Approaches to Teaching Sensitive Topics in Criminology: Insights from University Educators in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand

Criminologists regularly teach material that some students may find difficult or distressing, yet debate continues over which topics are considered sensitive and how they should be taught to minimize harm. To understand which topics criminology educators in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand view as sensitive and how they approach teaching them, we surveyed 176 educators. While participants identified a range of sensitive topics they taught, most frequently cited were various forms of gender-based violence, racism and the over-representation of First Nations Australians and Māori people from Aotearoa in the criminal legal system. In addition, educators in our sample utilized a range of teaching practices to support student learning and well-being, with most using at least—or a combination of—trigger or content warnings to signal potentially distressing materials to students, sharing support services, and providing clear information about the nature of the subject’s content in the subject outline. However, the analysis of our question regarding the content in which they deploy these practices revealed that topics addressing gender-based violence were far more likely to see these practices in action. This makes sense given that these topics are more commonly taught than others. Nonetheless, we suggest that there may be a disjuncture between the recognition that many topics in criminology are potentially distressing, and this can have consequences for how students experience learning environments if teaching is not adapted to recognize such sensitivities. To address this, we argue for a relational approach to teaching sensitive content that foregrounds the contingent nature of sensitivity and prompts educators to think about when, for whom, and under what conditions distress might arise.