Year 7 - Citizenship
What is a crime?
What is crime?
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
Pupils consider what crime is, what causes criminal behaviour and how communities can help prevent crime. They also explore whether youth crime is really as serious as the media portrays.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to identify how you know what is right and wrong, explain what a crime is and describe the difference between criminal and civil law.
Key Notes
- Our views of what is right and wrong come from a range of influences in our lives and can evolve as we get older.
- When someone breaks the law, this is known as a crime. We become criminally responsible at the age of ten in England.
- There are two main types of law in England: civil and criminal.
Vocabulary To Learn
- 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
- civil law: a type of law that deals with disputes between individuals or groups
- criminal law: a type of law that deals with individuals who break the law and seeks to punish them for offences; these offences occur when someone breaks laws that Parliament has established for everyone to follow
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Crimes can only be committed by adults.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key points.
Our views of what is right and wrong come from a range of influences in our lives and can evolve as we get older. When someone breaks the law, this is known as a crime. We become criminally responsible at the age of ten in England.
2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'law'
rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves.
3. Correct this common mistake.
Mistake: Crimes can only be committed by adults. Correction: Anyone can commit a crime. In England, once you reach the age of ten, you can be held criminally responsible for your actions. This means that if a person aged ten or older breaks the law, they can face legal consequences.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Is the media representing the reality of youth crime? Study Guide
- What can communities do to help prevent crime? Study Guide
- What does a successful crime prevention strategy look like? Study Guide
- What is the role of the police in dealing with crime? Study Guide
- What reasons are behind criminal behaviour? Study Guide
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