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Citizenship at key stage 3    (Year 7-9)

Unit 02: Crime
Section 1: What are criminal offences? What causes people to commit crimes? (1)

QCA

Objectives
Children should learn:
  • about criminal and non-criminal offences, and some of the characteristics of youth crime
  • that crimes often have serious consequences for their victims and perpetrators, even so-called 'victimless crimes'

Activities

Outcomes
Children:
  • Give the class a list of offences sometimes committed by young people, eg shoplifting, breaking into cars, picking a fight, speeding, driving under the influence, solvent abuse, doing a paper round at the age of 11, shouting racist abuse, being sold alcohol in a pub at the age of 16. Ask them a) which of these are crimes, and b) which of them, if any, are 'victimless'.
  • Ask pupils to identify the victim(s) of each of these offences, and consider how the offence would affect them, eg health, emotional, other. Is it possible to distinguish between 'serious' and 'less serious' offences? If so, how? Tell pupils that while some offences have no apparent victims, eg taking Ecstasy, the offenders themselves might suffer as a result, eg by gaining a criminal record or going to a youth detention centre, or health-related problems.
  • distinguish between criminal and non-criminal activities
  • demonstrate knowledge of the effects of crime on victims, perpetrators and society

Points to note
  • Not all of these examples are crimes, although they might be seen as foolish, inconsiderate or dangerous. This section allows pupils to consider whether any of them should be classified as crimes and whether any of the crimes listed should be 'decriminalised'. If so, why?

Sections in this unit

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This unit is divided into sections. Each section contains a sequence of activities with related objectives and outcomes. You can view this unit by moving through the sections or print/download the whole unit.
1. What are criminal offences? What causes people to commit crimes? (1)
2. What are criminal offences? What causes people to commit crimes? (2)
3. What are criminal offences? What causes people to commit crimes? (3)
4. What is criminal responsibility? What is the youth justice system? (1)
5. What is criminal responsibility? What is the youth justice system? (2)
6. What is criminal responsibility? What is the youth justice system? (3)
7. Stereotypes and young people