Citizenship

Years 79

Unit 2 Crime About the unit

This unit explores crime and how it affects young people, victims of crime and their communities. It looks at the differences between crimes and civil offences, and their treatment in law. It also examines the nature of youth offending, and the special measures taken when dealing with young people. The unit builds on the understanding pupils developed in key stage 2 that certain activities are against the criminal law. It examines in more detail how the criminal justice system deals with youth offending. Pupils will gain a much deeper understanding of how crime affects victims, and will look at some of the reasons why very young children are not considered responsible for criminal actions. They will consider how basic civil and human rights protect the citizen from arbitrary arrest, and explore the measures taken to try to ensure that people accused of a crime receive a fair trial.

Expectations
At the end of this unit most pupils: identify activities that are criminal and describe how the

law treats people accused of a crime. They identify some reasons why the peak age for offending is 18. They understand the concept of criminal responsibility and show some understanding of why young children are not considered to be responsible for criminal actions. They outline the basic structure of the youth justice system. They discuss issues of fairness to the victim and offender and recognise the importance of a right to a fair trial for everyone.
some pupils have not made so much progress and: know what it means

Where the unit ts in

This unit addresses the following aspects of the key stage 3 citizenship programme of study: Knowledge and understanding about becoming informed citizens Pupils should be taught about: 1a the legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society, basic aspects of the criminal justice system, and how both relate to young people 1g the importance of resolving conflict fairly Developing skills of enquiry and communication Pupils should be taught to: 2a think about topical political, spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, problems and events by analysing information and its sources, including ICT-based sources 2b justify orally and in writing a personal opinion about such issues, problems or events 2c contribute to group and exploratory class discussions, and take part in debates Developing skills of participation and responsible action Pupils should be taught to: 3a use their imagination to consider other peoples experiences and be able to think about, express and explain views that are not their own 3b negotiate, decide and take part responsibly in both school and community-based activities 3c reflect on the process of participating This unit links with unit 15 Crime and safety awareness a whole-school multi-agency approach and unit 3 Human rights.

to commit a crime. They show some understanding of how criminals are treated within the criminal justice system. They recognise that young people are dealt with differently from adults. They are aware that young children are immune from criminal prosecution. some pupils have progressed further and: distinguish confidently between criminal and non-criminal activities. They describe in detail the main elements of the youth justice system. They discuss the measures taken to ensure a trial is fair. They give detailed reasons why offending is relatively high among young people. They understand the reasons why young children are kept outside the criminal justice system. They know the importance of the right to a fair trial and recognise the role of the Human Rights Act 1998 in supporting this.

Key stage 3 schemes of work

Resources
Resources include: Criminal statistics, England and Wales available from The Stationery Office Schools Liaison Officers, based at some police stations, who can support this work Local Authority Community Safety Plans, which provide potential for participation projects/initiatives Many groups and organisations produce online resources that are relevant to citizenship. QCA has not printed these website addresses as it recognises that they can and do change, often at short notice. So that we can monitor and maintain a reliable and useful resource, the website addresses of the following organisations can be accessed through the key stage 3 citizenship scheme of work site at www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/ schemes Citizenship Foundation (information on how to organise mock trials) Howard League for Penal Reform Prison Reform Trust Trust for the Study of Adolescence Home Office Human Rights Unit (information about the Human Rights Act 1998) Youth Justice Board Home Office (information on crime reduction and the criminal justice system) NB: care should be taken when encouraging pupils to access websites

Links with other subjects

PSHE: 1c, 2d, 2g, 3a, 3h, 3j, 3k in the non-statutory guidelines Mathematics: Ma4.1a, 3b, 4a, 5a, 5c, 5d in the programme of study English: En1, 1ag, 3ae in the programme of study ICT: 3b in the programme of study Geography: unit 15 Crime and the local community in the scheme of work

Literacy and language

References to the Key Stage 3 National Strategy Framework for teaching English, Years 7, 8 and 9 (NSE) are given in brackets and are indicated in appropriate sections of this unit. Through the activities in this unit pupils will understand, use and spell correctly words relating to: crime, eg criminal offence, offender, criminal responsibility, youth justice system Speaking and listening through the activities pupils learn to: listen carefully to, question and evaluate evidence (year 7 S&L6, year 8 S&L7, year 9 S&L5) Reading through the activities pupils learn to: use appropriate reading strategies to conduct research (year 7 R2, year 8 R2, year 9 R2)

Key stage 3 schemes of work

Citizenship unit 2

1
What are criminal offences? What causes people to commit crimes? 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 Give the class a list of offences sometimes committed by young people, eg shoplifting, breaking into cars, picking a ght, speeding, driving under the inuence, 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 Not all of these examples are crimes, non-criminal activities although they might be seen as foolish, demonstrate knowledge of the inconsiderate or dangerous. This section effects of crime on victims, allows pupils to consider whether any of perpetrators and society them should be classied as crimes and whether any of the crimes listed should be decriminalised. If so, why?

that many factors lead young people to commit crimes

Ask the class to look at the list of offences from the rst activity again, considering discuss and identify possible factors leading to youth which of the following factors might lead someone to commit each one, eg emotional immaturity, peer pressure, lack of empathy, a desire for excitement, a offending and know that most drug or alcohol habit. Could the offender have been affected by poverty, peer people will grow out of such pressure or other factors? For example, shoplifting might result from peer pressure behaviour and/or a desire for excitement. Ask pupils to think of factors, positive and negative, identify factors that might that might stop young people committing crimes, and how effective each factor prevent people from committing might be. crimes discuss and identify factors Use a graph to show pupils that criminal activity peaks at the age of 18 for males Crime statistics are published annually by leading to youth offending and at the age of 15 for females, dropping rapidly after that. Discuss possible the Home Ofce in Criminal statistics, England and Wales available in reference reasons for the trends, relating the gures to the pupils own experience. Ask pupils understand the concept of the libraries and from The Stationery Ofce, peak age of offending to consider why crime committed by young women is on the increase, while crime and in Social trends and key data on extract data from graphs and committed by young men is fairly stable. What can, or should, be done about it? adolescence, published by the Trust for discuss crime statistics in relation Pupils consider statistics relating to the types of crimes young people commit, eg 66 per cent of crimes committed by 18-year-old males are property crimes, while the Study of Adolescence (see to causal factors 10 per cent are violent crimes and 10 per cent are drug-related crimes.Discuss the www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes). relative seriousness of these offences for the victim(s), the perpetrator and society Link with mathematics: Ma4.3b, 4a, 5a, as a whole. 5c, 5d. Link with thinking skills: information processing.

that offending can be agerelated

Key stage 3 schemes of work

Citizenship unit 2

2
What is criminal responsibility? What is the youth justice system? about the age of criminal responsibility Introduce the concept of the age of criminal responsibility, pointing out that, until recently, children aged 10 to 14 had to be proved capable of understanding the consequences of their actions before they could be convicted. Ask pupils: do you feel it was right to abolish this convention? Compare the age of criminal responsibility in England with that in other countries, discussing possible reasons for the differences. Ask pupils to discuss the concept of relative levels of responsibility for a crime, and the legal notion of aiding and abetting. Should someone who stands by and watches while a crime is committed be held responsible? understand the concept of the age of criminal responsibility, and discuss this critically understand the concept of aiding and abetting Pupils should be aware that courts will accept certain factors as mitigation for a crime, eg extreme provocation. They should also be aware of what happens when a child under 10 is deemed to be out of control, eg the age of criminal responsibility in country X is... and Y is...

that the youth justice system Pupils consider and discuss what happens to a young person who is arrested. What understand the basic structure of The local police may have Schools Liaison offers protection to young are their rights? What evidence can be given against them? What safeguards are the youth justice system Ofcers who could visit the school to talk people, taking into account their there to prevent miscarriages of justice? Explain the differences between a youth understand the need to treat about how young people are treated age, immaturity and vulnerability court and an adult court. young offenders differently from within the criminal justice system, and to listen carefully to, question Conduct a mock trial, showing the efforts made to present evidence evenadult offenders about local crime and its effects on and evaluate evidence (NSE) handedly. This could be based on a current case reported in the national or local young people. media. Pupils can also follow the case in the media. The role of Youth Offending Teams is important here. Information on how to organise mock trials can be found on the Citizenship Foundation website (see www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes). The local magistrates association may provide support with this activity. The work could be followed up with a visit to the local magistrates court. Link with NSE: year 7 S&L6, year 8 S&L7, year 9 S&L5.

Key stage 3 schemes of work

Citizenship unit 2

3
What is criminal responsibility? What is the youth justice system? (continued) about the treatment of young Using material from newspapers and organisations such as the Howard League and know basic aspects of the youth people within the criminal justice the Prison Reform Trust, discuss issues surrounding the treatment of young people justice system from the point of system convicted of crimes. Make the point that this debate tends to be polarised between view of the offender to use appropriate reading hardliners and reformers. Refer to the Human Rights Act and Article 3 of the critically evaluate and discuss strategies to conduct research European Convention on Human Rights, which outlaws inhuman or degrading conicting views about the (NSE) punishments. purpose of the criminal justice system Pupils could use the internet to research the views of various groups campaigning on youth justice, eg the Howard League for Penal Reform and the Prison Reform Trust websites (see www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes). Link with ICT: 3b. Link with English: En1, 1, 3. Information about the Human Rights Act is available at the Home Ofce Human Rights Unit website (see www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes). Link with thinking skills: evaluation. Link with NSE: year 7 R2, year 8 R2, year 9 R2. Extension activity: this section could be extended by asking pupils to investigate and compare the treatment of prisoners in other countries.

Stereotypes and young people about stereotypes of young people and the inuence of media coverage over public perception understand why there are Ask pupils to write down how they think most adults see young people, maybe stereotypes of young people offering suggestions, eg lazy/hardworking, apathetic/enthusiastic, law-abiding/ delinquent. Is there agreement within the class? If possible, conduct a survey of identify and discuss factors that adults on the same question. Discuss the results. How far do the pupils agree with can lead to negative the adults views? Do the responses of the adults vary with their age? Discuss the stereotyping of young people treatment of crime in the media. Is it balanced? How does it affect the publics understand that fear of crime is general perception of crime? What, if anything, can be done to correct negative more prevalent than crime itself, media images? Discuss why fear of crime can be a problem for some sectors of the and that this can have serious adult population. consequences for many people Discuss ways to inuence popular opinion and counter stereotypes, eg write letters to the media, such as editors of national/local papers, or TV programmes. Survey work offers opportunities for research, statistical analysis and group presentations. Link with mathematics: Ma4.1a, 4, 5. Examine your Local Community Safety Plan for issues relating to youth groups, and to nd out about potential local community projects. Link with thinking skills: creative thinking. This section could be linked with unit 9 The signcance of the media in society.

Ref: QCA/01/776 Qualications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) 2001

Citizenship unit 2