What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain what a crime is and identify a number of factors that might influence criminal behaviour.
Key learning points
- If a citizen breaks the rules in an Act of Parliament, they commit a crime, which is an illegal act punishable by law.
- Anyone can potentially be a criminal. It is the circumstances around them that may influence them and their choices.
- There are three main factors that impact criminal behaviour: social, environmental and psychological.
Keywords
Law - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves
Crime - an illegal act that is punishable by law
Illegal - not allowed/forbidden by law, especially criminal law
Common misconception
Only "bad people" commit crimes.
Criminal behaviour can be influenced by various factors like their environment, the people around them, or their mental state.
Teacher tip
To help pupils grasp the factors behind criminal behaviour, consider using a case study approach. Present various scenarios of people who have committed crime and ask pupils to identify the social, environmental, and psychological factors that might have influenced that person's actions.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What is the age of criminal responsibility in Scotland?
Q2.Which of the following best explains why our views of right and wrong can change as we get older?
Q3.Which of the following best describes a crime?
Q4.Where do people's views on what is right and wrong come from?
Q5.What is criminal behaviour?
Q6.There are two main types of law in England: civil and ...
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Match the word to its definition.
rules made by Parliament that order the way a society behaves
an illegal act that is punishable by law
not allowed/forbidden by law, especially criminal law
Q2.Which of the following statements is correct?
Q3.There are three main factors that impact criminal behaviour. Which is missing from this list? Social, environmental and ...
Q4.Which of the following is a social factor that might influence criminal behaviour?
Q5.What type of factors are all about your surroundings and where you live?
Q6.Which of these statements is correct?
To help you plan your 7 citizenship lesson on: What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 7 citizenship lesson on: What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 citizenship lessons from the What is crime? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.