge of deviant behavior.
To identify the main lines of research and contributions of biological and psychological sciences in the field of deviant behavior.

Skills to be acquired

Conceptual, theoretical, methodological and analytical integration skills that allow a scientific and critical analysis of deviant behavior and familiarization with the design of relevant empirical research in the field under study.

Teaching Procedures

The classes combine the presentation of the course´s main content with practical sessions where relevant empirical studies in the field are examined. The OT hours aim to consolidate knowledge and support the analysis of relevant literature in the context of the course, as well as the defense of the theoretical-practical work developed by the students.

Programme

Deviant Behavior: Concepts and Epistemologies
1.1. Deviant Behavior: Definition of the Concept.
1.2. Positivist, Constructivist, and Integrated Approaches to Deviant Behavior.
1.3. Introduction to Research Methods in the Study of Deviance.

Deviant Behavior: Fundamental Approaches
2.1. Cognitive Perspectives and Delinquent Behavior.
2.2. Personality Trait Perspectives.
2.3. Psychobiological Perspectives.
2.4. Evolutionary Perspectives.
2.5. Modern Biopsychosocial Perspectives.

3. Empirical Studies: Analysis of Research Dedicated to Deviant Behavior.

Evaluation Type

Two tests.
Written assignment, with an oral defense, on one of the topics from the syllabus based on relevant scientific literature.

Teaching Resources

Scientific publications; electronic databases

Sustainability Objectives

The study of the bio-anthropological foundations of deviant behavior (DB) contributes to reflecting on interventions and strategies for preventing risk behaviors (SDG 3). The analysis of DB allows for reflection on structural factors that may underlie DB in marginalized groups (SDG 10); it can contribute to designing intervention programs to reduce risk behaviors (SDG 4) and policies that promote social inclusion and reduce crime (SDG 16).

Keywords

Deviant behaviour
Crime
Psychology
Biology
Biossocial Criminology

Main Bibliography

Complementary Bibliography