Year 7 - Citizenship
What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?
What is crime?
Study Hub
Study Guides
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 explain what a crime is and identify a number of factors that might influence criminal behaviour.
Key Notes
- 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.
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
- illegal: not allowed/forbidden by law, especially criminal law
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Only "bad people" commit crimes.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain the lesson in two key 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.
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: Only "bad people" commit crimes. Correction: Criminal behaviour can be influenced by various factors like their environment, the people around them, or their mental state.
More Lessons In This Unit
Browse all guides in the Year 7 Citizenship guide library.