What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?
I can explain what a crime is and identify a number of factors that might influence criminal behaviour.
What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?
I can explain what a crime is and identify a number of factors that might influence criminal behaviour.
These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.
Lesson details
Key learning 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.
- There are three main factors that impact criminal behaviour: social, environmental and psychological.
Keywords
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 misconception
Only "bad people" commit crimes.
Criminal behaviour can be influenced by various factors like their environment, the people around them, or their mental state.
To help you plan your year 7 citizenship lesson on: What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your year 7 citizenship lesson on: What reasons are behind criminal behaviour?, 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 3 citizenship lessons from the What is crime? unit, dive into the full secondary citizenship curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.
Equipment
Content guidance
- Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
- Depiction or discussion of mental health issues
- Depiction or discussion of peer pressure or bullying
- Depiction or discussion of serious crime
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Lesson video
Starter quiz
6 Questions
10
10
12
10
Exit quiz
6 Questions
rules made by Parliament that order the way a society behaves
an illegal act that is punishable by law
not allowed/forbidden by law, especially criminal law