Causes of crime: Additional resources
Pupil task
Read the following articles with a partner. See if you can work out the causes behind the crimes that
were committed. Discuss with your partner how you would have reacted in the same situation. Are
there any cases that don’t really fit in with any of the causes of crime described on the Crime & Law
website?
http://www.scotsman.com/news/boys-aged-ten-charged-over-wrecking-spree-at-primary-11668624
http://www.scotsman.com/news/nine-year-old-boy-armed-himself-with-snooker-cue-1-1490768
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/organised-crime-seen-as-seriousproblem.22231050
http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/car-dealer-facing-eight-fraudcharges.22271046
http://news.stv.tv/scotland/243880-james-kilday-stabbed-cousin-joseph-timmons-in-paisleymurder-bid/
http://news.stv.tv/east-central/242309-joyriding-spree-sees-40-cars-stolen-in-edinburgh-sinceaugust/
Teachers’ notes
The above task is accompanied by a PowerPoint presentation entitled ‘Causes of Crime’. There are
also individual PDF documents describing each cause of crime (social exclusion; poverty; gang
culture; boredom; alcohol and drugs; biological factors).
Please see the relevant resource record:
http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/crimeandlaw/resources/causesofcrime.asp
Word watch
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Individualist
Collectivist
Social exclusion
Socialisation
Biological