Admission requirements
This course is part of the minor Violence Studies. This is an interdisciplinary minor, and as such it is suitable for students from a variety of backgrounds, that include law, social science (security studies, criminology, psychology) and international relations, but also extend to medicine, archeology, and philosophy. This course is available to those following the full minor.
If you would like to take part in the minor, but if you are unsure whether it suits your background, please contact the minor coordinator.
Description
Drug-related violence has become a pressing issue in Western Europe. It is manifested in explosive violence, shootings in the context of organized crime, to homicides committed by neighborhood gangs. This course delves into the multifaceted nature of drug-related violence, exploring its causes, correlates, and policies aimed at addressing it.
Using criminological, sociological, legal, psychological, and public health perspectives, students will examine how international, national and local drug markets are related to violent crime, from local street-level disputes to large-scale conflicts involving organized crime. Students will be introduced to conceptual frameworks through which such violence can be understood, and to state-of-the-art data to monitor drug-related violence. Students will leave with a deeper understanding of one of the most urgent social issues facing Western Europe today.
Course objectives
At the end of this course, students are able to:
Critically assess the relationship between drugs and violence;
Identify and analyze the main conceptual frameworks in studying drug-related violence;
Identify manifestations of drug-related violence in Europe;
Outline types of data sources that can be used to study drug-related violence;
Present their findings in an academic and professional way.
Timetable
The timetable for this course can be found on MyTimetable.
Mode of instruction
7 lectures of 2 hours by instructors and guest lecturers in English.
Scientific papers and empirical reports form the basis of the study material, but the material from the lectures is also part of the exam literature, so attendance is mandatory.
The total study load for this course is 140 hours, consisting of:
14 hours for attending lectures
126 hours studying
Assessment method
Exam
100% of final grade
A 5.5 is required to pass the course.
Resit is possible
Resit will take the same form
More information on the exam will become available on Brightspace during the course, and will be discussed in class.
Reading list
The study material will be listed on Brightspace. The corresponding Brightspace course will become available one week prior to the first lecture.
Registration
Registration via MyStudymap or uSis is possible from TBA after registration for the entire minor. Register for every course via MyStudymap or uSis. Some courses of the minor have a limited number of participants, so register on time.
Leiden University uses Brightspace as its online learning management system. After enrolment for the course in MyStudymap you will be automatically enrolled in the Brightspace environment of this course.
More information on registration via MyStudymap can be found on this page.
Please note: guest-/contract-/exchange students do not register via MyStudymap but via uSis.
Contact
Before, during and after each lecture, the instructors will be available to answer theoretical and practical questions about the course. All other questions about the course can be emailed to the minor coordinator.
Prof. dr. M. Liem violence@fgga.leidenuniv.nl
This course is the responsibility of the Board of Examiners of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA).
Remarks
This course takes place in The Hague.
Please be aware that resits will take place in January 2026.
All sessions and examinations will be in English.