Reasons for crime: poverty and upbringing
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how poverty and upbringing can lead to crime, and describe Christian and secular responses to these causes.
Key learning points
- People in poverty may feel desperate and turn to crime, like stealing or drug dealing, to meet their basic needs.
- Growing up with neglect or violence can make crime seem normal or acceptable.
- The Bible warns that poverty can lead to crime and teaches that a good upbringing helps people make the right choices.
- Most Christian denominations agree that strong families, stable homes and tackling social problems help prevent crime.
- Charities such as the Salvation Army and Catch22 try to prevent crime by supporting families and addressing poverty.
Keywords
Crime - action which breaks the law; can be against the person (e.g., murder), against property (e.g., vandalism), or against the state (e.g., treason)
Poverty - the state of being without the things needed for a reasonable quality of life; can be a cause of crime
Upbringing - the environment a child lives in, and the instructions they receive, while they are growing up; can be a cause of crime
Common misconception
Christianity teaches that poverty or upbringing excuses crime.
Christian teachings often show understanding of causes, but still uphold moral responsibility and stress the need for repentance and justice.
Teacher tip
Use case studies of real life scenarios of crimes committed because of poverty or upbringing.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Some people judge actions by the results, while others consider the behind them.
Q2.Which Christian teaching supports the importance of intention and action?
Q3.Some Christians believe humans are damaged by sin, but others see there’s potential for goodness.
Q4.What do many Christians believe suffering can help develop?
Q5.Some liberal Christians and humanists believe that suffering cannot the pain it causes.
Assessment exit quiz
5 Questions
Q1.Match each keyword to the correct definition.
action which breaks the law
the state of being without the things for a reasonable quality of life
the environment a child lives in while they are growing up
Q2.People in may turn to crime in order to meet their basic needs.
Q3.Which of these could influence someone to commit a crime?
Q4.Most Christian denominations agree that tackling problems helps prevent crime.
Q5.How do Christians approach the prevention of crime?
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Reasons for crime: poverty and upbringing, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 11 religious education lesson on: Reasons for crime: poverty and upbringing, 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 4 religious education lessons from the Religion, crime and punishment unit, dive into the full secondary religious education curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.